Holy Month of Islamic Calendar

Ramadan, the Islamic holy month, is a season for introspection, self-consciousness, and religious devotion. However, Ramadan is not just about fasting and prayer; but it is also an opportunity to focus on selfless donations and positive actions. Ramadan is a prosperous month when the praise for great actions is unquestionably boosted. Any sin performed throughout that holy month is much worse and far extreme than any other. As a result, we should all aspire to escape sin and increase our acts of kindness in order to reap high benefits from Allah Almighty.

Allah says in Quran in Quran in Surah Al-An’am, verse 160:

Whoever comes with a good deed will receive ten times as much, and whoever comes with an evil deed will be requited with no more than the like of it, and they shall not be wronged (translated by Mufti Taqi Usmani).

Ramadan is the time of rewards

Ramadan is a period when doing charitable work reaps high benefits, as our acts of kindness are multiplied during this sacred month. Throughout Ramadan, we must strive to obey Prophet Muhammad's (SAW) Sunnah and do as many good deeds as possible. Since we all realize, Ramadan is the best time to develop a practice of doing great actions that will last long even after the month has passed. Do not believe that a tiny good deed is insignificant; no good deed is insignificant, particularly throughout that Blessed Month of Ramadan.

Following are some good deeds which we can perform in the month of Ramadan:

Volunteering

Volunteering is indeed a great way to change things and support those who are less fortunate than others. Spend couple of hours volunteering at a homeless shelter or delivering food at a nearby food pantry. This season, set aside a few moments after your busy schedule or on the weekend to mentor adolescents in your neighborhood or volunteer at a community or school.

Smile

We are immensely fortunate to be able to experience another Ramadan. “When you smile in the sight of your brother, it is charitable cause,” our loved Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said. Thus, we can conclude that smiling is a Sunnah which brings us happiness.

Donation in Charity

Take a minute to contribute to an organization that supports a mission you are enthusiastic about; there are thousands of great charities which do outstanding work through their minimal money and resources. If it's a refugee-assistance group, a local elementary school, or an animal charity, you can support. You do not need to make donations; your time, gently used clothes, and furniture are all welcome.

Respecting others

This month, try your utmost to be courteous and considerate to anyone you encounter and communicate with. Accept others with the greatest love and courtesy, if is a work colleague or a fellow traveler on the plane. Take a moment to smile at people passing by, be respectful of everyone else around you, or hold a conversation with your neighbors and assist them with their shopping bags as you cross the street.

Visiting Grand Parents

Take extra time and effort at least in a week throughout this holy month to stay with your grandparents and parents for few hours. They adore you and are excited to learn about your work and personal life. You may also assist them with household tasks such as vacuuming, sweeping, weeding the yard, or simply brightening up the family hall with a fresh coat of paint or the addition of a pillow or a lantern. These are little things to get yourself engaged in your grandparent’s routine and so they won’t feel themselves alone.

Visiting Sick

Ramadan is a month of fasting and prayer, as well as time spent with family and friends. However, it's important to set aside time to visit a local retirement center or hospital and spend quality time with others who don't have family or friends locally. A brief conversation concerning current affairs, your favorite songs, television programs, or your personal lives will brighten someone's day. In the following hadith, Prophet Mohammad (P.B.U.H) mentioned the rewards for those who visit the sick.

“There is no Muslim who visits a sick Muslim early in the morning but 70 thousand angles send blessings upon him until evening comes, and if he visits him in the evening,70 thousand angles send blessings upon him until morning comes, and he will have a garden in paradise.” (Muslim, 2568)

Arranging the food for fasting people

Even if you are not fasting this month due to some reasons, you can always engage in the fast-opening tradition. Invite your friends, relatives, and neighbors to a dinner party, and prepare a meal for them. Over a tasty meal, reaffirm your religion and devotion to charities with your family and friends. Prophet Mohammad (P.B.U.H) said,

“Whoever provides food for breaking of the fast for a fasting person receives the reward of the fasting person, without the reward of the fasting person being reduced in any way.” (Book 7, Hadith 109)

Cleaning the environment

This Ramadan, function not only to better your life and the lives of others, but also to help the world! We have only one world, and it must be secured. Take the extra move to discard any litter or trash you see on the road or pavement. Make a habit of recycling, cultivating a new plant, or cleaning local parks or town space this month to give something to our world.

All of the above mentioned deeds are obligatory on us to perform even in others 11 months of the year. But in Ramadan those who don’t pay attention to these good deeds should pay a careful attention to these practices, since every good deed returns double the reward.