How to Help the Less Fortunate This Ramadan

There are several ways through which we can make someone else's Ramadan better than before. Some ways of charity include Zakat, Lillah, Sadaqah and generally helping others either by providing food or the source of food or fulfilling someone's other basic life needs. 

There are different ways to help the poor and needy. Let's go through some ways we can use this Ramadan.

Zakat

Zakat, in Arabic, means “Giving to Charity” and in Islam, it is considered 2nd in importance after Salah. Zakat, which is a basic pillar of Islam, tells us to pay 2.5% of our wealth to the poor and needy. This only applies to eligible Muslims. Zakat is one of the good deeds we can perform in the holy month of Ramadan. There is a hadith related to zakat, our beloved Prophet (P.B.U.H) said “Blessed is the wealth of the Muslim, from which he gives to the poor, the orphan, and the wayfarer.” [Muslim]. 

Lillah

In Arabic, Lillah means, “For Allah”. It is giving charity entirely for the sake of pleasing Allah. It can be in the form of money either to individuals, families, charities, or donations to institutions, the building of mosques or an orphanage house, and so on. In the Holy Quran, it is stated: “O you who believe, spend of the wealth We have bestowed upon you (in Allah’s way), before the Day comes when there shall be no buying and no selling; when neither friendship nor intercession will be of any avail.”

Sadaqah

Sadaqah is also a form of charity given for the sake of pleasing Allah. It can be in the form of a helping hand, a smile, a good act with someone, and so on. It is not necessarily monetary. If given, it can be given in any amount we want. A lot of the Prophet’s (P.B.U.H) companions (R.A) used to give a lot of amount in sadaqah and kept the rest just for their needs for themselves. Sadaqah- Jariah is also a kind of sadaqah where a deed is considered an everlasting charity and the reward for that person becomes everlasting as well. This may include planting a tree, building a mosque, mankind an organization for the poor so that people can donate.

Donations of Food Packages

Donation of food packages has a significant importance in Islamic values. It is also considered a very good practice in the month of Ramadan. We can include foods that fulfill the requirements of every individual either during suhoor or iftar time. These food packages can be given to needy family members, friends, orphanages, mosques, charity institutions, or generally people who we find in need. This practice also strengthens different communities and creates a supportive environment within a society. 

Volunteer Work

Volunteering work in any form is considered a sadaqah. It can include donations, working with the building of mosques, helping in making food packages, helping in any charity institution or organization, teaching the Quran to youngsters, and so on. When we volunteer our time in different types of donations and helping others we should also focus on the rewards we would be receiving from Allah.

Benefits of Helping the Less Fortunate in the Month of Ramadan

We cannot even imagine the amount of rewards from Allah for helping the poor and needy, especially in the Holy month of Ramadan. Ramadan, itself is a month of blessings where Dua’s are accepted, sins are forgiven and our rewards are enormous. We should take this month as a huge blessing and a gift and try to perform as good deeds as possible. Not only we are rewarded with so many blessings by helping the poor and needy but we also gain respect in society for being a good Muslim. Connections in societies improve and the number of people who do not get to fast with the proper conditions is reduced. Allah tells us in the Holy Quran, “The likeness of those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah is as the likeness of a grain (of corn); it grows seven ears, and each ear has a hundred grains. Allah gives manifold increase to whom He wills. And Allah is All-Sufficient for His creatures’ needs, All-Knower.”  (Surah al-Baqarah 2:261).