Class 3
TYPES OF CHARITABLE ACTS
For this course we will break the types of Charity into three categories and cover each one in a separate class InShaAllah.
By spending Money
Charity done without spending any money.
Sadqa Jaariya (with or without spending money)
CHARITY DONE BY SPENDING MONEY
1. Taking Care of the Family
Fulfilling responsibilities towards family, and those who you are responsible for, is regarded as a form of Sadaqah.
The Prophet ﷺ said,
“If a man supports his family with the intention to get a reward from God, he will be rewarded the reward of charity.” (Al-Bukhari)
"What you feed yourself is sadaqa for you. What you feed your child is sadaqa for you. What you feed your wife is sadaqa is for you. What you feed your servant is sadaqa for you." (Adab al Mufrad, Sahih by Albani)
“You will be rewarded for whatever you spend for Allah’s sake even if it were a morsel which you put in your wife’s mouth”. (Bukhari)
“Of the dinar you spend as a contribution in Allah's path, or to set free a slave, or as a sadaqa given to a needy, or to support your family, the one yielding the greatest reward is that which you spent on your family”. (Sahih Muslim)
There are many similar hadiths. The above are just a few examples. Many of us think that what we spend to support the family is just ‘necessary expenditures.’ However, all of it will InShaAllah be put in the scale of good deeds in the hereafter! Wonder why?
Why is spending on the family a form of Charity?
The home of a Muslim is a place where belief and morals are built. It is the first building block to a strong, happy and prosperous society. It is an investment. Alhamdulillah most Muslim men consider this an Islamic obligation that they must fulfill, regardless to the required time and effort. And to fulfill your obligations is Alhamdulillah always rewarding in Islam.
Feeding the Poor
The Prophet ﷺ said, “The best of you are those who feed others” (Ahmad)
’A man asked the Prophet ﷺ, “What Islamic traits are the best?” The Prophet ﷺ said, ”Feed the people, and greet those whom you know and those whom you do not know”’. (Bukhari)
On an average day, over 800 million people worldwide do not have enough food to eat, and Islam works to combat that sad statistic. Feeding the hungry and helping the poor is an integral part of the Islamic faith. The Prophet ﷺ encouraged us to feed the poor and commanded us to give Zakat al-Fitr to feed the poor on Eid al-Fitr. Sharing food is a way of taking care of the vulnerable and bringing the community together.
Allah describes how He will bless those who feed others even more beautifully, in the following powerful verses from Surah Al-Insan:
′And they give food, in spite of love for it, to the needy, the orphan, and the captive.
[Saying], “We feed you only for the countenance of Allah. We don’t want from you either reward or gratitude. Indeed, we fear from our Lord a Day austere and distressful”.
So Allah will protect them from the evil of that Day and give them radiance and happiness. And He will reward them, for what they patiently endured, with a Garden and clothes of silk. Reclining therein on adorned couches, they will not see therein any (burning) sun or (freezing) cold. And the shade of the (Garden) will come low over them, and its bunches (of fruit) will hang low (i.e. within reach)’. (The Noble Qur’an, 76:8-14)
Also the Prophet ﷺ highlighted the great rewards of feeding the hungry when he ﷺ said,
“(All of you) worship Ar-Rahman, feed others, spread the (greeting of) Salam, then you will enter Paradise in security." (Tirmidhi, Hasan)
"Indeed in Paradise there are chambers, whose outside can be seen from their inside, and their inside can be seen from their outside." A Bedouin stood and said : 'Who are they for, O Messenger of Allah?" He ﷺ said: "For those who speak well, feed others, fast regularly, and perform salat [for Allah] during the night while the people sleep." (Tirmidhi, Hasan)
“Feed the hungry, spread peace, speak kind words, and pray at night when people are sleeping. You will enter Paradise in peace.” (Musnad al-Bazzār 2497; classed as Sahih li ghayrihi authentic due to external evidence according to Al-Albani)
’No Muslim plants a tree or sows a seed and then a bird, or a human, or an animal eats from it but that it is charity for him’. [Muslim]
It is thus the essence of the believer to feed the poor.
Warning against not taking care or feeding the poor
Giving food is an important part of being a Muslim - and not doing so is specifically mentioned in the Qur’an as a quality of a disbeliever.
Allah says:
“What drove you to Hell?” ’They will say, “We were not of those who prayed, nor did we used to feed the poor…“′ [The Noble Qur’an, 74:42-44]
’And when it is said to them, “Spend from that which Allah has provided for you”, those who disbelieve say to those who believe, “Should we feed one whom, if Allah had willed, He would have fed? You are not but in clear error”’. [The Noble Qur’an, 36:47]
Actively denying someone food and preventing them from access it can lead to the Fire. The below hadith teaches us that even keeping an animal hungry is a weighty sin:
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, ’A woman punished her cat by imprisoning it until it died of hunger and because of it, she entered the Fire. It was said - and Allah knows best - ”You did not feed it nor give it water when you imprisoned it, nor did you release it and let it eat from the creatures which creep on the earth”’. [Bukhari]
We will be questioned about it
Since Allah mentioned feeding the poor after worshipping Him and performing Salah, it is no surprise that He will question us as to whether we fulfilled this obligation. The below quote has been taken from a longer Hadith Qudsi:
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ,said, “Allah says: ‘I asked you for food and you did not feed Me. “He (His slave) will say, ‘Lord,how could I feed You when You did not ask me for food and You are the Lord of the universe?’ He will say, ‘Do you not know that My slave so-and-so asked you for food and you did not feed him? Do you not know that if you had fed him,you would have found that action with Me?…… (Bukhari in Al-Adab Al-Mufrad)
In the above hadith, Allah rebukes a person with the powerful words ‘I asked you for food and you did not feed Me’. SubhanAllah, if we were to imagine that, every time a hungry person comes to us, it is Allah who is asking us to feed this person, we would surely not be able to turn them away! Even if all we had to give them was bread, we would not hesitate to do so.
Sharing Food
Apart from feeding the family and the poor, Islam urges to share the feed our neighbors.
’The Prophet ﷺ said, “O Abu Dharr, when you cook a stew, put more water in the broth and take care of your neighbours“’. (Muslim)
SubhanAllah, the Prophet ﷺ gave us such a practical way of fulfilling our obligation as believers - simply add more water to the food you are already making! This adds barakah (blessings) to your meal and ensures you are nurturing a good relationship with your neighbours, regardless of their faith.
Give gifts
Whether we admit it or not, all of us love receiving gifts (some of us love giving them too!). This is a sunnah of our Prophet ﷺ. The Prophet ﷺ said: “Exchange gifts, you will love one another.” (al-Bukhari in al-Adab al-Mufrad).
This is one of the most effective ways of softening the hearts of people. Gifts do not have to be anything expensive or huge. While choosing gifts, you just have to remember the likes/dislikes and leisure-time activities of the person. Remember that anything given with love carries a unique value.
Helping someone repay loans
Islam takes the matter of debt very seriously and warns against it and urges the Muslim to avoid it as much as possible.
One the Messenger of Allah ﷺ raised his head towards the sky, then he put his palm on his forehead and said: “Subhan-Allah! What a strict issue has been revealed to me!” He explained, “By the One in Whose hand is my soul, if a man were killed in battle for the sake of Allah, then brought back to life, then killed and brought back to life again, then killed, and he owed a debt, he would not enter Paradise until his debt was paid off.” (An-Nasai; classed as sahih by Al-Albani).
The Prophet ﷺ refrained from offering the funeral prayer for one who had died owing two dinars, until Abu Qatadah R.A. promised to pay it off for him. When he saw him the following day and said, I have paid it off, the Prophet ﷺ said: “Now his skin has become cool for him.”(Ahmad)
The Prophet ﷺ was asked: O Messenger of Allah, which of the people is dearest to Allah? And which deeds are dearest to Allah? The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “The dearest of people to Allah, may He be exalted, is the one who does most benefit to people, and the dearest of deeds to Allah, may He be exalted, is joy that you bring to a Muslim, or relieving him of distress, or paying off debt for him, or dispelling his hunger. And to walk with a brother to meet his needs is dearer to me than observing i‘tikaaf in this mosque – meaning the mosque of Madinah – for a month.” (at-Tabaraani; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani)
So it is a very good form of charity to help someone pay of their debts, even if you are giving it in the form of debt and take it back when the person is in a better condition.
Helping Someone in Need
Offer support to individuals facing challenges, aiming to address their immediate needs and improve their overall living conditions. We read in the hadeeth above how rewarding it is to help others.
The Prophet ﷺ said: “Whoever relieves a Muslim of distress, Allah will relieve him of distress on the Day of Resurrection”. (Bukhaari & Muslim).
al-Hasan al-Basri said: To meet the need of a Muslim is dearer to me than praying a thousand rak‘ahs..
Sadaqah for healthcare:
Supporting access to medical care
One of the greatest of deeds before Allah, may He be exalted, one of the dearest to the Most Merciful, one of the highest in honour and greatest in chivalry, is showing kindness to the weak and the sick, taking care of them and looking after them.
The Prophet ﷺ said: “The Muslim is the brother of his fellow Muslim; he does not wrong him or let him down. The one who meets the needs of his brother, Allah will meet his needs. Whoever relieves a Muslim of distress, Allah will relieve him of distress on the Day of Resurrection.” (Bukhari & Muslim)
So try and give Sadaqah to people who have medical needs or support healthcare initiatives that provide access to medical care for those who cannot afford it.
Sadaqah for emergency relief
Supporting those in crisis
An example of emergency relief efforts that could be supported by donations includes providing aid during natural disasters, conflicts, or other crises.
It is a form of sadaqah that offers immediate assistance to those in alarming need.
This can include providing food, shelter, and other necessities to those who have been displaced or affected by the crisis, like refugees. This kind of charity is a communal obligation on us, we need to help our brothers and sisters.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “The parable of the believers in their affection, mercy, and compassion for each other is that of a body. When any limb aches, the whole body reacts with sleeplessness and fever.” (Sahih Bukhari)
Tomorrow we will InShaAllah read about the types of Charity that are done without spending any money.
TIPS FOR THE TEST
Do not have to memorise the ayahs or hadeeths word for word and their references, but remember their meanings and the msg being given.
Remember the rewards of Charity in this world and the next.
ASSIGNMENT
There will be an Assignment Question asked in the Test. Marks will be given based on the following: -
I. Invite atleast 10 people to the course (can invite via WhatsApp, Facebook, Email, telegram or word of mouth) 4 Marks. (check the note below for exceptions)
Note:
Those who have already invited whether on Whatsapp, Email or FB, do not need to invite again.
It does not matter, whether people join or not, our job is to invite.
II. Talk to 5 people (friends or family) about any three topics from the course - (5 Marks)
III. Pray for the Ummah, pray for the ease of all the poor & oppressed Muslims and Maghfirah of the Muslims who passed away. Pray that Allah make us all strong in imaan and give us the hidayah to work for the aakhirah and to help each other. - 1 Mark
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