The month of Ramadan is the month when Allah (SWT) showers Muslims with His infinite mercy and blessings.
Thus, during this holy month, Muslims maximize their acts of worship as their rewards are multiplied more than they usually do at any other time of the year.
In this article, we highlight the importance of charity to the Muslim community during Ramadan.
The concept of zakat as an obligatory charity in Islam and its impact on the community
Zakat is an obligatory form of charity that ensures the equal distribution of wealth in society.
In doing so, the values of kindness, harmony, and compassion will permeate the Muslim community and its members will stay bonded and connected.
Abu Musa narrated: The Prophet (PBUH) said, “A believer to another believer is like a building whose different parts enforce each other.” The Prophet (PBUH) then clasped his hands with the fingers interlaced (while saying that),” (Sahih al-Bukhari).
Therefore, zakat can help create a collective security scheme for spreading mutual sympathy among the Muslim society’s members and helping its resources to be utilized equally.
The importance of Sadaqah as a voluntary charity during Ramadan and its impact on the community
The month of Ramadan is an opportunity for Muslims to increase their charitable deeds and acts of kindness toward others.
This also includes financial donations and supporting charitable causes that include:
- Increasing acts of kindness and generosity towards others.
- Donating clothes.
- Providing food to those in need and iftar.
- Holding charitable fundraisers.
Therefore, sadaqah has an immense impact on the Muslim community as it helps to spread values of kindness, benevolence, and hospitality among members of society, especially the poor and rich.
Fidyah and Kaffarah as forms of charity
Fidya and kaffarah are 2 forms of charitable donations given by Muslims to the less privileged members of the Muslim community to compensate for any missed or broken fasts during the month.
Kaffarah is paid when a person deliberately breaks a fast. On the other hand, fidya is paid when a person only misses a fast due to a valid reason.
These forms of charitable donations are usually given when a person is unable as a result of illness, pregnancy, traveling for long distances, or other valid reasons.
The amount of charity paid for missed fasts is equivalent to feeding 60 people.
Food drives and donations: How it helps the community?
Food drives and food donations are usually conducted by a group of people or corporations.
They stockpile extra food donated by those who have the financial ability to buy it.
These kinds of initiatives are in charge of distributing food among those who can afford to buy it.
In addition, food drives help raise awareness about hunger and encourage other people to donate to the poor and needy. The types of food in those kinds of food drives include:
- Canned soup.
- Canned fruits.
- Canned stew.
- Canned fish.
- Canned beans.
Allah (SWT) said: “And they give food in spite of love for it to the needy, the orphan, and the captive,” (Al-Insan [76] : 8).
The impact of food drives and donations during Ramadan on the community’s food insecurity and hunger
Food drives and food donations are important to be conducted during Ramadan as they help alleviate the hunger of the poor.
Helping to break the fast of another Muslim in Ramadan is greatly rewarded by Allah (SWT).
In such a case, Muslims get the same reward as those they helped to break their fast.
Muslims are urged to conduct more good deeds during the blessed month of Ramadan.
They are even more encouraged to give donations and charities because the reward of good deeds is multiplied during this holy month.
Certainly, these donations will alleviate food insecurity and hunger in the Muslim community.
Supporting orphans and widows: Benefits and impact
Caring for the vulnerable groups of the society is a priority in islam. These include orphans and widows.
By caring for these deprived groups, members of the society will live in harmony with each other and relationships will be more cordial and amicable.
Allah (SWT) said: “And give to the orphans their properties and do not substitute the defective [of your own] for the good [of theirs]. And do not consume their properties into your own. Indeed, that is ever a great sin,” (Al-Nisa [4]:2).
The prophet (PBUH) said: “One who cares for widows and the poor is like those who fight in the way of Allah or those who spend their days fasting and their nights praying,” (al-Bukhari.)
Ramadan iftar programs: Feeding the needy- benefits and impact
Iftar programs are important because they are a means of charity to the poor.
As Ramdan is a time where Allah (SWT) showers Muslims with His mercy and blessings, Muslims are encouraged to increase their rewards and seek forgiveness by doing more good deeds.
One of these deeds include organizing iftar programs. By doing so, the fasts of Muslims will be multiplied.
The Prophet (PBUH) said, “Whoever feeds a person breaking his fast will earn the same reward as him, without anything being lessened from the reward of the fasting person,”(al-Tirmidhi)
Health and medical care support: Importance and impact
One of the most important ways to benefit others during the holy month of Ramadan is by providing medical care support for those in need.
Your charitable donations during Ramadan can help provide medical care to the deprived communities of the refugees.
Many of the refugee communities in North Syria are lacking the necessary medical infrastructure.
Help us at SEMA, non-profit, non-government organization to provide the underserved communities of Syrian refugees with primary healthcare services, in the areas of pediatrics, reproductive health, communicable and non-communicable diseases, and more.
Indeed, there is no better way to assist those communities than in the blessed month of Ramadan.
FAQ
Why is giving charity important during Ramadan?
Giving charity is important during Ramadan because it brings us closer to Allah (SWT).
Do people give charity during Ramadan?
Yes, people give to charity during Ramadan because the rewards of good deeds are maximized.
How do you give charity in Ramadan?
Muslims can give charity in Ramadan in multiple ways, including food, clothes, money, etc.,
What is the significance of charitable giving during Ramadan, and how does it relate to religious observance?
The significance of charitable giving during Ramadan is significant because it reminds believers that they have a responsibility toward fellow Muslims regardless of their beliefs and backgrounds.
Charitable giving relates to religious observance because it is one of the most important deeds that please Allah (SWT).
How do Ramadan’s charitable giving and community service efforts fit into the broader context of Islamic social justice and ethical principles?
Ramadan’s charitable giving and community service efforts fit into the broader context of Islamic social justice and ethical principles in that such efforts encourage those who have excess wealth to donate to the less fortunate members of the community.
Resources
- The Role of Community in Supporting Charitable Causes in Ramadan.
- Ramadan Donation: Significance, Zakat Al Fitr And Sadaqah.
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