Service of Humanity
Service of humanity is the ninth item in our list to be given special attention during
the month of #Ramadhan.
The Holy #Prophet (pbuh) has described the month of Ramadhan as the month of
#brotherhood and fellow-feeling. This month is meant for showing sympathy and
grief-sharing with human beings like us, brothers and sisters all.
Particularly in economic and financial matters, this month is about sharing the sense of
deprivation, worries and problems of others and to help them out.
While your hunger and thirst can become a means of producing qualities of piety, control of
the self, obedience to God, and patience, it can also give you a taste of what is felt
by others during hunger, thirst, grief and pain.
Personal experience can generate a strong and sustainable urge for sympathy and help for others.
This area of piety, virtue and #goodness is quite vast and has many branches.
#Feeding the hungry, treatment and visitation of the sick, guarding orphans and
widows, meeting the demands of the destitute and oppressed, keeping good
relations with relatives – all fall in this vast category.
All are entitled to this service – your family and relatives, your brothers in #Islam as well as friends, your
neighbours as well as people at large.
In order to draw attention towards this extensive task, the Holy #Prophet (pbuh) has
told us about the great reward for providing iftar meal to a fasting person to break
his fast.
The Prophet (pbuh) said: A person who provides iftar to his fasting brother, he will
be forgiven from his sins and saved from hellfire. He will get as much reward as of
his #fasting brother, without any decrease in the reward of the latter.
The Prophet’s Companions said, “All of us do not have as much means as to provide #iftar to the
fasting!” The Prophet (pbuh) replied that Allah rewards even the one who offers
one sip of milk, one date and one sip of water to the fasting.
(He continued) The one who provides meal to the hungry to fully satisfy his hunger, #Allah Almighty will
satiate him from my fountain, #Kauthar, so that he will not feel thirsty till his entry
into heaven.43
Make sure in this month that you serve your brothers and sisters, feed the hungry,
remove the needs of the helpless, give from your wealth the share that is due to
the one who asks as well as the one who is destitute but does not beg out of the
sense of modesty.
Always remember that great gifts and bestowals like forgiveness
from sins, freedom from hell, quenching of thirst at fountain of Kauthar, entry into
heaven are achieved through service of humanity.
Inflicting harm to people wastes heaps of prayers, fasting and charity. It does not matter whether the service is
small or big. Whatever you have to give, give it.
Do whatever you can. Do not consider anything inferior, however small it may be. One time meal, just one glass
of water, or just one rupee, some nice talk, some recommendation, giving water to
a thirsty dog, all can lead you to Paradise.
43 Al-Baihaqi, narrated by Salman Al-Farisi
