Gift Giving – The Best Act of Generosity in Islam

Gift-giving is so important in Islam. Imagine that you’ve come home after a long, exhausting day and found a box sitting on the counter, tied with a bow. Envision that that box is filled with some of your favourite things. Imagine that the tag is signed by someone you love and care for. Just imagine… And keep hold of the fuzzy feelings that little daydream evokes within you as you consider the purpose of gift-giving.

The Sunnah of Gift Giving

Gift giving is a Sunnah, did you know that? Spending on one’s family is a way to earn good deeds almost on par with giving charity. With that in mind, it sounds like we should be spending a good chunk of attention on providing for and taking care of our loved ones.

It has the two-fold benefit of improving our relationships with one another and it’s a way to fill our books with deeds that will weigh in our favour on the scales. But why is gift giving so highly encouraged in Islam?

Well, think of the scenario we described above. Think back to how it made you feel the last time you got a gift from someone. Gifts are a tangible way of expressing our love for one another.

They make the recipient feel special and force the gift giver to think closely about the person they’re buying for. Gifts strengthen bonds – and they don’t have to break the bank. The best gifts are the ones that suit the recipient’s personality.

Maintaining ties of kinship is incredibly important in Islam, and giving gifts is a way to help maintain those ties. With that said, there are some conditions and requirements that must be met when giving gifts.

Things to keep in mind when gift-gifting:

Intention

You need to have a certain mindset when you give gifts. While the act of gift-giving is on par with giving charity, these are not the same thing. The Prophet (PBUH) did not accept charity but did accept gifts.

Remember to not think of the act of gift-giving in the same way that you would the distribution of zakat or Sadaqah. As here the intention is just as important as the act itself.

The correct intention is important as zakat and Sadaqah are specifically for the poor and needy and is therefore likely, not permissible for loved ones.

Justice

Islam prizes justice and this is true in all things, including gift-giving. You should be fair with your gifting to family and not favour one above the rest.

The easiest way to illustrate this is with children. One should not give a gift to one child and give nothing to the rest. You should spend a similar amount of money on each child. If you’re choosing to gift your siblings, cousins or other members of the family, you should make an effort to be fair there as well.

If you’re choosing to give a gift for a specific occasion, such as the birth of a child or other celebration then you should make the intention to continue to do so for your other loved ones when they find themselves celebrating that same milestone.

It might seem complicated to go to such lengths, especially when taking into account small gifts, but the reasoning behind it is sound. By paying attention to fairness, the favouritism and jealousy that can grow and cause ill feelings amongst family or friends are beaten. It can no longer threaten the love and care that gift-giving is meant to nurture in the first place.

Finally, keep in mind that once you give a gift, it’s impermissible to ask for the gift to be returned. Muslims are not allowed to ask for the return of a gift under any circumstances. And no, it doesn’t matter that they may have wronged you or upset you in some way.

Once given, you have no rights to what was given unless you gave a gift unfairly (such as, to one child and not the others) and cannot afford to rectify the situation fairly.

How to Pick the Right Gift

Spending a lot of money is pointless

You could spend thousands on a very expensive gift that falls flat entirely because it’s something that the recipient doesn’t care for at all.

When receiving a gift, the attention to detail taken with selecting items and customizing them to ensure they’re just as the recipient would choose for themselves is a way of subtly showing that person that their likes and dislikes are important to you. That their satisfaction with their gift is a high priority, and that you know and see them.

We all like to feel as though we’re important to the people we care for. Gift-giving (when done correctly) is a beautiful symbol that can be appreciated again and again. Even after the first flush of happiness that a wrapped box brings fades away.

You must also look at your own budget and attempt to match that with your loved one’s tastes and needs. That’s not as difficult as it can sometimes seem, all that’s required is to rework your understanding of what makes a good gift.

As we said earlier, it’s possible to spend a ridiculous amount of money and still end up with a gift that will end up on a shelf in the recipient’s home just gathering dust. Not only is that a huge waste of money and resources, but it might also upset your loved one. For them, it might be a sign that you haven’t made an effort to understand their likes and dislikes.  Alternatively, they may feel that the gift was selected as an afterthought.

Choosing the right gift – tips!

There are many different approaches to picking the right gift. But they all have a few things in common. You must think about the person you’re buying for and try to imagine what they would enjoy and either not already have or would appreciate having more of.

Attempt to discover favourite colours and scents, hobbies and pastimes. Armed with this knowledge, it’s easier for you to create a lovely basket filled with gifts that will bring a smile to the recipient’s face. Knowing favourites will make the endless choices that come with gift-giving a breeze and will allow you to personalize what you pick out.

Go the extra mile if you can and think about making clothing purchases. While working out sizes can be a nightmare if you’re buying clothing for a woman and going to department stores, it’s worth it to try and figure this out if possible because clothing is rarely not useful.

Keep clear of patterns and styles that are particularly ‘unique’ and you’re in the clear to purchase items that will be used often and will never go wasted. Clothing doesn’t expire and it’s not a single-use purchase either. If you’re looking for a gift that will keep on giving, clothing isn’t really a bad option – and it’s no riskier than trying to buy for a hobby. Both simply require you to do a little bit of research.

Using Gifting Services

Putting together a gift is a wonderful expression of love and care. It’s also a great way to create a unique gift box, tailored to the tastes of your loved one. However, different people have different levels of comfort with putting together pretty gift boxes. Some people struggle to come up with a theme to fill a box around. That’s where gifting services (like our Hidden Pearls range) come in to help save the day. We offer a little bit of guidance but give you the flexibility and freedom to choose as well so that you can pamper the special women in your life without having to do a ton of guessing and fumbling in the metaphorical dark.

Our gift boxes come in several forms, and picking the right one is easy as pie. With descriptive names like I Love You Mum, Best Friend Forever, and Thank You, it shouldn’t be hard for you to quickly narrow in on the right gift box and then quickly scroll through the changeable items in the box and pick the ones that suit best.

After that, it’s a small matter of selecting a shipping option and there you go! You have a lovely gift on its way. You’re happy, the recipient’s about to be happy, and your schedule is happy that you didn’t have to run around town to shop for items. Let’s not forget to mention the fuel that you’ll have saved on.

But what’s in the Hidden Pearls gift boxes anyway? The following options will appeal to many relationships (and women):

Hijabs and Hijab Pins

Well, as being a hijab retailer, it’s easy to guess what’s included in our boxes. That’s right: every gift box we sell comes with a few stunning hijabs. Which, as any hijabi would readily tell you, can never go to waste.

Between pinning and washing, hijabs sadly do wear out just like any other clothing item. So replacing them becomes a must. Or you might hear from a hijabi who’s just noticed that one of her all-time favourites is about to wear thin or has been snagged on a rogue pin.

Speaking of pins, several of our gift boxes, contain diamante jewel hijab pins. Because, even more than hijabs, a hijabi can never have enough pins. If you’ve ever lived with a hijabi, you’ll know that those little tools go missing constantly. Unfortunately, being pricked is the only way they are found! That’s why our Trendy Hijabi gift box also comes with a pretty trinket box. Yes, its to keep those pretty pins safe and save your fingers.

Pamper Products (Bath Bombs and Candles)

Another staple of our gift boxes is bath items. It may be a cliché to take a bath and calm down or relax but that’s likely because it is a great way to pamper oneself. It doesn’t really cost much, can be done at any time and requires just a bathtub.

Bath bombs and bath salts are great for one’s skin and they smell absolutely amazing too. They are not too pricey and the body truly deserves the attention and effort of being pampered. 

Don’t forget candles! Another great scent experience which is long-lasting and doubles as pretty décor. Candles leave your home smelling beautiful and they create a lovely atmosphere when lit. As a bonus, they work great in a power cut! Candles are amazing and they last for ages too.

We’ve got all this and much more on offer on our shelves. Because we too have loved ones that we enjoy spoiling. One of our mottos is to ensure that everything we stock is an item that we ourselves would gift. Our products are designed to appeal to a wide variety of tastes. So this is a one-stop-shop where you can purchase items for several different styles.

We’ve also kept in mind that you’ll know your loved ones best. We will happily customize and swap items to ensure that you get the very best bang for your buck.  It’s also an act that’s rewarding both in this life and the afterlife if your intentions are right.