As the gentle breezes of Sha’ban begin to blow, the hearts of believers turn with eager anticipation towards the most sacred time of our year: the blessed month of Ramadan. It is a month of mercy, forgiveness, and immense spiritual growth, a time when the rewards for every good deed are multiplied beyond measure by Allah (SWT).
This is the month of the Quran. The month of fasting. The month of Taqwa. And it is, profoundly, the month of giving.
As we plan our schedules for prayer and recitation, we must also plan how we will seize the incredible opportunities for charity that this month presents. True preparation for Ramadan involves opening our hearts to the needs of the Ummah. Here are five powerful ways you can maximise the blessings of giving in Ramadan and make this your most spiritually rewarding month yet.
1. Purify Your Fast with Fitrana (Zakat al-Fitr)
The Act: Fitrana, or Zakat al-Fitr, is a special, obligatory charity due upon every Muslim—man, woman, and child—who has enough food for a day and a night. It must be paid before the Eid al-Fitr prayers.
The Spiritual Benefit: This beautiful act of worship serves two profound purposes. As the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) taught us, it purifies the fasting person from any idle talk or indecent behaviour committed during the month, acting as a seal of acceptance for our fasts. Secondly, it is a means of providing food for the needy, ensuring that no member of our community is left hungry on the joyous day of Eid. It is an act of solidarity, purification, and gratitude for having been able to complete the fasts of Ramadan.
2. Earn a Double Reward by Feeding the Fasting
The Act: Providing a hot, nutritious Iftar meal to a person who has been fasting from dawn till dusk.
The Spiritual Benefit: The rewards of Ramadan are boundless, and one of the most incredible opportunities for multiplication comes from feeding a fasting person. The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) gave us this amazing glad tidings:
“Whoever feeds a fasting person will have a reward like that of the fasting person, without any reduction in his reward.” (At-Tirmidhi)
SubhanAllah! This is a simple yet immensely powerful act. By providing an Iftar meal, you share in the entire reward of that person’s long day of fasting, patience, and worship. It is a way to potentially earn the reward of fasting for 60 or even 90 days within a single blessed month.
3. Give a Gift That Never Ends with Water Aid
The Act: Donating towards the construction of a water well or the provision of clean water to a community in need.
The Spiritual Benefit: The Prophet (PBUH) was asked what the best form of charity was. He replied, “Providing drinking water.” Water is the source of all life. To give water is to give the gift of health, sanitation, dignity, and sustenance. This act falls under one of the most beautiful forms of giving in Islam: Sadaqah Jariyah, or ongoing charity. The rewards for your Sadaqah Jariyah water donation will continue to flow to you as long as the community benefits from the well, even after you have passed from this world. It is a legacy of blessings that endures.
4. Gain Closeness to the Prophet (PBUH) by Sponsoring an Orphan
The Act: Committing to the care of an orphan, providing for their food, shelter, clothing, and education.
The Spiritual Benefit: Caring for the orphan holds a uniquely special place in Islam. The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), himself an orphan, promised an incredible station for the one who provides this care. He said:
“I and the person who looks after an orphan and provides for him, will be in Paradise like this,” putting his index and middle fingers together. (Sahih al-Bukhari)
There is no greater companionship in the Hereafter than that of our beloved Prophet (PBUH). To sponsor an orphan in Islam is to directly answer his call and to walk a path that leads to his blessed company in Jannah. This is one of the most profound Ramadan charity benefits one can seek.
5. Ease the Burden of a Family with a Ramadan Food Pack
The Act: Donating a complete food parcel that contains staple foods like flour, rice, oil, lentils, and dates, enough to sustain a family for the entire month of Ramadan.
The Spiritual Benefit: As we fast, we feel a few hours of hunger, which builds our empathy. But for millions, this hunger is a constant, gnawing reality. By providing a Ramadan food pack, you lift this entire burden from a family’s shoulders. You give them the peace of mind to focus on their prayers, their recitation, and their worship, without the crushing anxiety of where their next meal will come from. This act of profound mercy and compassion is a beloved deed to Allah (SWT) and a source of immense blessings.
A Ramadan of Purposeful Giving
Ramadan is a precious, limited-time gift from our Creator. It is our annual opportunity to reset, recharge, and fill our scales with good deeds. Let us enter this month with intention, planning our charity as carefully as we plan our meals and prayers.
This year, make every donation count. Partner with Children of Adam to purify your fasts, multiply your rewards, and build a legacy of blessings that will benefit you in this life and the next. May Allah (SWT) allow us all to reach the blessed month of Ramadan and make the most of every moment.
