A Gift of Sacrifice and Charity (What are you planning to gift your child, this Eidh?) Good Old Days Do you remember having tills in the good old days? Maybe some of us still have them. I do remember and specially this one of a kind till. There was this till at home, named "Saving for Others". The money that went into this till was special. It did not just go in the usual way. It went as a result of a "sacrifice". Small, but beautiful sacrifices. My father had given the instructions. Whenever we felt like buying a snack that was tempting but not really necessary, when we wanted that interesting pen which was the trend but we don't actually needed it, or when we desired to buy a toy/flower that was really attractive but not something that we cannot live without, we were asked to willingly sacrifice them for Allah's sake. Then put that amount of money we would have spent on that object/thing, into this till. The Lesson of Simplicity You see it was all about cutting out the extravagance and learning to live on what you actually need and not giving in for all your wants and desires. Also grooming that feeling, that others need us and we have to be there for them sometimes by giving priority to them before our own desires. As Allah Says in the Glorious Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verse 219 : "...…They ask thee (O Prophet (PBUH) ) how much they are to spend (in the Cause of Allah)? Say (O Prophet (PBUH)): "Whatever is beyond your needs!" Thus doth Allah make clear to you His Signs: in order that ye may consider." Instilling this quality in tender ages of your child is very essential. It would be really easy for them as they grow older, to build a mentality of helping others. It makes them grow with the thought that there is a world out there that actually needs their care. The Reward I also remember sometimes our parents used to reward us for our little sacrifices, with something better than what we gave up. That was their out pouring love. But the focus was not the reward from parents but from our Creator. As our Lord says in His holy verses, Chapter 2, Surah Baqarah, verse 261: "The charity of those who expend their wealth in the Way of Allah may be likened to a grain of corn, which produces seven ears and each ear yields a hundred grains. Likewise Allah develops manifold the charity of anyone He pleases, for He is All-Embracing, All-Wise." Whose love and mercy could be more profound than our Master’s? Subahana Allah. Inspiring Childhood and the Gift Now I can recall the packet of chocolate biscuits that my brother sacrificed or the packet of tip tip (kind of a snack) I gave up from buying, on our way home from shop after running an errand for mother. We were little children then. But our hearts filled with contentment and achievement in these little deeds. Beautiful was the feeling when we opened up the till and gave the whole sum of money for a worthy cause. May Allah endlessly bless my parents, who made it possible for us a wonderful and an inspiring childhood. "O Believers, spend of the wealth We have bestowed upon you (in Allah's way), before the Day comes when there shall be no buying and no selling; when neither friendship nor intercession will be of any avail." Glorious Quran, Chapter 2, Surah Baqarah, verse 254. Why not give your child a special gift this Eidh of Sacrifice, the gift of Sacrifice and Charity? “Before the Day comes” let us make haste to give, and save our fills. May Allah accept our deeds and remove the wrong intentions from them. Eidhun Sa'eedhun... written by -Binth Niwas All rights reserved @Allah's presence.