Helping others is a fundamental aspect of Islam since the teaching itself promotes peace. Apparently, helping others is the main principle that all Muslims should have obedience to. Obedience is not only achieved through prayers, but Muslims also need to maintain their relationship with other people, and they need to take good care of treating others. Allah is not only the Gracious and the Merciful, but, also wants humanity to be gracious and merciful, to each other, in their spheres. 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)
The act of helping each other in piety and righteousness is the thing that helps you to avoid Allah’s 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. Therefore, it is very necessary for us to understand the importance of helping others. Allah says:
إِن يَنصُرْكُمُ اللَّهُ فَلَا غَالِبَ لَكُمْ وَإِن يَخْذُلْكُمْ فَمَن ذَا الَّذِي يَنصُرُكُم مِّن بَعْدِهِ وَعَلَى اللَّهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ
“If Allah helps you, then not (can) overcome [for] you, and if He forsakes you, then who (is) the one who can help you after Him? And on Allah – let the believers put (their).” (Surah Al-Imran 3:160)
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:
بِنَصْرِ اللَّهِ يَنصُرُ مَن يَشَاءُ وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الرَّحِيمُ
“With (the) help (of) Allah. He helps whom He wills. And He (is) the All-Mighty, the Most Merciful.” (Surah Ar-Rum 30:5)
One of the central principles of Islam is helping others. Brotherhood actually is a faith-based community in religion. It consists of men and women as brothers and sisters. Living in brotherhood is that kind of life full of interactions and allows us to seek or give help to others. One type of help needed is by giving to charity. If we are helping others, Allah promises to assist us in return. Whoever believer helps each other, will eventually be rewarded an easy way, due to it, a path to Paradise.
Helping others is a core principle of Islam, here are some ways to help others:
- Helping others as Allah will reward us goodness
- Helping others to rely on Allah in all our affairs
- Helping others reflects our gratitude to Allah
- Helping others forbids us into the Hellfire
- Helping others is such a wonderful thing
- Help with or do someone’s yard work
- Helping others can cure our stress
- Helping others can erase our sins
- Helping others the needy
- Smile and be friendly
- Teach a skill you have
- Make up a care package
- Offer to do jobs or chores
- Helping in your community
- Help someone who’s grieving
- Bring them a meal (without asking first)
- Donate things you no longer need or use
- Helping others helps us through our last day
- Allah will shield him in this world and the next
- Allah will make easy for him a path to Paradise
Allah promises to be our helper if we help one another. Oftentimes, people struggle and we are left wondering what the person is going through. If you just ask, it will help you to help them sooner and give the person clarity when they speak about their issue aloud. One of the ways to help someone and protect yourself from calamity is through the noble act of giving to charity, by means of zakat or sadaqah. Allah says:
إِن يَنصُرْكُمُ اللَّهُ فَلَا غَالِبَ لَكُمْ وَإِن يَخْذُلْكُمْ فَمَن ذَا الَّذِي يَنصُرُكُم مِّن بَعْدِهِ وَعَلَى اللَّهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ
“If Allah helps you, none can overcome you: If He forsakes you, who is thereafter that, that can help you? In Allah then, let the Believers put their trust.” (Surah Al Imran 3:160)
Some people expect Allah to hand them everything, without the slightest exertion on their part; and yet, when they’re deprived of a benefit, they curse their Lord! Allah is not obliged to provide for us or remove our suffering. Do your part first, then leave the rest up to Allah: Insha Allah: will favour you with His mercy and assistance. Allah says:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اسْتَعِينُوا بِالصَّبْرِ وَالصَّلَاةِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَ الصَّابِرِينَ
O you who believe[d]! Seek help through patience and prayer. Indeed, Allah (is) with the patient ones.” (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:153)
Helping and supporting those in distress is a trait that is encouraged by Islam and a noble character that is an implication of sincere brotherhood and chivalry. When one of them finds any difficulties, the others might get the impact too. Because of the mechanism of ‘the whole one’, Muslims need to realize the importance of helping other Muslims, otherwise, life would be wasted. Allah says:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِن تَنصُرُوا اللَّهَ يَنصُرْكُمْ وَيُثَبِّتْ أَقْدَامَكُمْ
“O you who believe! If you help Allah, He will help you and make firm your feet.” (Surah Muhammad 47:7)
Allah doesn’t like someone who is so greedy, that he or she is not willing to help each other. Remember, our wealth is a 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 own pleasure.
And in many verses of the Quran, Allah constantly emphasizes the believers, Allah says:
- “And Allah may help you (with) a help mighty.” (Quran 48:3)
- “A guidance and a mercy for those who do good.” (Quran 31:4)
- “Thus indeed do We reward those who do good.” (Quran 37:81)
- “The reward of goodness is nothing but goodness.” (Quran 55:61)
- “Indeed, Allah is with those who are righteous and those who do good.” (Quran 16:129)
- “And spend for the cause of Allah, and cast not yourselves into ruin with your own hands, and do good; surely, Allah loves those who do good.” (Quran 2:196)
- “So Allah gave them the reward of this world, as also an excellent reward of the next; and Allah loves those who do good.” (Quran 3:149)
- “And be thou steadfast; for surely, Allah suffers not the reward of the righteous to perish.” (Quran 11:116)
Helping others obligates you to have a little time wasted due to the productivity you achieve. In a modern era like this, we can keep helping other Muslims through the act of volunteering like raising money for orphans and needy children or helping at the local mosque. Allah says:
وَمَن كَفَرَ فَلَا يَحْزُنكَ كُفْرُهُ إِلَيْنَا مَرْجِعُهُمْ فَنُنَبِّئُهُم بِمَا عَمِلُوا إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ بِذَاتِ الصُّدُورِ
“And he who submits himself completely to Allah, and is a doer of good, he has surely grasped a strong handle. And with Allah rests the end of all affairs.” (Surah Luqman 31:23 31:23)
Helping those in need and supporting those in distress is a way of thanking and praising Allah The Almighty for His blessings, and this causes the blessings of Allah The Almighty to continue and increase, as the more blessings a person is granted, the more people need his help. Allah says:
وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِأَعْدَائِكُمْ وَكَفَىٰ بِاللَّهِ وَلِيًّا وَكَفَىٰ بِاللَّهِ نَصِيرًا
“And Allah knows better about your enemies and Allah (is) sufficient (as) a Protector, and sufficient (is) Allah (as) a Helper.” (Surah An-Nisa` 4:45)
Helping those in distress and fulfilling people’s needs indicates strong faith and sincere brotherhood. It is necessary to help a deserving person, but it is also an indecent thing that one should not do anything for oneself and depend on others. Allah says:
يَا نِسَاءَ النَّبِيِّ مَن يَأْتِ مِنكُنَّ بِفَاحِشَةٍ مُّبَيِّنَةٍ يُضَاعَفْ لَهَا الْعَذَابُ ضِعْفَيْنِ وَكَانَ ذَٰلِكَ عَلَى اللَّهِ يَسِيرًا
“But if you desire Allah and His Messenger and the Home of the Hereafter, then truly Allah has prepared for those of you who do well a great reward.” (Surah Al-Ahzab 33:30)
Helping one another is not limited to doing a deed on another’s behalf, it also includes other deeds, including relieving someone in a distressful situation, relieving debt or interceding on their behalf. We should, therefore, use our physical and material means as well as other means such as our reputation and authority to help those in need. When we do this, we will find the most blessed of things, Allah as our helper.
