9 Main Worship Charities in Ramadan

9 Main Worship Charities in Ramadan

By Badrul Tamam

Al-hamdulillah, all praise be to Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala. Shalawat and greetings may be extended to the Messenger of Allah, his family and friends.

The month of Ramadan is the month of Worship, the month of doing good, the month of goodness, the month of sympathy, the month of deliverance from hell, the month of triumph over lust, and victory. In that month, God bestowed many gifts on His servants by multiplying the reward and being given the assurance of forgiveness of sins for who could make proper use of them. Here we present some of the main charities that are highly emphasized in the month of Ramadan.

1. Shiyam/Fasting

The Messenger of Allaah 'Alaihi Wasallam said,

كُلُّ عَمَلِ ابْنِ آدَمَ يُضَاعَفُ الْحَسَنَةُ عَشْرُ أَمْثَالِهَا إِلَى سَبْعمِائَة ضِعْفٍ قَالَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ إِلَّا الصَّوْمَ فَإِنَّهُ لِي وَأَنَا أَجْزِي بِهِ يَدَعُ شَهْوَتَهُ وَطَعَامَهُ مِنْ أَجْلِي لِلصَّائِمِ فَرْحَتَانِ فَرْحَةٌ عِنْدَ فِطْرِهِ وَفَرْحَةٌ عِنْدَ لِقَاءِ رَبِّهِ وَلَخُلُوفُ فِيهِ أَطْيَبُ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ مِنْ رِيحِ الْمِسْكِ

"Every practice of the son of Adam will be multiplied in reward, one good will be multiplied to 10 goodness to 700 times. Allah 'Azza wa Jalla said, 'Except fasting, truly he is my part and I alone will repay him, for (the one who fasts) he has forsaken his shahwatand eats it because of me'. For the one who fasts gets two joys; joy when breaking the fast and joy when meeting his Lord with his fast. And verily the unpleasant smell of his mouth is more fragrant on the side of God than the smell of musk oil." (HR. Bukhari and Muslim, Muslim-owned lafadz)

From Abu Hurairah Radhiyallahu 'Anhu, the Messenger of Allaah 'Alaihi Wasallam said:

مَنْ صَامَ رَمَضَانَ إِيمَانًا وَاحْتِسَابًا غُفِرَ لَهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ ذَنْبِهِ

"Whoever fasts ramadan imanan wa ihtisaban (with faith and hope of reward), is forgiven his past sins." (HR. Bukhari and Muslims)

Undoubtedly, this great reward is not given to people who are limited to abandoning food and drink alone. This is in accordance with the words of the Prophet Sallallahu 'Alaihi Wasallam,

مَنْ لَمْ يَدَعْ قَوْلَ الزُّورِ وَالْعَمَلَ بِهِ فَلَيْسَ لِلَّهِ حَاجَةٌ فِي أَنْ يَدَعَ طَعَامَهُ وَشَرَابَهُ

"Whoever does not forsake his false words and deeds, then God does not need him to forsake his eating and drinking." (HR. Al-Bukhari of Abu Hurairah Radhiyallahu 'Anhu) is a metaphor that Allah did not accept the fast.

In another of his words, "If on the day one of you fasts, then let him not speak profanity, make noise, nor do the deeds of fools. And if anyone berates him or invites him to fight, then let him say, 'Verily I am fasting'." (HR. Bukhari and Muslims)

So if you fast, then also satisfy your hearing, sight, oral, and all limbs. Don't make it the same between the day when fasting and not.

2. Al-Qiyam/evening prayer/Tarawih

The Prophet Sallallahu 'Alaihi Wasallam said,

مَنْ قَامَ رَمَضَانَ إِيمَانًا وَاحْتِسَابًا غُفِرَ لَهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ ذَنْبِهِ

"Whoever performs the evening prayers in Ramadan with faith and hopes of reward, is forgiven his past sins." (HR. Bukhari and Muslims)

Allah Ta'ala said,

وَعِبَادُ الرَّحْمَنِ الَّذِينَ يَمْشُونَ عَلَى الْأَرْضِ هَوْنًا وَإِذَا خَاطَبَهُمُ الْجَاهِلُونَ قَالُوا سَلَامًا وَالَّذِينَ يَبِيتُونَ لِرَبِّهِمْ سُجَّدًا وَقِيَامًا

"And the servants of the Most Merciful God (are) those who walk upon the earth humbly and when ignorant people greet them, they speak good words. And the one who goes through the night prostrate and stands for their Lord." (QS. Al-Furqan: 63-64)

Qiyamul lail has become the routine of the Prophet Sallallahu 'Alaihi Wasallam and his companions. 'Aisyah Radhiyallahu 'Anha said, "Do not leave the evening prayers, for indeed the Messenger of Allaah 'Alaihi Wasallam never left him. If he is sick or weakened then he prays by sitting." (HR. Abu Dawud and Ahmad)

Umar ibn Khathab Radhiyallahu 'Anhu used to perform as many evening prayers as Allah would have so that when he entered the middle of the night, he awoke his family to pray, then said to them, "al-shalah, al-Shalah." Then he read:

وَأْمُرْ أَهْلَكَ بِالصَّلَاةِ وَاصْطَبِرْ عَلَيْهَا لَا نَسْأَلُكَ رِزْقًا نَحْنُ نَرْزُقُكَ وَالْعَاقِبَةُ لِلتَّقْوَى

"And command your families to set up prayers and be patient in doing them. We do not ask you for sustenance, We are the ones who give you sustenance. And that (good) consequence is for the devout." (QS. Thaahaa: 132)

And Umar ibn Khathab also used to read the following verse:

أَمَّنْ هُوَ قَانِتٌ آنَاءَ اللَّيْلِ سَاجِدًا وَقَائِمًا يَحْذَرُ الآخِرَةَ وَيَرْجُو رَحْمَةَ رَبِّهِ

"(Are you a luckier believer) or is it a man who worships at night by prostration and standing, while he fears (doom) the hereafter and expects the grace of his Lord?" (QS. Al-Zumar: 9)

Ibn Umar Radhiyallahu 'Anhuma said, "Amazingly Uthman ibn Affan Radhiyallahu 'Anhu" Ibn Abi Hatim said, "Verily Ibn Umar said so because of the many evening prayers and recitations of the Qur'an done by Amirul Mukminin Uthman ibn Affan Radhiyallahu 'Anhu so that he read the Qur'an in one raka'at."

And for whoever performs the Tarawih prayer should do it with the pilgrims so that it will be recorded in the qaimin class, because the Prophet Sallallahu 'Alaihi Wasallam once said, "Whoever prays with his imam until it is finished, then it is recorded for him to pray all night." (HR. Ahlus Sunan)

3. Shadaqah

The Messenger of Allaah 'Alaihi Wasallam is the most generous human being. And he was more demawan when in the month of Ramadan. He became more gracious with kindness than the wind blowing gently. He said, "The foremost Shadaqah is shadaqah in the month of Ramadan." (HR. al-Tirmidzi of Anas)

Indeed, shadaqah in the month of Ramadan has privileges and advantages, so be impassioned and enthusiastic in fulfilling it according to ability. And among the forms of shadaqah in this month are:

a. feeding

God explains the virtues of feeding the poor and underprivileged in need, and the retribution that will be obtained in His words:

وَيُطْعِمُونَ الطَّعَامَ عَلَى حُبِّهِ مِسْكِينًا وَيَتِيمًا وَأَسِيرًا إِنَّمَا نُطْعِمُكُمْ لِوَجْهِ اللَّهِ لَا نُرِيدُ مِنْكُمْ جَزَاءً وَلَا شُكُورًا إِنَّا نَخَافُ مِنْ رَبِّنَا يَوْمًا عَبُوسًا قَمْطَرِيرًا فَوَقَاهُمُ اللَّهُ شَرَّ ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمِ وَلَقَّاهُمْ نَضْرَةً وَسُرُورًا وَجَزَاهُمْ بِمَا صَبَرُوا جَنَّةً وَحَرِيرًا

"And they give the food they like to the poor, orphans and captives. Indeed, We give you food only to expect God's pleasure, we do not want a reply from you nor (an outburst) thank you. Verily We feared (the doom of) our Lord on a day that (on that day) the surly people were full of difficulties. So God kept them from the hardships of the day, and gave them clarity (face) and joy of heart. And He rewarded them for their patience (with) heaven and (clothing) silk." (QS. Al-Nsan: 8-12)

The salaf clerics paid great attention to feeding and putting it first over many kinds of worship, either by feasting on the hungry or feeding the muslim brothers and sisters who were shalih. And it is not required in feeding this to a fakir. The Messenger of Allaah 'Alaihi Wasallam said, "O man, spread greetings, feed, continue silaturahim, and pray the night while man sleeps, you will undoubtedly enter heaven safely." (HR. Ahmad, Tirmidzi, and shahied by Al-Albani)

Some salaf scholars have said, "I invited ten of my friends and then I fed them with food they liked that I was more pleased with than freeing ten slaves from the descendants of Islmail."

There are some scholars who feed others when they are fasting, such as Abdullan bin Umar, Dawud al-Tha'i, Malik bin Dinar, and Ahmad bin Hambal Radhiyallahu 'Anhum. And it is Ibn Umar, not breaking the fast except with orphans and poor people.

There were also some other salaf clerics who fed his brothers while he fasted, but he still helped them and served them, among whom were al-Hasan al-Bashri and Abdullah bin Mubarak.

Abu al-Saur al-Adawi said: Some people from Bani Adi pray in this mosque. It was not one of them eating a single meal alone. If he gets a person who eats with him then he eats, and if he doesn't, then he puts his food out to the mosque and he eats it with the people and they eat with him.

b. Giving a meal of condemnation to fasting people

The Prophet Sallallahu 'Alaihi Wasallam said, "Whoever gives iftar to the fasting man, for him the reward is like the reward of the fasting man without being deducted from his reward in the slightest." (HR. Ahmad, Nasai, and dishahihkan al-Albani)

And in Salman Radhiyallahu 'Anhu's hadith, "Whoever feeds the fasting man in the month of Ramadan, is forgiven his sins, delivered from hell, and for him the reward is like the reward of the fasting man without being deducted in the slightest from the reward."

. . . Indeed, shadaqah in the month of Ramadan has privileges and advantages, so be impassioned and enthusiastic in fulfilling it according to ability. . .

4. Mean it in reading the Qur'an

And this we have reviewed in a past article entitled: Examples of Salaf in Reading the Qur'an in Ramadan.

5. Sit in the mosque until sunrise

It is the Messenger of Allaah 'Alaihi Wasallam, when shubuh prayer he sits in his place of prayer until the sun rises (HR. Muslims). Imam al-Tirmidzi narrated from Anas, from the Messenger of Allaah 'Alaihi Wasallam, he said,

مَنْ صَلَّى الْغَدَاةَ فِي جَمَاعَةٍ ثُمَّ قَعَدَ يَذْكُرُ اللَّهَ حَتَّى تَطْلُعَ الشَّمْسُ ثُمَّ صَلَّى رَكْعَتَيْنِ كَانَتْ لَهُ كَأَجْرِ حَجَّةٍ وَعُمْرَةٍ تَامَّةٍ تَامَّةٍ تَامَّةٍ

"Who prays Shubuh with congregation, then sits in prayer to Allah until sunrise, then prays two raka'at, then for him like the reward of hajj and umrah is perfect, perfect, perfect." (Narrated by Shaikh Al-Albani)

This virtue applies to all days, so what if it is done in the month of Ramadan? So we should be eager to reach it by sleeping at night, modeling the shalihs who wake up at last, and subduing the lust to submit to God and eager to reach a high degree in heaven.

6. I'tikaf

It is the Messenger of Allaah 'Alaihi Wasallam who always gives'tikaf in the month of Ramadan for 10 days. And in the year he was about to be released, he gave a 20-day hiatus (HR. Bukhari and Muslims). I'tikaf is a worship that gathers to him various observances; in the form of tilawah, prayer, dhikr, prayer and others. For people who have never done it, i'tikaf feels very heavy. However, surely it will be easy for whom God makes easy. So whoever departs with the right intention and strong determination will surely God will help. The i'tikaf in the last ten days was to get Lailatul Qadar. I'tikaf is a solitary activity, because a mu'takif (one who gives'tikaf) locks himself up to obey God and remembers Him, disconnects himself from all the busyness that can interfere from him, he locks his heart and soul to God and carries out anything that can draw closer to Him. So for the beri'tikaf, there is nothing he wants except Allah and gets His blessings.

7. Umrah in the month of Ramadan

It has been narrated from the Prophet Sallallahu 'Alaihi Wasallam, he said,

عُمْرَةً فِي رَمَضَانَ حَجَّةٌ

"Umrah in the month of Ramadan resembles hajj." (HR. Al-Bukhari and Muslims) in another account, "like the hajj with me." A good news to get the reward of hajj with the Prophet Sallallahu 'Alaihi Wasallam.

8. Reviving Lailatul Qadar

Allah Ta'ala said,

إِنَّا أَنْزَلْنَاهُ فِي لَيْلَةِ الْقَدْرِ وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا لَيْلَةُ الْقَدْرِ لَيْلَةُ الْقَدْرِ خَيْرٌ مِنْ أَلْفِ شَهْرٍ

"Verily We have taken it down (the Qur'an) on the night of glory. And do you know what night of glory is? That night of glory is better than a thousand months." (QS. Al-Qadar: 1-3)

The Messenger of Allaah 'Alaihi Wasallam said,

وَمَنْ قَامَ لَيْلَةَ الْقَدْرِ إِيمَانًا وَاحْتِسَابًا غُفِرَ لَهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ ذَنْبِهِ

"And who prays at Lailatul Qadar based on faith and hopes for reward, forgiven his past sins." (HR. Bukhari and Muslims)

It was the Prophet Sallallahu 'Alaihi Wasallam trying to find Lailatul Qadar and commanding his companions to look for him. He also woke up his family on the night of the last ten days in hopes of getting Lailatul Qadar. In Musnad Ahmad, from Ubadah in marfu', "Whoever prays to seek Lailatul Qadar, and he gets it, is forgiven his past and future sins." (In Sunan Nasai there is also a similar history, commented by Al-hafidz Ibnul Hajar: his isnad in accordance with Muslim terms)

. . . Lailatul Qadar is in the last ten days of Ramadan, precisely on its odd nights. And the most expected night is his 27th night, as Muslims narrate. . .

There are some accounts, some salaf scholars from among the tabi'in companions, they bathed and used fragrances on the night of the last ten days in search of Lailatul Qadar whom Allah had glorified and exalted his position. O those who have wasted their age on something useless, pursue that which escapes you on this night of glory. The fact that one charity done in it is of better value than a charity done for a thousand months outside of which is not Lailatul Qadar. So who is forbidden to get good in it, really he is the one who keeps away from good.

Lailatul Qadar is in the last ten days of Ramadan, precisely on its odd nights. And the most expected night is his 27th night, as Muslims narrate, from Ubai bin Ka'ab Radhiyallahu 'Anhu, "By Allah, truly I know that night, he was the night that the Messenger of Allaah 'Alaihi Wasallam commanded us to pray, which is the 27th night." And Ubai swore an oath on that by saying, "With the signs and hints that Ramadan Sallallahu 'Alaihi Wasallam has been preaching to us, the sun rises in the morning without the scorching rays/glare."

From 'Aisyah, he said: O Messenger of Allah, if I get Lailatul Qadar, what should I read? He replied, "Say:

اللَّهُمَّ إنَّك عَفُوٌّ تُحِبُّ الْعَفْوَ فَاعْفُ عَنِّي

"O Allah, verily thou art forgiving, loving the giving of forgiveness then forgive me." (HR. Ahmad and al-Tirmidzi, dishahihkan Al-Albani)

9. Multiplying dhikr, prayer and istighfar

Indeed, the night and day of Ramadan are glorious and prime times, so take advantage of it by multiplying dhikr and prayer, especially at istijabah times, including:

– When breaking the fast, because a person who fasts when he breaks his fast has an irresistible prayer.

– The last third of the night when God descends into the heavens of the world and says, "Is there anyone who asks, surely I give. Is there a man of faith, surely I forgive him."

– Beristighfar at suhoor, as Allah said, "And in the last days of the night they beg for mercy (to Allah)." (QS. Al-Dzaariyat: 18)

. . . Indeed, fasting is not only limited to abandoning eating, drinking, and conjugal relationships, but also filling his days and nights with charity. . .

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Indeed, fasting is not only limited to abandoning eating, drinking, and conjugal relationships, but also filling his days and nights with charity. This is a form of justification for God's promise of multiple rewards. At the same time as the glorification of a moon full of barakah and grace.

Some of the above worship charities have a specificity and strong connection with Ramadan activities, more important than other charities. So it is fitting that these charities receive more attention from the shaimin (those who fast) in order to get multiple rewards, overflowing mercy, and rain of forgiveness. Indeed, a person who is forbidden for goodness in the month of Ramadan, is really forbidden kindness from him. And whoever comes out of Ramadan without being forgiven for his sins and mistakes, then he is among the losers. Wallahu Ta'ala A'lam