بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
In a hadith Qudsi, the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) tells us that if you ever hoped for a direct route to the pleasure of Allah, here it is.
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: Allah will say on the Day of Judgment,
'Son of Adam, I was sick but you did not visit Me.'
'My Lord, How could I visit You when You are the Lord of the Worlds?'
'Did you not know that one of My servants was sick and you didn't visit him? If you had visited him you would have found Me there.'
Then Allah will say, 'Son of Adam, I needed food but you did not feed Me.'
'My Lord, How could I feed You when You are the Lord of the Worlds?'
'Did you not know that one of My servants was hungry but you did not feed him? If you had fed him you would have found its reward with Me.'
'Son of Adam, I was thirsty, but you did not give Me something to drink.'
'My Lord, How could I give a drink when You are the Lord of the Worlds?'
'Did you not know that one of My servants was thirsty but you did not give him a drink? If you had given him a drink, you would have found its reward with Me.' [Bukhari]
It is out of the mercy and wisdom of Allah that He made serving others one of the landmarks in the journey to Him. Therefore, we have to revive our sensitivity to the simple acts of service we can do everyday.
When we hear of someone who is sick or in need, the impulse that we feel to help should be so strong that it is impossible to ignore. Unfortunately, many of us have desensitized ourselves to suffering because it is out of sync with the lifestyles we choose. At most, we may be persuaded to donate, but usually not more.
Yet in the feeding of the poor, relieving the thirst and suffering, and comforting the sick lies an incredible closeness to Almighty Allah, so much that He says that He is there Himself. Maybe we can rethink our priorities so that we jump at the chance to be there in the places and opportunities where the pleasure of Allah can be found. Maybe we can foster a high level of alertness so that we are always on the lookout for ways to please Allah through comforting the suffering people in our families, circles, communities and neighborhoods.
This hadith also assures us that serving people does not need any other motive than seeking Allah. We don't need a concrete gain in order to dedicate our time and resources to easing the hardship of others. We must truly seek Allah only in what we do for others.
Feeding the hungry, cooking for an old lady or a new mom, or taking care of the yard of our absent neighbor do not need to be a chance to spread Islam in order to prove ourselves as worthy human beings — sometimes it can just be about Allah. Even when our efforts are criticized or targeted, if the motivation is pure we should not be deterred by the ill will of some people.
Just as the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) was sent as a mercy to mankind, so should we be a mercy to everyone whose lives we touch. In serving others and giving to others, we find our Lord. Only by helping others can we help ourselves. We cannot live a life of consumption and selfishness and expect to win the pleasure of Allah along the way.
So, in our dedication to peace as individuals and communities, we must insist that our presence be a blessing and mercy to our families, circles, community and neighborhood.
May Allah make us merciful and enable us to serve others and giving to others sincerely for His sake. Ameen.
Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wassallam.
Allah alone give success.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
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