Offering a helping hand

In the name of Allah, the glorious, the merciful

We as students always do help each other in the class for many purposes like if someone didn’t get his/her pen, we always lend him/her ours but most of us always complains that when we really need someone to help, we don’t find any.

Now just close your eyes and think that when have you really helped someone……….? Mostly or most of us won’t get any image and we would make an excuse of- how can we remember??? This is what tells us how often we help others.

Well this article is not about offering a helping hand to your friends but it is about helping the needy… and the people who are mostly in need or utmost need are the poor people.My earlier article tells you that this life of ours is a test and our aim should be to pass the test. 

One of such tests is helping the needy when you are given the means to help them. Just imagine…. How many of us donate money in charity or give away Rs.1 or Rs.2 in charity when a poor lady/man/child asks us to! You might say all of us….. friends I am asking you (or rather us) about you, yourself (or rather we, ourselves) and not your family. We have all the money to spend on unnecessary things like watching movies which costs us nearly 100 bucks on an average for a single movie,  chaat (bhel, aloo chat, pani puri etc) which doesn’t cost us much may 10-20 bucks and many other immaterial needs. 

But when a child/woman approaches us, we simple turn our backs and some of us even shout and yell at them. And when asked WHY, we have all the reason like-

• I am a student yaar, I am not earning. (why don’t we think about it when spending on other immaterial needs)
• I am seriously in a hurry. (This is going to be the lifetime problem ya believe me…!!! After I start earning, after I get married or get my sister married, etc and it won’t stop. The remedy is- if not now, never….. so do it now)
• It’s my dad’s money not mine. (Oh really…!!!)
• These people should work, earn themselves…. why to beg?? (It’s not that easy.)
• They will get accustomed to. (Nobody wants to be a beggar…!!!)

And the list goes on and on…….

I wonder why don’t we think about these reasons when spending on the various immaterial needs already discussed.

I know that these people approach at really weird times but common yaar……. these are testing times and who says tests are easy???????? Tests are bound to be difficult else it won’t be a test! When the God almighty (Allah SWT) gives you the means, responsibilities comes along with it; realize the responsibilities.

Here is a Hadith from Sahih Al-Bukhari which should inspire us all, feel the beauty of this Hadith friends and I bet you will end up reading twice or thrice:

Volume 4, Book 56, Number 670:

Narrated Abu Huraira:

That he heard Allah's Apostle (PBUH) saying, "Allah willed to test three Israelis who were a Leper, a blind man and a bald-headed man. So, he sent them an angel who came to the leper and said, 'What thing do you like most?' He replied, "Good color and good skin, for the people have a strong aversion to me.' The angel touched him and his illness was cured, and he was given a good color and beautiful skin. The angel asked him, 'What kind of property do you like best?' He replied, 'Camels (or cows).' (The narrator is in doubt, for either the leper or the bald-headed man demanded camels and the other demanded cows.) So he (i.e. the leper) was given a pregnant she-camel, and the angel said (to him), 'May Allah bless you in it.'

The angel then went to the bald-headed man and said, 'What thing do you like most?' He said, 'I like good hair and wish to be cured of this disease, for the people feel repulsion for me.' The angel touched him and his illness was cured, and he was given good hair. The angel asked (him), 'What kind of property do you like bests' He replied, 'Cows,' The angel gave him a pregnant cow and said, 'May Allah bless you in it.'

The angel went to the blind man and asked, 'What thing do you like best?' He said, '(I like) that Allah may restore my eye-sight to me so that I may see the people.' The angel touched his eyes and Allah gave him back his eye-sight. The angel asked him, "What kind of property do you like best?' He replied, 'Sheep.' The angel gave him a pregnant sheep.

Afterwards, all the three pregnant animals gave birth to young ones, and multiplied and brought forth so much that one of the (three) men had a herd of camels filling a valley, and one had a herd of cows filling a valley, and one had a flock of sheep filling a valley.

Then the angel, disguised in the shape and appearance of a leper, went to the leper and said, I am a poor man, who has lost all means of livelihood while on a journey. So none will satisfy my need except Allah and then you. In the Name of Him Who has given you such nice color and beautiful skin, and so much property, I ask you to give me a camel so that I may reach my destination. The man replied, 'I have many obligations (so I cannot give you).' The angel said, 'I think I know you; were you not a leper to whom the people had a strong aversion? Weren't you a poor man, and then Allah gave you (all this property).' He replied, '(This is all wrong), I got this property through inheritance from my fore-fathers' The angel said, 'If you are telling a lie, then let Allah make you as you were before. '

Then the angel, disguised in the shape and appearance of a bald man, went to the bald man and said to him the same as he told the first one, and he too answered the same as the first one did. The angel said, 'If you are telling a lie, then let Allah make you as you were before.'

The angel, disguised in the shape of a blind man, went to the blind man and said, 'I am a poor man and a traveler, whose means of livelihood have been exhausted while on a journey. I have nobody to help me except Allah, and after Him, you yourself. I ask you in the Name of Him Who has given you back your eye-sight to give me a sheep, so that with its help, I may complete my journey' The man said, 'No doubt, I was blind and Allah gave me back my eye-sight; I was poor and Allah made me rich; so take anything you wish from my property. By Allah, I will not stop you for taking anything (you need) of my property which you may take for Allah's sake.' The angel replied, 'Keep your property with you. You (i.e 3 men) have been tested and Allah is pleased with you and is angry with your two companions."

Some verses from the Holy Qur’an that speaks about charity…

CH:2 V:43.

And be steadfast in prayer; practise regular charity; and bow down your heads with those who bow down [in worship].

CH:2 V:177.

It is not righteousness that ye turn your faces Towards east or West; but it is righteousness- to believe in Allah and the Last Day, and the Angels, and the Book, and the Messengers; to spend of your substance, out of love for Him, for your kin, for orphans, for the needy, for the wayfarer, for those who ask, and for the ransom of slaves; to be steadfast in prayer, and practice regular charity; to fulfil the contracts which ye have made; and to be firm and patient,

in pain [or suffering] and adversity, and throughout all periods of panic. Such are the people of truth, the Allah-fearing.

CH:2 V:215.

They ask thee what they should spend [In charity]. Say: Whatever ye spend that is good, is for parents and kindred and orphans and those in want and for wayfarers. And whatever ye do that is good, -Allah knoweth it well.

CH:2 V: 277.

Those who believe, and do deeds of righteousness, and establish regular prayers and regular charity, will have their reward with their Lord: on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.

And there are many many many more…,the listed are only from chapter 2 that too few of them. I would like to appeal to one and all reading this article to throw open there arms for charity.

And Allah (SWT) knows the best.