All praise is for Allāh, Lord of the Worlds. I bear witness that there is no deity (worthy of worship in truth) but Allāh, the Protector of the righteous, and I bear witness that Muḥammad is His servant and Messenger.

To proceed:

The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said: “The most beloved of people to Allāh is the one who is most beneficial to people. The most beloved of deeds to Allāh (عز وجل) is bringing happiness to a Muslim, relieving him of distress, paying off a debt for him, or warding off hunger from him. Indeed, walking with a Muslim brother to help him with a need is dearer to me than observing seclusion (iʿtikāf) in the mosque for a month. Whoever restrains his anger, Allah will conceal his faults; whoever suppresses his rage, even though he could have acted upon it, Allāh will fill his heart with contentment on the Day of Resurrection; and whoever walks with his Muslim brother to help him with a need until it is fulfilled, Allāh the Exalted will make his feet firm on the Day when feet slip.”

This was narrated by al-Ṭabarāni in al-Muʿjam al-Kabīr and by Ibn Abī al-Dunyā in Qaḍāʾ al-Hawāʾij as a marfūʿ ḥadith from Ibn ʿUmar. It is an established narration, if Allāh wills and was classified as ḥasan by ʿAllāmah al-Albānī in al-Ṣaḥīḥah (no. 906) and others.

This hadith contains many benefits, including the virtue of doing good and serving others. Every member of society is capable of serving others; this includes feeding the poor, providing water, checking on the needs of others, whether relatives, neighbors, or others, assisting the weak, the elderly, and the incapacitated, aiding the distressed, supporting the oppressed, washing the deceased, caring for the sick, removing harmful objects from the path, and similar acts.

In another Hadith, it is stated: “Whoever among you is able to benefit his brother, let him do so.” This was narrated by Muslim in his Ṣaḥīḥ.^[1]

These ḥadiths encompass all members of society: men and women, young and old, scholars and students, imāms of mosques, officials, doctors, nurses, pharmacists, police officers, neighborhood leaders, employees, drivers, merchants, and others. All are addressed with the duty to serve those they are able to help, especially during the difficult times Muslims may face.

The aforementioned ḥadith also states: “For me to walk with my Muslim brother to attend to a need of his is dearer to me than observing seclusion (iʿtikāf) in the mosque for a month.”

This means that walking to fulfill a Muslim brother's need was more beloved to the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) than spending a full month in seclusion at the Prophet’s Mosque, a place where the reward for prayer is multiplied and where seclusion entails devoting oneself to voluntary prayers, reciting the Quran, remembrance (dhikr), seeking forgiveness, and similar acts of worship.

Rewards are multiplied in proportion to the benefit provided to others and the hardship endured in serving them. Therefore, a Muslim should strive to serve others, seeking the pleasure of Allah the Almighty.

Written by: ʿAli al-Ḥudhayfī
29 Ramaḍān 1441AH
(22 May 2020)