There I sat, staring at my screen and thinking about all our donors– the generous and kind people who come forward from all over the world to help those in distress in far off locations.
These people have amazed me, time and again, with their big, beautiful hearts.
Although it is a selfless act of helping others, there are some huge benefits of charitable giving.
Since most of our donors (and staff) are Muslims, I decided to list down some of the major benefits of charity in Islam.
Here is a quick rundown of the benefits in the light of the religion.
An Increase in our wealth:
This may sound strange but this really happens. Allah S.W.T promises to increase the giver’s wealth:
Believers know and have seen this happen… Allah S.W.T adds barakah to your resources. Not only do they increase in amount but also in their goodness and usefulness.
Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W), said:
Almighty takes it upon Himself and His treasures know no bounds. When you take a step to help His deprived creation, you are automatically added to those who receive special favors from His bounties.
Their deprivation and our resourcefulness are both a test for us. And, inshaaAllah, if we pass the test, what awaits us are…
Haven’t we all experienced this firsthand?
Immense Rewards in the Hereafter
We Muslims believe in the Hereafter and know that this world is but a test. Our every action will have its consequences not only in this world but will affect our life after death, too.
Charity and, especially, perpetual charity (or sadaqa e jariya) are two ways to build a happy Hereafter for ourselves. Our charity will be counted among the noblest acts of worship, inshaaAllah.
Messenger of Allah (S.A.W) said,
Thoughtful charity will improve our Hereafter inshaaAllah, while making this world a better place for ourselves as well as others.
Our religion emphasizes on building a strong, happy society. And, that’s what we are about to discuss now.
A strong, happy society:
Islam focuses on happy, healthy societies. We are asked to care for our neighbors, orphans, and anyone who needs help.
Our support can help people in ways we can imagine and in the ways we cannot imagine. For example, let’s look at Shafiq’s story:
Shafiq is a gentleman who worked as a tailor. He was doing fine, enough to provide food to the table for his family every day and send his kids to school. He wanted his kids to get a good education and work as esteemed professionals.
And, then, unexpectedly, lockdown happened. He couldn’t pay the rent for his workspace and had to leave. He couldn’t afford smartphones so he had to make his kids quit their online education.
The world had tumbled down.
When the lockdown softened, Shafiq resumed working from home, but had lost most of his customers. His income had gone down and savings had dwindled.
To at least be able to feed his family, he had to ask his eldest sons to find work and quit education for good.
Shafiq not only had to sacrifice his and his children’s dreams but had to put heavy responsibility on his 12 and 13 year old kids’ weak shoulders and expose them to a cruel world at a tender age.
Now, if only he could have found help… if only he could provide food for his family… his kids would still be in school. He would not have had to force them in child labor.
That is exactly how our support can help others. It can help a child sleep with a full stomach; it can encourage a child to pursue education; it can change the lives of people forever; it can stop people turning to evil means to feed their families; it can build a society that is happy, healthy, and peaceful.
Protection against calamities:
Affliction is pretty much a part of our lives. However, there is a way to avoid calamities in our lives. Prophet of Allah (S.A.W) said:
This beautiful hadith tells us that our charity not only helps improve the lives of the people we give to, but our own worldly lives become happier, too. InshaaAllah.
…
Well, there is much more, and I can go on and on.
This short write-up can never do justice to the benefits, contentment, and the feeling of fulfillment one gets from charity. Indeed, Allah Ta’ala knows better than us, and that is why He enjoins us to help others.
If you agree with these benefits, share this write-up with others. (Because, bonus: That, too, is a form of charity).
As for me, I will get back to you with some other musings, facts, and beautiful hadiths and verses soon.
Till then,
Take care of yourself and the people around you.
Signing off,
Your friend at Ek Plate Biryani
