Source: khaleejtimes.com

THE CONCEPT of charity assumes new dimension in the blessed month of Ramadan, especially because the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) used to be most generous during this month.

For Muslims the joy of giving in this holy month knows no bound. And it is during this month that the obligatory charity, called Zakat, is distributed to the poor and needy. It enables them to spend the fasting month in peace and comfort.

Charity towards man, in its widest sense, is laid down in the Holy Quran as the second great pillar on which the structure of Islam stands.

Spending out of whatever has been given to man stands for charity in a broad sense, i.e., for acts of benevolence to humanity in general. For what Allah has given to man is not only the wealth, which he possesses but all the faculties and power with which he has been gifted.

The most frequently recurring words for charity in the Holy Quran are ‘Infaq’, which means spending benevolently, ‘Ihsan’, which means the doing of good, Zakat which means growth or purification, and ‘Sadaqah’ which is derived from the root ‘Sidq’, meaning truth, and comes to signify a charitable deed.

The Holy Quran not only lays stress on such great deeds of charity a… read the rest @ khaleejtimes.com