Chapter: Voluntary Charity

Introduction

Linguistically, taṭawwuʿ denotes performing an act of obedience; in legal and customary usage it refers to an act of worship that is not obligatory.

Shaykh al-Islam remarked, “On the Day of Resurrection, voluntary deeds will make up for deficiencies in the obligatory ones, if the latter are found incomplete.”

By unanimous agreement, giving voluntary charity is recommended at all times. Allah has urged, commanded, and encouraged it, saying: “Who is it that will lend to Allah a goodly loan so He may multiply it for him many times over” ⦗Q. 2:245⦘.

Al-Tirmidhi (664) narrates from Anas that the Prophet ﷺ said, “Charity extinguishes the Lord’s anger and wards off an evil death.”

It is preferable to give voluntary charity in secret. Al-Bukhari (629) and Muslim (1031) transmit from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet ﷺ said, “Seven people will be shaded by Allah in His shade on the day when there is no shade but His…,” and he mentioned among them “a man who gives a charity and conceals it so well that his left hand does not know what his right hand has spent.”

Charity given while one is healthy is superior to that offered at other times, for the Prophet ﷺ said, “Give charity while you are healthy and reluctant.” ⦗Bukhari 1353⦘.

Giving in Ramadan is better than at other times. Al-Bukhari (6) and Muslim (2308) report that Ibn ʿAbbās said, “The Prophet ﷺ was the most generous of people, and he was at his most generous in Ramadan.”

Charity offered at a time of need is better than at other times, for Allah says, “or feeding on a day of …”