[Friday Sermon] Ramadan: Fear Allah, Share Your Food With Those Who Are Hungry!

By Imam Murtadha Gusau

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

All praise is for Allah, we praise Him, we seek His help, we ask for His forgiveness, and we seek refuge with Allah from the evils of our own souls and the wickedness of our actions, whoever Allah guides there is none that can lead him astray, and whoever Allah allows to go astray, there is none that can lead him to the right path.

I testify and bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship in truth but Allah, alone, without any partners. And I testify and bear witness that Muhammad (Peace be upon him) is His Servant and Messenger. As for what’s after:

Dear brothers and sisters! Our Beloved Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) urged us to provide food to the poor, and the needy to meet their needs from hunger, he said:

“O people, spread peace, and feed the food, and pray the wombs, and pray at night, while people sleep, you will enter Paradise in peace.”

It is a well-known fact that the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) had always been keen to follow the Sunnah of Allah Almighty.

He would always go out of his way to do what Allah wants from him and he would never shy away from any act that would please Him (Allah).

One such Sunnah is that he used to feed others and in Islam, this has been made an obligation for Muslims. The Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) was known to have said:

“An individual should not eat until they feed someone who is hungry.”

It has also been narrated on his behalf that:

“Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, let them not leave food without sharing it with someone who is hungry.”

The Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) is reported to have said:

“Whoever feeds a fasting person will earn the same reward as him without diminishing in any way the reward of the fasting person.”

This Prophetic Hadith encourages Muslims to feed those who are hungry, especially during the blessed month of Ramadan. Muslims should follow this Sunnah by feeding others in Islam, by donating food or money to their Muslim charity organisations.

One of the most important deeds that a Muslim must seize its great reward is feeding food. The virtue of feeding food to Muslims has been mentioned many times in the Noble Qur’an.

He is considered one of the people of faith (Iman) who bring good tidings of Paradise because of the Almighty’s saying:

“Or giving food in a time of hunger (famine/poverty). To an orphan and near of kin. Or to a Miskin (poor) cleaving to dust (out of misery). Then he became one of those who believed (in the Islamic Monotheism) and recommended one another to perseverance and patience, and (also) recommended one another to pity and compassion. They are those on the Right Hand (i.e. the dwellers of Paradise).”

The Noble Qur’an describes them as “the righteous” in the Almighty’s verse:

“Indeed, the righteous will drink from a cup [of wine] whose mixture is of Kafur. A spring of which the [righteous] servants of Allah will drink; they will make it gush forth in force [and abundance]. They [are those who] fulfill [their] vows and fear a Day whose evil will be widespread. And they give food in spite of love for it, to the needy, the orphan, and the captive.”

The Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) said:

“Whoever feeds someone who is hungry will have his sins forgiven, and whoever helps someone to travel will have his sins forgiven.”

Dear brothers and sisters! Feeding the hungry, giving food to the needy, and helping people with their needs are all good deeds that can earn us a place in Paradise.

Feeding people and from the commandments of the Noble Prophet to enter Paradise and escape from the Fire:

“He who sleeps full while his neighbour is hungry does not believe in me while he knows about it.”

“Feed the food, pray the wombs, and pray at night while the people are asleep, you will enter heaven in peace.”

“Fear the Fire, even if it is by slitting a date.”

The Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) said:

“Worship Ar-Rahman, feed others, spread the (greeting of) peace, then you will enter Paradise with security (salam).” [At-Tirmidhi]

On another occasion, he (Peace be upon him) mentioned the food of Jannah (Paradise) as a specific reward for feeding the poor, saying:

“Whichever believer feeds a hungry believer, Allah feeds him from the fruits of Paradise on the Day of Resurrection.” [At-Tirmidhi]

In addition to this immense reward, Ali (RA) said that the Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) said:

“Indeed, in Paradise, there are chambers whose outside can be seen from their inside, and their inside can be seen from their outside.” A Bedouin stood and said, “Who are they for, O Messenger of Allah?” He said, “For those who speak well, feed others, fast regularly, and perform Salah during the night while the people sleep.”’

Respected servants of Allah! Just as giving food leads to Jannah (Paradise), it also protects us from the Fire.

In fact, even feeding your family can carry this weight, as the Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) said:

“Whoever has three daughters and is patient towards them, and feeds them, gives them to drink, and clothes them from his wealth – they will be a shield for him from the Fire on the Day of Resurrection.” [Ibn Majah]

On the other hand, actively denying someone food and preventing them from accessing it can lead to the Fire. The below Hadith teaches us that even keeping an animal hungry is a weighty sin. The Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) said:

“A woman punished her cat by imprisoning it until it died of hunger, and because of it, she entered the Fire. It was said – and Allah knows best – ”You did not feed it nor give it water when you imprisoned it, nor did you release it and let it eat from the creatures which creep on the earth.” [Bukhari]

Dear brothers and sisters! We tend to think of Sadaqah and Zakah as something we give to the poor, but the truth is that sharing food is always a Sadaqah, if you do it for the sake of Allah. In fact, the Prophet (Peace be upon him) even said that feeding our own selves is considered a charity, subhanallah!

The Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) said:

“What you feed yourself is Sadaqah for you. What you feed your child is Sadaqah for you. What you feed your wife is Sadaqah for you. What you feed your servant is Sadaqah for you.” [Bukhari]

Therefore, it is important for us to always make the intention to cook, eat and share food for Allah’s sake, to ensure this action is spiritually meaningful and that we reap its rewards.

Respected brothers and sisters! Be generous, because the Prophet (Peace be upon him) was most generous in Ramadan. Ibn Abbas reported that:

“The Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) was the most generous of people and he was even more generous in Ramadan when Angel Jibril would meet him.” [Bukhari and Muslim]

• The benefits of giving charity (Sadaqah):

1. It will gain you the entrance through the gate of Sadaqah in Paradise.
2. It expiates your sins.
3. Charity will be a Shade for you on the Day of Judgment.
4. It Increases the blessings (Albarka) of Allah on you.
5. It protects you from the Hellfire.
6. Continuous reward after death (Sadaqah Jaariyyah).

Dear servants of Allah! Please, we sincerely seek your financial support, we need your help, we need your assistance, your donation and your contribution on the preparation in this blessed and Noble Month of Ramadan and Sallah period for the continuation of taking care of our orphans, widows and the students under our care. Your support is highly needed for Allah’s sake.

Respected brothers and sisters! As usual, we sincerely solicit for your kind and sincere contribution towards the Ramadan and Sallah preparation for our orphans, widows and students; and the development of our schools and Islamic Center financially, materially and morally.

Our aim and objective always is to have a standard Islamic center and Arabic/Islamic schools for orphans and less privileged Muslims children.

If you want to pay your Zakah or Sadaqah, Fisabilillah, our great Islamic center is waiting for your kind and merciful gesture. Sincerely, your donation will help distribute Ramadan and Sallah foods, etc for our orphans.

Remember, the Month of Ramadan will not be the same without our families, but unfortunately this is not a privilege enjoyed by everyone. This is the reason we’re steadfast in planning to provide Ramadan and Sallah feedings for the orphans, widows and students under our care!

We planned to distribute food packages that worth amount up to 4000 widows and 3000 orphans In Shaa Allah, this year.

And your contribution is highly waiting as usual. May Allah rewards all your efforts and your good deeds, ameen.

Remember, Allah Almighty says:

“If you support the course of Allah, He will support you.” [Qur’an, 47: 7]

And the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) said:

“Whoever relieves his Muslim brother of a hardship from the hardships of this world, Allah shall relieve him of a hardship from the hardships of the Day of Judgement. And whoever makes things easy for a person in difficulty, Allah will ease for him in this world and the Next. Allah is forever aiding a servant so long as he is in the aid of his Muslim brother.”

And he (Peace be upon him) said:

“Every act of goodness is considered as Sadaqah.” [Bukhari]

Here is our Account details:

Account no. – 0048647196

Account name – Murtala Muhammed

GTBank

For more enquiries contact, Imam Murtadha Muhammad, the director and Imam Of the Center: 08038289761.

To donate food items, etc, contact the following Numbers: 08038289761, 08056557477

Jazakumullah Khairan as you kindly contribute.

All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of all creation; may Allah extol the mention of our noble Prophet Muhammad in the highest company of Angels, bless him and give him peace and security―and his family, his Companions and all those who follow him correctly and sincerely until the establishment of the Hour.

Murtadha Muhammad Gusau is the Chief Imam of Nagazi-Uvete Jumu’ah and the late Alhaji Abdur-Rahman Okene’s Mosques, Okene, Kogi State, Nigeria. He can be reached via: gusauimam@gmail.com or +2348038289761.

This Jumu’ah Khutbah (Friday sermon) was prepared for delivery today Friday, Ramadan 09, 1444 AH (March 31, 2023).