Rabi al-Awwal is the month the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was born. For many Muslims it’s a time of gatherings, nasheeds, and stories of his life told to children who’ve heard them before but still want to hear them again.
It’s also a good moment to look closely at one part of his character that’s easy to admire and much harder to copy. His generosity.
“He never said no”
Jabir ibn Abdullah said that the Prophet ﷺ was never asked for something and replied “no”. (Sahih al-Bukhari 6034)
Think about how unusual that is. Most of us have a polite “not right now” ready to go. He didn’t.
Ibn Abbas described him as the most generous of people, and said he was at his most generous in Ramadan, more generous than a freely blowing wind. (Sahih al-Bukhari 6)
Anas tells of a man who asked him for something and was given a whole flock of sheep filling the space between two mountains. The man went back to his people and told them to accept Islam, because Muhammad gives like someone who has no fear of poverty. (Sahih Muslim 2312)
Generous with more than money
What stands out, though, is that his generosity wasn’t only about wealth. He was generous with his time. He would stop and let a woman with a need take him aside for as long as she wanted. He was generous with his attention and with forgiveness, even towards people who had hurt him badly.
And he lived very simply. A’ishah said that a month or more could pass in their household without a cooking fire being lit, and they lived on dates and water. (Sahih al-Bukhari 6459) Whatever came to him, he gave away. He wasn’t building anything here.
Loving him means following him
It’s easy to love the Prophet ﷺ with words in this month. The harder and better way is to love him with our actions. Allah says:
“Say: if you love Allah, then follow me, and Allah will love you.” (Qur’an 3:31)
So here’s a thought for Rabi al-Awwal. Pick one of his habits of giving and make it your own.
- Stop saying “maybe next time” to people who ask for help. Give something, even if it’s small.
- Give a bit more than feels comfortable. Not recklessly, just a stretch.
- Give your time. Call or visit someone older in your family or community who doesn’t get many visitors.
- Feed people. When he first arrived in Madinah, one of the very first things he called to was this: spread peace, feed people, keep family ties, and pray at night while others sleep. (Sunan al-Tirmidhi 2485)
If you’d like to mark his birth month with a gift, our food appeal helps families who are struggling to eat, and our elderly support cares for older people who have been left with no one. Both are things he cared about deeply.
May Allah fill our hearts with love for His Messenger ﷺ, and may that love show up in our hands as well as on our tongues.