Are Gifts Given During Ramadan?

It is not an obligatory act to give gifts during Ramadan but giving gifts always feels good and Ramadan is the time of year when Muslims strive to be more kind, and more generous. Due to the nature of this month being a blessed time of year when good deeds are multiplied more than any other time of year, Muslims enjoy giving gifts that are particularly useful and beneficial.

Ramadan is the month of Quran so it is only fitting that the first gift idea is the Quran. Check out the following list:

• Quran with a large script for someone who has weak eyesight
• Quran with English/another language translation for someone who doesn’t understand Arabic
• Quran with tafseer (exegesis) so that one can dive into the meaning of the Quran
• Quran with audio for those who want to recite correctly as they read along
• Quran with tajweed rules highlighted so they can improve their recitation and see where to apply the appropriate rules
• Recommend a good Quran app to download on the phone - many free apps are available
• Recommend a good online/in-person class for helping to read/recite with tajweed/explanation(Tafseer)/memorize the Quran
• Recommend online Quran sites which do many of the above and are free to use such as https://qurano.com/

Perfume oils/attar/ittar are a great gift to give so that one can smell good during the day and especially at times of worship since most Muslims will be spending a great deal of time in the masjid trying to attend many of the prayers and especially Taraweeh (special optional prayers performed only during Ramadan in congregation) and night prayers (offered between Taraweeh and the morning prayer (Fajar). Sometimes, brothers will bring their attar to the masjid and personally go about sharing perfume which is a beautiful gesture. Perfume oils/attar sit closer to the skin as compared to perfume sprays which project fragrance farther. So attar is a great choice for fragrance during Ramadan.

Giving bakhoor/Arabian incense/bakhoor burner/incense holder makes a nice gift so one can fragrance their home too. Rich fragrant smoke is released upon burning bakhoor. The smoke penetrates the fabric in the home and leaves it smelling nice for several days depending on how often bakhoor is burned. Often guests walk into the home and compliment the way the house smells. Bakhoor is used in masjids too as it imparts a luxurious fragrance to the prayer area and adds to the specialness of Ramadan in the masjid. Bakhoor smoke is used to fragrance clothes and hair too!

See how attar and bakhoor are used to fragrance the holiest of places in Islam. Anyone who has been there will tell you it smells amazing and you never forget the fragrance!

Other nice gifts in Ramadan include prayer rugs, hijabs (woman's long head covering), jilbab (woman's long outer garment), and Islamic attire for men. New clothes will always be welcome for wearing during the month of Ramadan.

Siwak/miswak is a wonderful natural gift that can be used to keep the mouth and teeth clean and fresh all day during the fasting season. It is cheap but so useful and beneficial for the mouth, teeth and gums.

For some who are super busy and don’t get any time off work to relax this month, a nice caring gift would be a cooked meal. The reward for feeding a fasting person is immense plus that person can devote saved time to worship. It doesn't have to be so lavish either. Even a nice homemade hummus with pita bread will be appreciated!

If you can’t cook a meal, gift dates! Dates provide the much-needed energy boost upon breaking the fast. It is so healing for the body and so nourishing. Do not underestimate dates as a gift!

A nice water bottle will be appreciated because it is easy to forget to drink enough during this month. It can serve to keep much-needed water/hydration drink on hand so fasting becomes easier.

Printing/sharing a link of dua’s for those special days and nights is a valuable gift so no moment need go wasted. 

These are some ideas of good and beneficial gifts that anyone will love to receive this month of Ramadan.