In most parts of the world, winter is welcomed by the privileged, affluent people as a gleeful season. However for those living in poverty-stricken regions, the cold season brings a lot of suffering for them.
In Winter, it is important to keep warm. However there are many out there who are unprepared for the winter season. For these families living in impoverished countries, they are unable to afford warm clothes for the winter. While most of us are digging into our wardrobes for our winter essentials and stocking up on warm clothes, many families worldwide do not have the same luxury. Lack of clothing, besides being a visible sign of poverty, is also one of the factors people succumb to the cold wave.
Taking that into consideration, we have compiled a list of rewards you can gain from providing warm clothes to those in need!
Providing winter essentials is an incredible good deed. This is illustrated by a story narrated by Imam Ibn Rajab in which a pious man gives his own winter clothes to a needy man:
’Safwan ibn Salim (ra) went out on a cold night in Madinah near the masjid, and he saw a man with little clothing on, so he took off his coat and covered him up with it. One of the people of Shaam (Greater Syria) saw in his dream that Safwan ibn Salim (ra) had entered Paradise with a shirt with which he had clothed him with. Then he went to Madinah and said, “Show me where Safwan is”. He was brought [to Safwan] and he told him what he had seen’. [Lata’if al-Ma’arif]
When you do something sincerely for the sake of Allah s.w.t, you will be rewarded greatly for it. For instance, gifting winter clothes to the needy is a seemingly small act of sadaqah, but it has a huge impact on the people receiving the charity. Although we cannot see it, these good deeds please Allah s.w.t and may we be rewarded abundantly for our intentions.
“The most beloved people to Allah s.w.t are those who are most beneficial to people.” (Tabarani)
The act of providing warm clothes to those experiencing winter is one of the best ways you can be beneficial to others.
Unfortunately many people cannot avoid the winter cold. For instance, poor families living in crisis-hit regions such as Pakistan and Afghanistan live in dilapidated houses with no central heating. Their daily errands involve coming into contact with the harsh cold.
We might sometimes take a winter coat, thick socks or even a warm shawl for granted. It is so easily available to us that we are able to buy it if we do not have one at home.
But these clothes are gifts to those living in below-freezing temperatures without any means of protection – these layers of cloth make a world of difference.
Allah s.w.t and His Messenger s.a.w sees the gift of clothing as an action that carries a lot of weight – for as long as someone uses that gift, you will be under Allah’s s.w.t protection, insya-Allah. While you are shielding and protecting someone from the relentless cold, Allah, the Ultimate Protector, is shielding you from countless troubles and struggles in this world.
“‘Who is it that would loan Allah a goodly loan so He may multiply it for him many times over?” (Al-Baqarah 2:245)
No matter how small you think your donation to those in need is, Allah the Most Generous will multiply it for you. Insya-Allah, you will see its rewards in this life and the next. And no matter how large your donation is, you will not regret it once because it truly is a beneficial and wise investment for the Hereafter!
“Whoever saves a life, it will be as if they saved all of humanity.” (Al-Maidah, 5:32)
Winter clothing is crucial in staying warm and it is a life-saving donation. For these individuals, they live in flimsy, makeshift tents and shelters or even in the open. All these factors, coupled with the fact that they do not have proper heating and clothing, makes them vulnerable.
These families urgently need our help to protect them from serious illness or even death.
There is an incredible need for providing warm, comfortable clothing to people in need.
Through our Winter Emergency Appeal, you can help share the warmth with thousands of people by helping us deliver items like winter clothes, blankets, stoves and other heating devices. Our teams are on the ground in countries such as Pakistan, Afghanistan, Kashmir, Lebanon and Turkey and will be distributing these essential items to those who urgently need them.
While providing essential warm clothes might not mitigate their problems, our efforts will hopefully be able to relieve their suffering to some extent.
While we cannot protect these impoverished families living in Lebanon, Kashmir and elsewhere from conflict and impoverishment, we have the ability to protect them from the cold, rain and snow this winter season.
This winter, let’s keep our Ummah warm.
