Many of us are taught to share from an early age, whether it is sharing treats or belongings. The a...

Many of us are taught to share from an early age, whether it is sharing treats or belongings. The act of sharing eventually serves to bring some humbleness into our everyday lives, especially at times like the Holy month of Ramadan.

It is important to remember that we come into this world with nothing and we also leave with nothing. What we attain during our lives is worldly. What we do take away, however, is something which we cannot see in this world, we can only give and feel: compassion.

This raises the question of why Allah SWT has given so many of us so much while many others have so little when He could give every one of His creations everything they could ever dream of in the blink of an eye. This, brothers and sisters, is the test of our humanity.

The Blessings of Giving During Ramadan

What we have been blessed with and given in life is not just for our own benefit, but also for others around us; do we hold on to it with greed or do we share it? When we share, we are rewarded with blessings much greater than we have lost in this small act of kindness. Take giving during Ramadan for example. In this auspicious month alone, the rewards for giving are multiplied many times over - which helps to serve as a valuable reminder of why we are here in the first place.

What many of us fail to realise is how the month of Ramadan, in particular, guides us to live our lives the way it should always be.

In this month, we fast, we refrain from bad language and acts, we pray more, we recite the Holy Qur’an more, we educate ourselves more and seek forgiveness from our Lord. We attempt to do more good and give to charity, we visit the mosque daily, unite more and the fast we partake in from dawn until dusk serves as a vital reminder of those who are less fortunate than us. While we lack for a few hours, they are lacking the most basic essentials such as nourishment and health care on a long term basis, all day, every day.

We should aim to replicate the good deeds and acts we perform during Ramadan – and at other blessed periods – not only throughout the year, but during our lifetimes. Only then can we truly appreciate the gifts we have been given by our Creator.

Ways of Giving

Monetary donations are not the only form of charity, even something as simple as making someone smile is a form of charity.

You can also:

- Volunteer your time

- Take part in fundraising efforts

- Help the elderly

- Feed the hungry or the fasting when they need it most

- Give companionship to the elderly

- Donate clothes or medical supplies

- Sponsor a child

- Help a widow

- Support someone’s education or teach them about Islam

Let’s unite this Ramadan 2017 and give as much as we can to those less fortunate than us. For more information on how you can donate with Islamic Help, please click here.

May Allah SWT accept and reward all your good deeds, Ameen.