My dear brothers and sisters! Alhamdulillah, we are passing through the blessed month of Ramadan. Besides being the month of fasting, the month of Qur’an, the month of piety, patience, and forgiveness, it is also the month of spending in charitable causes to attain the pleasure of Allah (SWT). My khutba today is on the topic of spending in charitable causes, especially during the holy month of Ramadan.
It is well known that our beloved prophet Muhammad (SAW) was the most charitable person throughout his life, but he was still more charitable during the month of Ramadan. The rewards of acts of charity during Ramadan are multiplied many times over.
We learn from the Qur’an that man by his very nature loves wealth and other material possessions intensely.
وَتُحِبُّونَ الْمَالَ حُبًّا جَمًّا
“And you love wealth with a passion” (al-fajr, 89:20).
زُيِّنَ لِلنَّاسِ حُبُّ الشَّهَوَاتِ
“Appealing to man is the enjoyment of worldly desires.” (Aal ‘Imran, 3:14)
Despite the inherent attachment with material things, the attitude of Muslims toward wealth is not the same as other people. This is because Muslims have the true divine guidance with them while others do not. People generally do not understand the Islamic concept of wealth, which boils down to the fact that man owns nothing. The real owner of everything is Allah (SWT). Whatever we have is only a sacred trust—an amanah from Him. Muslims understand that what they possess is not their earnings, but the favor, blessing and bounty—the fadl of Allah (SWT). Ayah 10 of Surat al-Jumu’ah makes this notion of the fadl of Allah very clear.
فَإِذَا قُضِيَتِ الصَّلَاةُ فَانتَشِرُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ وَابْتَغُوا مِن فَضْلِ اللَّهِ وَاذْكُرُوا اللَّهَ كَثِيرًا لَّعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ
“Then when the prayer has ended, disperse in the land and seek out Allah’s fadl (bounty). Remember Allah often so that you may prosper” (al-Jumu’ah, 62:10). Believers are told to spend from whatever Allah (SWT) has given them.
وَآتُوهُم مِّن مَّالِ اللَّهِ الَّذِي آتَاكُمْ
“And give them some of the wealth Allah has given you” (al-Nur, 24:33).
Muslims understand that the poor and the needy have a known right in their wealth.
وَالَّذِينَ فِي أَمْوَالِهِمْ حَقٌّ مَّعْلُومٌ
“And in whose wealth there is a known right” (Al-Ma’arij, 70:24). The Muttaqin i.e., those who are conscious of Allah (SWT) spend from what Allah has given them. Describing them, Allah says,
الَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالْغَيْبِ وَيُقِيمُونَ الصَّلاةَ وَمِمَّا رَزَقْنَاهُمْ يُنْفِقُونَ
“(They are) those who believe in the unseen, and are steadfast in prayer, and spend out of what We have provided them with” (Al-Baqarah, 2:3)
While people tend to think that being the owners of their wealth, they can dispose it off the way they like, true righteous believers understand that their wealth has been provided by Allah (SWT) only to satisfy and fulfill their needs. Any surplus has to be spent in the way of Allah (SWT).
وَيَسْأَلُونَكَ مَاذَا يُنفِقُونَ قُلِ الْعَفْوَ
“They ask you what they should give: say, ‘Give what you can spare.” (Al-Baqarah, 2:219). This has been explained in ayah 215 of Surat Al-Baqarah.
يَسْأَلُونَكَ مَاذَا يُنفِقُونَ قُلْ مَا أَنفَقْتُم مِّنْ خَيْرٍ فَلِلْوَالِدَيْنِ وَالْأَقْرَبِينَ وَالْيَتَامَىٰ وَالْمَسَاكِينِ وَابْنِ السَّبِيلِ وَمَا تَفْعَلُوا مِنْ خَيْرٍ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ بِهِ عَلِيمٌ
“They ask you what they should give. Say: Whatever you give should be for parents, close relatives, orphans, the needy, and travelers. Allah is well aware of whatever good you do.” (Al-Baqarah, 2:215). The attributes of piety and virtue are linked with each other. These qualities have to do with iman and a host of other good deeds including spending in the path of Allah. In fact, spending for the sake of Allah (SWT) is such a meritorious act that Allah calls it a trade that will never decline.
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَتْلُونَ كِتَابَ اللَّهِ وَأَقَامُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَأَنفَقُوا مِمَّا رَزَقْنَاهُمْ سِرًّا وَعَلَانِيَةً يَرْجُونَ تِجَارَةً لَّن تَبُورَ
“Those who recite Allah’s Book, keep up the prayer, give secretly and openly from what We have provided for them, may hope for a trade that will never decline” (Fatir, 35:29).
To encourage others to give, one may spend openly also, as long as this is done with the sincerest of intentions, and without a trace of showing off. Showing of (Ar-Riya) is so dangerous that the Prophet (SAW) called it the minor shirk. He said, “Indeed the thing I fear for you the most is the minor shirk. The companions of the Prophet (SAW) asked him, “What is minor shirk, Ya Rasulallah?” He said, “Ar-Riya.” Muslims give because they know that Allah (SWT) is grateful, and that He compensates by giving back many times over.
إِن تُقْرِضُوا اللَّهَ قَرْضًا حَسَنًا يُضَاعِفْهُ لَكُمْ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ وَاللَّهُ شَكُورٌ حَلِيمٌ
“If you make a good loan to Allah, He will multiply it for you and forgive you. Allah is all-appreciative and forbearing.” (Al-Taghabun, 64:17) In another place we are reminded,
وَمَا تُنفِقُوا مِنْ خَيْرٍ فَلِأَنفُسِكُمْ وَمَا تُنفِقُونَ إِلَّا ابْتِغَاءَ وَجْهِ اللَّهِ وَمَا تُنفِقُوا مِنْ خَيْرٍ يُوَفَّ إِلَيْكُمْ وَأَنتُمْ لَا تُظْلَمُونَ
“Whatever charity you give benefits your own soul, provided you do it for the sake of Allah. Whatever you give will be repaid to you in full, and you will not be wronged.” (Al-Baqarah, 2:272).
May Allah (SWT) grant us understanding and goodness.
أَقُولُ قَوْلِي هَذَا وَأَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ لِي وَلَكُمْ وَلِسَائِرِ المُسْلِمينَ وَالمُسْلِمَاتْ فَاسْتَغْفِرُوهْ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ
الحمد لله رب العالمين والصلاة والسلام على سيد المرسلين وعلى آله وأصحابه أجمعين
My dear brothers and sisters! Allah (SWT) gives an example of those who spend in His way.
مَّثَلُ الَّذِينَ يُنفِقُونَ أَمْوَالَهُمْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ كَمَثَلِ حَبَّةٍ أَنبَتَتْ سَبْعَ سَنَابِلَ فِي كُلِّ سُنبُلَةٍ مِّائَةُ حَبَّةٍ وَاللَّهُ يُضَاعِفُ لِمَن يَشَاءُ وَاللَّهُ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ
“Those who spend their wealth in Allah’s cause are like grains of corn that produce seven ears, each bearing a hundred grains. Allah gives multiple increase to whoever He wishes: He is limitless and all knowing.” (al-Baqarah, 2:261)
The recipients of such grace of Allah (SWT) are those who do not follow their spending with reminders or hurtful words hurled on those whom they give. At the same time we should never be harsh upon or repel those who ask us for something.
فَأَمَّا الْيَتِيمَ فَلَا تَقْهَرْ وَأَمَّا السَّائِلَ فَلَا تَنْهَرْ
“So do not be harsh with the orphan, and as for the beggar, do not scold him” (Al-Dhuha, 93:9-10).
However illogical it may sound, giving in charity does not decrease one’s wealth. On the contrary, it increases it, and becomes a source of inner peace and contentment. The companions of the Prophet (SAW) used to be afraid that the day they stopped giving, Allah would stop providing for them. According to a hadith, “Charity does not decrease wealth. No one forgives except that Allah increases his honor, and no one humbles himself for Allah except that Allah raises his status.”
My dear brothers and sisters! Man takes nothing with him in his grave. We learn from a hadith which says, “When a man dies, his deeds come to an end except for three things: (1) ongoing charity (Sadaqah Jariyah), (2) beneficial knowledge that he leaves behind, and (3) a virtuous descendant who prays for him.”
Such admonitions remind us that we should hasten in doing good deeds before our time is up and our book of deeds gets closed for ever. We should not be among those who will cry to Allah to give them more time to spend in His way and to be one of the righteous.
وَأَنفِقُوا مِن مَّا رَزَقْنَاكُم مِّن قَبْلِ أَن يَأْتِيَ أَحَدَكُمُ الْمَوْتُ فَيَقُولَ رَبِّ لَوْلَا أَخَّرْتَنِي إِلَىٰ أَجَلٍ قَرِيبٍ فَأَصَّدَّقَ وَأَكُن مِّنَ الصَّالِحِينَ
“Give from what We have provided for you before death comes to one of you and he says, ´My Lord, if only you would give me a little more time so that I can give sadaqa and be one of the righteous!” (al-Munafiqun, 63:10).
The blessed month of Ramadan provides us a chance of multiplied rewards. Indeed, the month of Ramadan is the month of charity—the month of giving and receiving. Righteous believers are steadfast in seeking the favor of their Lord. They pray regularly and spend secretly and openly out of what they have been provided with. They ward off evil with good. While they do all this on a regular basis, they do so more consciously during the month of Ramadan. And in return, they are promised the eternal abode of paradise.
وَالَّذِينَ صَبَرُوا ابْتِغَاءَ وَجْهِ رَبِّهِمْ وَأَقَامُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَأَنفَقُوا مِمَّا رَزَقْنَاهُمْ سِرًّا وَعَلَانِيَةً وَيَدْرَءُونَ بِالْحَسَنَةِ السَّيِّئَةَ أُولَٰئِكَ لَهُمْ عُقْبَى الدَّارِ
“And those who exercise patience to gain the pleasure of Allah, who are steadfast in prayer, who spend for the cause of Allah privately and in public, and who keep away evil with good will have the eternal abode” (al-Ra’d, 13:22).
May Allah (SWT) make us among those who are able to give generously for every good cause. May Allah (SWT) make us of the dwellers of paradise and save us from the fire of hell; Allahumma Ameen.
