One of the central principles of Islam is helping others. While some perceive Islam as a faith that encourages violence rather than positive contributions to society, the Qur’an and especially the hadith highlight how helping another human being is a fundamental aspect of Islam. Muslims’ primary goal is to worship God, but this is done not only through rituals like prayer and fasting but also through the treatment of other people. Allah says:

وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتُ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلِيَاءُ بَعْضٍ ۚ يَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ وَيُقِيمُونَ الصَّلَاةَ وَيُؤْتُونَ الزَّكَاةَ وَيُطِيعُونَ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ ۚ أُولَٰئِكَ سَيَرْحَمُهُمُ اللَّهُ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ

“The believing men and believing women are allies of one another. They enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong and establish prayer and give charity and obey Allah and His Messenger. Allah will have mercy upon them, for Allah is Almighty and Wise.” (Surah At-Tawbah 9:71)

Helping others is a fundamental aspect of Islam since the teaching itself promotes peace. Helping others is the main principle that all Muslims should have obedience to. The obedience is not only achieved through prayers, yet Muslims also need to maintain their relationship with other people, that they need to take good care of treating others. Allah says:

مَثَلُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ فِي تَوَادِّهِمْ وَتَرَاحُمِهِمْ وَتَعَاطُفِهِمْ مَثَلُ الْجَسَدِ إِذَا اشْتَكَى مِنْهُ عُضْوٌ تَدَاعَى لَهُ سَائِرُ الْجَسَدِ بِالسَّهَرِ وَالْحُمَّى

“The parable of the believers in their affection, mercy, and compassion for each other is that of a body. When any limb aches, the whole body reacts with sleeplessness and fever.” (Al-Bukhārī)

God has created the people in a manner that they remain associated and connected so that, in this way, they strive to fulfil each other’s needs and requirements. It is clear from this that helping others is connected to a believer’s worship of God. Allah says:

فَانطَلَقَا حَتَّىٰ إِذَا أَتَيَا أَهْلَ قَرْيَةٍ اسْتَطْعَمَا أَهْلَهَا فَأَبَوْا أَن يُضَيِّفُوهُمَا فَوَجَدَا فِيهَا جِدَارًا يُرِيدُ أَن يَنقَضَّ فَأَقَامَهُ قَالَ لَوْ شِئْتَ لَاتَّخَذْتَ عَلَيْهِ أَجْرًاا

“So they set out until when they came (to the) people (of) a town, they asked for food (from) its people, but they refused to offer them hospitality. Then they found in it a wall (that) want(ed) to collapse, so he set it straight. He said, “If you wished surely you (could) have taken for it a payment.”(Surah Al-Kahf 18:77 )

In other words, the hadith connects responsibility to people to other acts of worship like reading the Qur’an with other Muslims and seeking knowledge. Moreover, there is a clear reward for a person who aids another, both in this world and in the next.

Here are some importance in helping others in Islam:

1. Helping others to find ways to integrate your interests
2. Helping others as Allah Will reward us goodness
3. Helping others helps us through our last day
4. Helping others reflects our gratitude to Allah
5. Helping others may help with chronic pain
6. Helping other Muslims as we’re one
7. Helping others makes us happy
8. Helping others can erase our sins
9. Helping others can cure our stress
10. Helping others can help you live longer
11. Helping others forbids us into the Hellfire
12. Donate things you no longer need or use
13. Allah will shield him in this world and the next
14. Allah will make easy for him a path to Paradise
15. Helping others promotes positive behaviour in teens

Helping others is an act of kindness. However, the act of kindness is also the main highlight in Islam as the religion of peace. Allah already told us that by spreading kindness to others, we will be rewarded with goodness in return. If we are helping others, Allah promises to help us in return. Imagine that, who would be a better helper to us than Allah? What follows the hadith above tells us that whoever believes that helps each other, will eventually be rewarded an easy way, due to it, a path to Paradise. Allah says:

وَلَوْ يُعَجِّلُ اللَّهُ لِلنَّاسِ الشَّرَّ اسْتِعْجَالَهُم بِالْخَيْرِ لَقُضِيَ إِلَيْهِمْ أَجَلُهُمْ فَنَذَرُ الَّذِينَ لَا يَرْجُونَ لِقَاءَنَا فِي طُغْيَانِهِمْ يَعْمَهُونَ

“And if Allah (was) to hasten for the mankind the evil, (as) He hastens for them the good, surely, would have been decree for them their term. But We leave those who (do) not expect the meeting with Us, in their transgression, wandering blindly.” (Surah Yunus 10:11)

The act of helping each other in piety and righteousness is the thing that helps you to avoid Allah punishment. We, as human beings, may commit some unconscious sins. To avoid Allah’s punishment and gain his forgiveness, we need to commit the act of helping each other as many times as we could. Allah says:

وَآتِ ذَا الْقُرْبَىٰ حَقَّهُ وَالْمِسْكِينَ وَابْنَ السَّبِيلِ وَلَا تُبَذِّرْ تَبْذِيرًا

“And give the relatives his right, and the needy, and the wayfarer, and (do) not spend wastefully.” (Surah Al-Isra` 17:26)

Brotherhood is a faith-based community in religion. It consists of between men and women as brothers and sisters. Living among a brotherhood is that kind of life full of interactions and allows us to seek or give help to others. One kind of help needed is by giving charity. Allah says:

لَن تَنَالُوا الْبِرَّ حَتَّىٰ تُنفِقُوا مِمَّا تُحِبُّونَ وَمَا تُنفِقُوا مِن شَيْءٍ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ بِهِ عَلِيمٌ 

“You shall not attain righteousness until you spend out of what you love (in the way of Allah). Allah knows whatever you spend.” (Surah Al-Imran 3:92)

Allah Almighty says in The Holy Quran:

• “And they deny [the] small kindnesses.” (Surah Al-Maun 107:7)
• “This (is) Our gift, so grant or withhold without an account.” (Quran 38:39)
• “My Lord! Help me against the people the corrupters.” (Surah Ankabut 29:30)
• “But they plan and Allah plans and Allah is the best of planners.” (Quran 8:30)
• “O you who believe! Fear Allah and be with those who are truthful.” (Quran 9:119)
• “And not they can (give) them any help and not they can help themselves.” (Quran 7:192)
• “You shall not attain righteousness until you spend out of what you love (in the way of Allah). Allah knows whatever you spend.” (Quran 3:92)
• “And those saved from the covetousness of their souls; they are the ones that achieve prosperity.” (Quran 64:16)

Helping each other as much possible as could be such an encouragement to ourselves in doing better things each day. Our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) had utilized himself and given a tremendous effect to His followers to give their excellent deeds by helping each other. Allah says:

رَّبُّكُمْ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا فِي نُفُوسِكُمْ إِن تَكُونُوا صَالِحِينَ فَإِنَّهُ كَانَ لِلْأَوَّابِينَ غَفُورًا

“Your Lord (is) most knowing of what (is) in yourselves. If you are righteous, then indeed, He is to those who often turn (to Hi Most Forgiving.” (Surah Al-Isra` 17:25)

Helping others obligates you to have a little time wasted due to the productivity you achieve. In the modern era like this, we can keep helping other Muslims through the act of volunteering like raising money for the orphans and needy children or helping at the local mosque. Allah says:

وَمِمَّنْ خَلَقْنَا أُمَّةٌ يَهْدُونَ بِالْحَقِّ وَبِهِ يَعْدِلُونَ

“And of (those) whom We have created (is) a nation, who guides with the truth and thereby they establish justice.” (Surah Al-A`raf 7:181)

Our Prophet (PBUH) is the one who has little time to waste, otherwise, it was spent doing works for Allah SWT. We need to follow what He had done so far as the act of doing good deeds. Therefore, we must understand the importance of helping others. Allah says:

وَجَعَلْنَاهُمْ أَئِمَّةً يَدْعُونَ إِلَى النَّارِ وَيَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ لَا يُنصَرُونَ

“And We made them leaders inviting to the Fire, and (on the) Day (of) the Resurrection, not they will be helped.” (Surah Al-Qasas 28:41)

Allah doesn’t like someone who is so greedy, that he or she is not willing to help each other. Remember, our wealth is the blessing from Allah, that we need to be grateful for. To depict our gratefulness, we need to help others instead of being greedy by keeping the wealth for our pleasure. Indeed, Allah doesn’t like the greedy ones.