Five Ways to give Charity

By Tasnim Nazeer

Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem

There are many ways to give charity in Islam and the rewards for doing so are innumerable. Many of us seek the best ways to give charity to earn the blessings of Almighty Allah and also feel good about benefiting the life of someone in need. It was narrated by Abu Hurairah (ra):

“A man said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, which kind of charity is best?’ He said: ‘Giving charity when you are in good health and feeling stingy, hoping for a long life and fearing poverty.’” (an-Nasa’i and Muslim; sound)

There seems to be a misconception that charity can only be given by distributing money to those in need. Although this is a noble act, there are also simpler and longer lasting ways of giving charity, some of which are as follows:

1. Smile

Did you know that even a smile is charity? You may wonder how such a small deed can be equivalent to giving charity but our dear Prophet (sa) told us: “Every good is charity. Indeed among the good is to meet your brother with a smiling face and to pour what is left in your bucket into the vessel of your brother.” (Tirmidhi; reliable)

The next time you see a fellow Muslim, greet him or her with a smile and earn the reward of giving charity.

2. Volunteer your services/skills

Volunteering your skills or services for a good cause is a great way to give charity as you not only benefit from reaping rewards you can also help to deliver much-needed services to the community. You may want to utilise a skill such as cooking and perhaps donate food to a hostel; you could sell an arts and craft product and donate the money raised to a charitable organisation. If you are good at sports, you can volunteer to take part in a race or set up a sports’ day and give all the funds raised to a worthy cause. Never underestimate the power of volunteering.

3. Remove harm

If you see something that you know could harm someone, for example, a piece of broken glass on the road, it would be charity to remove it. This is not only a commendable deed, it also shows empathy and compassion for others. Prophet Muhammad (sa) said: “Removal of a rock, a thorn, or a bone from the road is charity.” (Tirmidhi; reliable but odd)

4. Be generous

If a person has no dates with which to break his fast, and you give one of your dates to him and remain generous, this is a commendable form of charity. Being generous does not mean that you have to overspend but it does mean that you give according to your means. You could give a dinner to someone or cook meals for the homeless. Our beloved Prophet Muhammad (sa) said: “Pouring what remains from your bucket into the bucket of your brother is charity.” (Tirmidhi; reliable)

5. Make your words beneficial

Our tongues will be held accountable on the Day of Judgement for the words we have spoken, whether good or bad. It is a respected act for a Muslim to speak only good words which will benefit himself and others. It is a great challenge to control the tongue, but we should remember that our tongues can lead us either to Jannah (paradise) or Jahannum (hellfire). The Prophet (sa) said: “It is also charity to utter a good word.” (Bukhari)

Tasnim Nazeer is an award winning Freelance Journalist/Writer and Author who has written for a variety of print and online publications including CNN International, The Muslim News, Your Middle East, Islam Channel and many more. She was awarded The Muslim News Award for Excellence in Media 2013 and is an UN Universal Peace Federation Ambassador for Peace. For more information visit her website at www.tasnimnazeer.com or follow her on Twitter: @tasnimnazeer1

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