A gift for your husband ?

Assalamu Alaikom and Hi to the rest!

A heavenly good morning to All of us

And I wish us all a day full of blessings

 The 4th day of Ramadan and our faces are shining like sunflowers ✿

As we know After Ramadan, we will be celebrating Eid. Yummy food will be cooked, and delicious sweets will be baked. Presents will be given and opened and joy will be surrounding every home inshAllah :)

However, there is always one things that get's me thinking a lot before Eid. What in heavens name will I get my husband as a gift? ....Perfumes? He all ready buys them for himself. Clothes? He will probably have bought new clothes for Eid. How about something personal and creative? Something one can not buy. And then it hit me.. ❣     

How about I make him a memory book of the past year? This gift is absolutely unique and it will help recreate the lovely feelings of beautiful memories we've had during the past years ☻! Oh yes! there goes a big A to me and a happy smile. 

This gift can be given to anyone who is very close to you. Your best friend, your parents or siblings, or other family members. Simply anyone who you want to surprise with a unique gift :)

So first thing i did was to find a very interesting note book. One which isn't only plain white, but with a little extra to it.

 Some days ago i was in a book store and I found this black notebook. I found it to be very cozy as i looked inside of it and realized that the papers were black! So I thought to myself: "Yes, this is the one I will use for my memory book". 

You will need gelly pens. If the paper is black as mine, i suggest you use metallic colored gelly pens. I will be using silver and gold, and if i find any bronze or similar to it i might just pick it up on the way :)

You will also need a pair of scissors ✄ as you will be cutting out the pictures you printed out from last year. 

 

So my idea is to fill the book with lots of pictures, poems, quotes and different stories and memories that u've had throughout the year.

It is something that both you and your husband can enjoy from, whenever and wherever :)

I hope you enjoyed it, and inshAllah may it bring kheir (good) to all muslims :)

Happy Ramadan! 

Heres a little reminder of what Islam sais about giving gifts:

Gift-giving is one of the good manners that maintains and strengthens relations between the giver and the recipient. It is one of the acts that Prophet Muhammad recommended us-Muslims- to do. Al-Bukhaari narrated that ‘Aa’ishah said: "The Messenger of Allaah used to accept gifts and reward people for giving them." 

The phrase: “Reward people for giving them,” means giving the giver (at a later time) something of equal value at least in return.

This Hadeeth (narration) indicates that accepting gifts and giving something of equal value (or more) to the giver is the way of the Prophet . 

The Prophet enjoined responding in kind to favours, as he said in an authentic narration: “Whoever does you a favour, respond in kind, and if you cannot find the means of doing so, then keep praying for him until you think that you have responded in kind.” [Abu Daawood]

“Whoever does you a favour,” means, whoever treats you kindly in word or deed or by gifting you. 

“Respond in kind,” means to treat him kindly just as he has treated you kindly. 

“If you cannot find the means of doing so” means if you do not have the money. 

“Until you think that you have responded in kind” means, repeatedly supplicate for him until you think that you have rewarded him his due. 

One of the Du'aa' forms that one can say is 'Jazaaka Allaahu khayran' (may Allaah reward you with good). At-Tirmithi narrated that Usaamah Ibn Zayd said: The Messenger of Allaah said: “Whoever has a favour done for him and says 'Jazaak Allaahu khayran' has done his utmost to thank him.” [At-Tirmithi]

“Done his utmost to thank him,” means that he has done his utmost to express his gratitude, because he has acknowledged his shortcomings and that he is unable to reward and thank him enough, so he refers the matter to Allaah, to reward him in the best manner. It is said that: "If you are unable to give him back in kind, then speak at length thanking him and supplicating for him." [Tuhfat Al-Ahwathi]

The Permanent Committee (a supreme Islamic judicial authority in Saudi Arabia, was asked a similar question) and replied as follows: 

"There is nothing wrong with accepting it (an amount of money as a gift), without you (the recipient) longing for that, and you can respond in kind if you are able to with an appropriate gift, or you can supplicate for him, because the Prophet said: “Whoever does you a favour, respond in kind … (the above-mentioned Hadeeth)."  [Fataawa Al-Lajnah Al-Daa’imah] 

Difference between charity and gift-giving

Charity is given to the poor and the needy to meet their needs, and is done with the intention of seeking the Pleasure of Allaah. Its intention is not limited to a specific person; rather it is given to any poor or needy one. 

On the other hand, a gift is not necessarily given to a poor person, rather it may be given to rich or poor; the intention is to show friendship and to honour the recipient. 

Both of them – charity and gift-giving – are righteous deeds for which a person will be rewarded (and please his Lord), but which is better? 

Ibn Taymiyah stated that Sadaqah (charity) is that which is given for the sake of Allaah as an act of worship, without intending to give it to a specific person and without seeking anything in return, rather it is given for charitable causes, such as to the needy. A gift is given with the intention of honouring a specific person, either because the recipient is your friend whom you love, or because you want something in return.

Hence, the Prophet used to accept gifts and reward people for them, so that no one could remind him of their favours, but he did not accept the “refuse” of people that they gave to purify themselves of sins, namely charity. He did not accept charity for this and other reasons.

Once this is understood, then charity is better, but there is a sense in which a gift is better than charity, such as giving a gift to the Messenger of Allaah during his lifetime out of love for him.  Also, gifts which a person gives to a relative in order to uphold the ties of kinship or to a brother in Islam may be better than charity. 

Based on this, giving to one of your relatives may be better than giving charity, because it is more befitting to uphold the ties of kinship. The same may apply if you give a gift to a friend of yours, because that will strengthen the bonds of love between you. The Prophet said: “Exchange gifts, as that will lead to increasing your love to one another.” [Al-Bukhaari]

What the Hadeeth  means is that giving gifts may generate and increase love.

To sum up, gifting vs. giving charity is dependent on the situation but, in principle, spending in charity takes precedence.

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