بســـم اللــه الرحــمــن الـرحـــيــم

All praises belongs to Allāh. We praise Him as He deserves to be praised. I bear witness that there is no diety worthy of worship, in truth, except Allāh, and may peace and blessings be upon the final Messenger of Allāh, his family and all those who follow him in goodness. To proceed: Ramaḍhān is the ninth month of the Islamic Hijri calendar. And with so many unique qualities, it is a month like no other; it is a month wherein: (1) Allāh revealed the Qur'ān (2) Fasting is obligatory (3) There is a night which is better than 1000 months (4) Performing 'Umrah is equivalent to Ḥajj (5) Fasting and offering night prayer is a cause for one's sins to be forgiven (6) Allāh frees people from the Hellfire. Sheikh Ibn Bāz, may Allāh have mercy on him, said: "Ramaḍhān is the best month of the year, for it is the month of forgiveness, mercy and ransom from the Fire. If the month is virtuous and the place is virtuous, the reward for good deeds are multiplied and the consequences for sins are multiplied. An evil deed done in Ramaḍhān is more sinful than one done at any other time, just as an act of worship done in Ramaḍhān merits a greater reward from Allāh than one done at any other time." [end quote] [Majmū’ Fatāwā wa Maqālāt Mutanawwi'ah (15/446)] And because Ramaḍhān is such a blessed and virtuous month, many Muslims take this opportunity to pay their annual Zakāh. However, we must bear in mind that the obligation of giving Zakāh is not limited to Ramaḍhān. In fact, it becomes obligatory upon a person to pay their Zakāh once it is due and it is not allowed for them to delay till Ramaḍhān. In the following 2 audio clips, we discuss the third pillar of Al-slām (i.e. giving charity) and explain some of the key rulings related to Az-Zakāh. May Allāh make it a means of benefit for us all.