Ramadan: A Time for Taqwa and Prophetic Generosity

Ramadan, Taqwa, and the Sunnah of Generosity

In the name of Allah, the most gracious, the most merciful. All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His servants whom He has chosen.

O ye who believe! Fasting has been decreed for you, as it was decreed for those before you, that you may be righteous. Allah Almighty has spoken the truth.

Alhamdulillah, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has blessed us with the opportunity again to finally reach the month of Ramadan, and we see how quickly it is passing also, that it has been already a week. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala allow us to utilize the rest of these blessed days in His worship, and accept all of our ibadah, and allow us to repent properly. Since we do have the rest of the month to finish with fasting, we have to keep in mind certain sunnahs that Nabi ﷺ himself observed in his lifetime in the month of Ramadan.

Taqwa and Its Means in the Quran

When you look at the commandments of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala in the Quran, sometimes Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala will give you a command and conjugate it with another sentence. There is typically a link between both of them — the second sentence is a means and a sabab for you to acquire that command which He has commanded us.

For example, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala mentions in Surah Al-Ahzab:

The command is to acquire taqwa, and to speak a straight speech that is not crooked. The Mufassirun have given different tafasir — speaking the truth is one of them — but speaking the truth is one way in which a person is able to acquire taqwa.

In Surah At-Tawbah, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has mentioned:

Fear Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala — meaning acquire taqwa — and be amongst the righteous. Being amongst the righteous is one sabab, one means, that a person can adopt in order to acquire taqwa.

Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala also mentions in Surah Al-Hashr:

Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has given the commandment again to acquire taqwa, and then He says that a person should contemplate and look at what they are proceeding towards — the Day of Judgment. Because when you are contemplating over that, you are doing hisab and reckoning your own actions, which creates a sense of consciousness of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala within you.

And if you look at fasting itself, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala mentioned:

The wording of this ayah is different. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is not giving a direct command in the imperative form. Rather, He is saying fasting has been mandated upon you, and He gives a reason why — لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ — whereas in the previous ayat, it was a direct command conjugated with another means. Here Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is mentioning that fasting has been ordained and made mandatory upon you so that you can gain taqwa. So fasting is actually one of the key ways and one of the fastest ways that a person can acquire taqwa.

And the definition of taqwa, as we have heard multiple times:

Implementing the commands of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala and abstaining from the prohibitions of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.

The Prophet's ﷺ Generosity in Ramadan

Alongside this month — in which we are refraining from sins and doing imsak through fasting — one of the things that Nabi ﷺ himself increased in this month was his generosity, relative to and in comparison with the other months. As Ibn Abbas radiyallahu anhuma narrates in Sahih al-Bukhari:

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 3554)

He starts off by saying Nabi ﷺ was already the most generous of people. And he was more generous in the month of Ramadan, especially at the time when he would meet with Jibreel alayhis salam. Nabi ﷺ would meet Jibreel alayhis salam every night in the month of Ramadan, and they would review the Quran together — Jibreel alayhis salam listening to Nabi ﷺ's recitation. And then Abdullah ibn Abbas radiyallahu anhuma mentions that Nabi ﷺ was more generous than a free-blowing wind.

Understanding the Word Jood

Now you look at the word Jood and Ajwad — Ajwad is a superlative form. Typically we might translate it as being generous. But one of the ways that we are able to really understand the in-depth meaning of Jood itself is by looking at how the word has been used in other hadith or Quranic ayat.

In a narration of Sahih Muslim, there was a imra'atun min Juhayna — a Sahabiyah — who had committed fornication and then confessed to Nabi ﷺ, and the penalty was carried out upon her. Nabi ﷺ prayed Salatul Janazah upon her. Umar radiyallahu anhu said:

(Sahih Muslim, Book 29, Hadith 22 — Kitab al-Hudud)

"You are praying Salatul Janazah upon her despite she committed this grave sin?" So Nabi ﷺ responded:

(Sahih Muslim, Book 29, Hadith 22 — Kitab al-Hudud)

She had done such a tawbah by confessing and having the penalty implemented upon her, that if her tawbah were to be distributed amongst 70 people from the people of Madinah, it would have sufficed for them also. And then Nabi ﷺ mentioned: "Do you find anything more superb and valuable than that she gave her life — جَادَتْ بِنَفْسِهَا — for the sake of Allah?" The same word Jood is used here. She gave her life for the sake of Allah.

So we see that the word Jood, typically translated as being generous, is not just confined to money, but encompasses whatever blessings that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has given. We find that Nabi ﷺ was أَجْوَدَ النَّاسِ and أَجْوَدُ بِالْخَيْرِ مِنَ الرِّيحِ الْمُرْسَلَةِ. The commentators of this hadith — Hafidh Ibn Hajar rahimahullah and others — have mentioned that just as a wind is fast and not picky, it reaches whoever it wants and passes by whoever it wants, it is not selective — that is how Nabi ﷺ was with khair, with all types of good.

Hafidh Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali rahimahullah has mentioned regarding Nabi ﷺ:

He was most generous in all types of Jood — in spending wealth, which we know obviously, and also in spreading knowledge, giving all types of benefits to mankind, guiding them, and advising them. All of these things are considered under how Nabi ﷺ would exert himself and be more generous in all aspects in the month of Ramadan.

Applying the Sunnah of Generosity in Our Lives

Now, obviously as we mentioned in the beginning of the hadith, Nabi ﷺ was already generous — then he increased it in the month of Ramadan. Now we look at our own lives: is this something that we are practicing in this month of Ramadan also? This is a sunnah — to increase our generosity. And if, for example, we did not spend in the previous months, then a person should start spending in these months. A person should have a consistent and habitual habit of sadaqah throughout the year, as we know the fadail of sadaqah and spending in the path of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala for different purposes. But in the month of Ramadan, a person should excel in all types of khair.

Now, when we look in particular at Jood — being generous — we live in a society where we have not really touched the difficulty that other parts of the world have, whether in terms of the type of food they eat, what they drive, their housing, their environment, whether they are living in fear or safety. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has saved us from those types of tests living in this country. But at the same time, as we raise our children, we typically forget about these characteristics and qualities that we ourselves had coming from those countries. We know that if a guest comes, we are supposed to be generous — invite them into our house, give them a meal, or whatever is available. But if you were to ask the majority of our children today, they do not even know this, because they have not seen it.

This is a time not only for us to enact upon the sunnah of being more generous in different ways — obviously one of them is spending money — but also to teach our children. Give them a small allowance daily or weekly, whatever it may be, and tell them to come to the masjid and donate it in the different boxes. Or if a person is able to volunteer in organizations that are feeding refugees and poor Muslims, then we should bring our children so they are able to see this also.

The Virtue of Feeding Others (It'aam)

The fadail of feeding others is part of being generous and is a major aspect of Ramadan. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala in multiple places of the Quran has mentioned the word it'aam — literally meaning to feed someone. Although yes, you can give money and still get the reward, and there is definitely benefit in sending money across the globe to different places — one thing that we should do is go to those places, especially if a person has the ability, in the month of Ramadan. Go to those countries in need where we might send our money, and actually give them food and serve them with their own hands.

If someone is looking at a picture of the Ka'bah or watching a video of someone doing tawaf, they are not going to gain the same type of barakah and the anwarat of the Haram itself as compared to someone who makes an effort, spends money, goes there, does tawaf themselves, and looks at the Ka'bah — it is a completely different feeling. Similarly, you send your money — which will get the reward inshallah, which is good and needed also — but the true benefit is you meeting that faqeer, you meeting that miskeen, and feeding them with your own hands. Because you see their condition, you see their iman, their contentment, their qana'a with Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, and then you see the difference between that and how our lifestyle is.

We have to inculcate this in our lives. Starting in Ramadan, this is a month where a person is supposed to be more generous in all facets of life — being with their own children, doing all different types of a'mal saliha — and especially being generous to the fuqara, because one of the main things of taqwa itself and of fasting is that you realize what bounties you have. When a person truly fasts and remains hungry, then even a piece of bread is delicious to them. Whereas on an average day, a piece of bread is not something that a typical person can just enjoy — they feel they need a full course meal. But in essence, that is what other poor Muslims are eating. That is what they receive when you send money — family aid packages of rice and oil — that is what they cook for their meals.

Generosity in All Blessings

Just as Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has given and provided for us, we should become the means and sabab for providing others also, in whatever form that may be. If you are someone who has knowledge, then you should teach others. If you are someone whom Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has given a certain skill, then you should teach others that skill and use it for the benefit of mankind, especially for the Muslim Ummah. If Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has blessed you with money — and there is nothing wrong في ذاته with wanting good things, a person wants a good car, a person wants a good watch — but what a person should also do is: you bought yourself a good watch, buy someone else one too; spend the same amount upon someone else that you spend upon your own self. This echoes the hadith of Nabi ﷺ:

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 13; Sahih Muslim, Book 1, Hadith 72)

A believer will not have complete iman until he loves for his Muslim brother and sister what he loves for his own self. So part of being in this month is to inculcate this quality of being more generous. And if we inculcate it within this month, then inshallah Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala will give us the ability to be generous throughout the entire year also, in all facets of our life.

May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala give us the tawfiq to be more generous in this month and spend upon others in different ways.

وَآخِرُ دَعْوَانَا أَنِ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ

Second Khutbah

Indeed, all praise is due to Allah. We praise Him and seek His aid and seek His forgiveness. And we seek refuge in Allah from the evil of our souls and from the evil of our deeds. Whomever Allah guides, none will misguide him. And whomever He misguides, none will guide him. And we bear witness that there is no god but Allah, alone, with no partner. And we bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger. He sent him with the truth as a bearer of good tidings and a warner before the Hour. Whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger has been rightly guided. And whoever disobeys them harms none but himself, and he will not harm Allah at all.

Indeed, Allah and His angels send blessings upon the Prophet. O you who have believed, send blessings upon him and ask for his peace.

The Prophet ﷺ said: "The most merciful of my Ummah to my Ummah is Abu Bakr. And the most severe in the command of Allah is Umar. And the most truthful in modesty is Uthman. And the most just of them is Ali. And Fatimah is the master of the women of the people of Paradise. And Al-Hasan and Al-Husayn are the masters of the youth of the people of Paradise. And Hamza is the lion of Allah and the lion of His Messenger." May the pleasure of Allah be upon all of them.

O Allah, forgive Al-Abbas and his descendants, with a forgiveness outwardly and inwardly, leaving not a single sin. O Allah, be with my companions; do not make them a target after me. Whoever loves them, loves them out of love for me. And whoever hates them, hates them out of hatred for me. And the best of my Ummah is my generation, then those who come after them, then those who come after them.

Indeed, Allah commands justice and good, and giving to relatives, and He forbids immorality and evil and transgression. He admonishes you that you may remember. Remember Allah — He will remember you. And all praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds.