Ramadan is here and for non-Muslims in the Muslim world we delicately walk through the holy month. I will occasionally fast for a whole day, or usually a partial day, and join friends for the sunset Iftar meal. Eating a date and sipping water with people feels very refreshing, especially in the warm month of May. This year I was introduced to the giving event of Sadqa.
Although it's better to give anonymously, posting on a blog which no one reads feels pretty safe! I knew about the Muslim charitable giving called Zakat:
"Zakat is the compulsory giving of a set proportion of one's wealth to charity. It is regarded as a type of worship and of self-purification. Zakat is the third Pillar of Islam."
"Sadaqah or Sadqah (Arabic: صدقة, Urdu: صدقہ, "charity", "benevolence", plural ṣadaqāt صدقات) in the modern context has come to signify "voluntary charity". According to the Quran, the word means voluntary offering, whose amount is at the will of the "benefactor".
This year I did Sadqa during Ramadan, and although I won't say what my giving was, I feel good about having finally made a contribution after living here so long. I am fairly superstitious and am happy to have been able to participate in something that brings good to the world. I had the encouragement and support of some friends, and am thankful for everything this Ramadan has brought me. I'm especially thankful for the good friends who break the fast with me and invite me into the homes of their families. Because of the kindness I have always experienced from my Muslim friends, I will always look for ways to help people in small or large ways. It is a blessing to feed someone who is hungry, and it makes you feel good. I hope to give Sadqa every Ramadan.
Eid is near and I wish the very best to the good people who deserve this holiday.
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