The Prophet said: " Whoever draws closer to Allah therein through charity is like whoever drew closer to Him in other than it through an obligation. “The best charity is that which is practiced by a wealthy person. Please respond. And start giving first to your dependents.” [Sahih Bukhari – Book 24 – Hadith 507] 4] Charity does not in any way decrease the wealth.
- Sahih Muslim, Hadith 496 EVERY MUSLIM MUST GIVE IN CHARITY
Ibn Hajar Al Haitami had collected hundreds of hadith about the virtues of giving alms in a book titled ‘Al Inaafah Fimaa Ja’a Fis Shadaqah Wad Dhiyaafah’, although some of the hadith need to be checked for it’s authenticity. We are a witness to everything that is unfolding in our selves, our homes, our locality and the wider world.As a Muslim living in the UK the discourse that surrounds me and many of us is the pressure that our health services face, the disparity between what ‘lockdown’ looks like for the richest and poorest and all those in the middle looks like.Whilst things are progressing, some parts of the world, including the Uk, are playing catch up in a whole host of areas with food banks here in need of donations more than ever and reports that India’s poorest are struggling to access food during the strict lockdown rules.We need to help, whilst I am an advocate of ensuring that the help we engage in for those in need in society is long term, there are families now in the UK and abroad that need food for iftar tonight to make sure they can see the next week through. It is classed as weak by the experts of hadith such as Al Mundziri in ‘Targhib Wat Tarhib (2/115), also by Dhiya Al Maqdisi in ‘Sunan Al Hakim (3/400), even commented as ‘munkar’ by Al Albani in ‘Silsilah Adh Dhaifah (871).As the summary, although there is no 70 times fold of rewards in every kind of obligational prayer, basically, every righteous deed, inside or outside of the month Ramadan will be multiplied by Allah to 10 until 700 hundred folds, based on the hadith:إن الله كتب الحسنات والسيئات ثم بين ذلك فمن هم بحسنة فلم يعملها كتبها الله له عنده حسنة كاملة فإن هو هم بها فعملها كتبها الله له عنده عشر حسنات إلى سبع مائة ضعف إلى أضعاف كثيرةThus, one who gives alms during the month Ramadan will be multiplied inrewards to 10 until 700 folds, because giving alms is kind of righteous deeds, and then based on the chapter Al A’raf or the Height, verse number 16, that the reward of giving alms will be increased further by Allah’s wish, plus the numerous virtues of giving alms. People seek this blessed month.
Whoever (in that month ) gives food for breaking the fast to a fasting one, the deed will be the forgiven of his past sins his saver from the Hell fire, and he will get the same rewards as that fasting man without reducing his rewards.” The companions said, “O Allah’s apostle, not all of us possess food to be given to the fasting ones.” The messenger of Allah -peace and prayer of Allah be upon him- said, “Allah will give such reward to those who give food for fasting break, from a date fruit, or a sip of water or milk. Because the basis of this beliefs is a weak hadith, that is:يا أيها الناس قد أظلكم شهر عظيم ، شهر فيه ليلة خير من ألف شهر ، جعل الله صيامه فريضة ، و قيام ليله تطوعا ، و من تقرب فيه بخصلة من الخير كان كمن أدى فريضة فيما سواه ، و من أدى فريضة كان كمن أدى سبعين فريضة فيما سواه ، و هو شهر الصبر و الصبر ثوابه الجنة ، و شهر المواساة ، و شهر يزاد فيه رزق المؤمن ، و من فطر فيه صائما كان مغفرة لذنوبه ، و عتق رقبته من النار ، و كان له مثل أجره من غير أن ينتقص من أجره شيء قالوا : يا رسول الله ليس كلنا يجد ما يفطر الصائم ، قال : يعطي الله هذا الثواب من فطر صائما على مذقة لبن ، أو تمرة ، أو شربة من ماء ، و من أشبع صائما سقاه الله من الحوض شربة لايظمأ حتى يدخل الجنة ، و هو شهر أوله رحمة و وسطه مغفرة و آخره عتق من النار ،“O human, a noble and blessed month has came to you.
He would meet him every night of Ramadan to study the Quran.