HADITH SEVEN : ALLAH LOVES THE BENEFACTORS
HADITH SEVEN : ALLAH LOVES THE BENEFACTORS. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said, «The most beloved of people to Allah are the most beneficial to people. And the most beloved deed to Allah is happiness you bring to a Muslim, or you remove their hardship, or you pay their debt, or chase away their hunger. And to walk with my brother to assist him in a need of his is more beloved to me than i’tikaf for a month in this Mosque, [meaning Madinah Mosque]. And if one holds back their anger, Allah will conceal their fault. And if one withholds their fury,
which if they had wished to unleash it they would have been able to, Allah will fill their heart with hope on the Day of Resurrection. And if one walks with his brother to secure their need until they get it, Allah will confirm their feet on the Day when feet slip.»
Reported by al-Tabarani in al-Mu‘jam al-Kabir (13646) and al-Albani declared it hasan (al-Silsilah al-Sahihah, 906)
Commentary
Allah the Beneficent
Allah gave us everything. Everything. Whatever we have, whatever we enjoy, whatever we love, Allah gave that to us. Allah said:
And whatever blessing you have is from Allah.
Al-Nahl (Q16:53)
Think about it. Every single thing you enjoy comes from Him. Who created beauty? Who blessed us with the ability to enjoy it? Who made humans able to love? To be loved? To feel joy? Who gave us imagination, hope, and tranquility? No one has this power but our Creator. Allah said:
It is Allah Who created the heavens and the earth and sent down rain from the sky and produced by it fruits as provision for you. And He subjected for you the ships to sail through the sea by His command and subjected for you the rivers. And He subjected for you the sun and the moon, continuously moving, and subjected for you the night and the day. And He gave you from all you asked of Him. And if you try to count the favors of Allah, you will not be able to count them. Indeed, humans are unjust and ungrateful.
Ibrahim (Q14:32-34)
Our inability to reckon the blessings of Allah is itself amazing. There are so many of them, every single minute, to be able to count. These are only the visible ones. We cannot even begin to comprehend the invisible favors of Allah. Abu al-Darda’ said:
How many blessings of Allah are there in a dormant vein?
Hayat al-Salaf bayna al-Qawl wa al-‘Amal (p. 825)
He meant that every part of our body that is healthy is a blessing that goes unnoticed. We do not see the great things we have until we taste what it feels like to live without them. While we have them, we enjoy them but are blind to their value: we learned not to see them.
Whether Allah sends His blessings directly or indirectly, it is He who sent them. Humans can hire us, pay our salaries, give us advice, assist us in times of need, love us back, but it is Allah who made all this possible. He created goodwill in their hearts, put a smile on their face, and made their intervention possible and effective. It could not have happened without Him. Humans are only portals for the flow of blessings, not its cause. We should start to see Allah behind every act of kindness we receive, every beautiful thing in our lives, every blessing.
One of Allah’s greatest gifts is consciousness. To be alive, to have feelings, to discover new things and grow as we learn—these are incredible gifts. Allah moved us from nothingness to awareness, and He allowed us to experience a full spectrum of emotions. He favored us with speech and the ability to reason. We can travel, we can smile, and we can eat. But above all, He favored us with His revelation: the blessing of guidance that illuminates our lives and saves us from doubt and misery. This revelation is rain to the parched soul and light to the dark heart. Without it, we sink to an animal-like existence. Allah said:
They have hearts that they do not understand with, eyes that they do not see with, and ears that they do not hear with. They are like cattle. Indeed, they are even more astray. They are the heedless.
Al-A‘raf (Q7:179)
Without Allah’s revelation, our humanity is incomplete. With every piece of revelation we ignore, we lose a part of what makes us human, we lose a part of Allah’s mercy. Without Allah’s revelation, our existence loses its meaning, and we wander aimlessly without real goals. This is why Allah’s revelation is an even greater gift than our own existence. In Surah al-Rahman where Allah reminds us of His favors, He begins with:
Al-Rahman. He taught the Quran. He created humanity. He taught them to communicate.
Ar-Rahman (Q55:1-4)
It is out of His Mercy and Love that He sent us the Quran and sent us Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم. It is out of His Mercy and Love that He created us and taught us what we know. It is out of His Mercy and Love that He keeps showering us with blessings every single day, even when we stray and disobey Him.
When we remember the favors of Allah, we will know Him better and love Him more. Sulayman al-Wasiti said:
Remembering [or mentioning] the blessings brings on the love of Allah.
Al-Shukr by Ibn Abi al-Dunya (p. 11)
Humans are great at remembering, counting, and talking about all the wrong things in their lives. But we don’t do the same with what is right. Focusing on the bad distorts reality by inflating loss, resentment, and fear until the blessings of Allah almost disappear. But if we remember and talk about Allah’s favours, we will regain our balance: we will see more of Allah’s blessings and realise that the bad is small in comparison. Then, Allah may grace us with the insight to see the blessings in our tests and the ability to turn each challenge into a blessing.
It is impossible for us to thank Allah adequately for all that He gives us. First, there is too much to thank Allah for, and a lot of it escapes our awareness. Second, we cannot sufficiently thank Allah for a single blessing of His, let alone all or most of them. Wahb ibn Munabbih said:
A worshipper of Allah worshipped Him for fifty years, so Allah revealed to him that I have forgiven you. So he said, “O Rabb, forgive me what? I did not sin!” So Allah permitted a vein in his neck to throb, and he could not sleep or pray. Then the vein stopped throbbing, and he slept. An angel came to the man, and he complained to him and said, “How much did I suffer from a throbbing vein.” So the angel said, “Your Rabb is saying that your worship for fifty years is equal to the quieting of that vein.”
Al-Shukr by Ibn Abi al-Dunya (p. 51)
Worship of fifty years is equal to the wellbeing of one vein! Can we ever dream of thanking Allah for a single blessing? We can only do our best, and Allah will forgive the rest. Third, thanking Allah is itself a blessing that needs to be thanked. So, the more we thank Him, the more He deserves to be thanked. We can only glorify and praise this Gracious Creator.
The greatest blessing to thank Allah for is the blessing of Islam and taqwa. Our minds tend to restrict His blessings to the material: money, health, and children. Though these are favours from Allah, the bigger and more lasting flavour is religious guidance. We should view the Quran and Sunnah as blessings. We should count contentment with Allah and His decrees as a blessing. And we should consider following the straight path
as a great blessing. We should truly thank Allah for it all. If we have these, then we indeed have everything.
Allah loves the beneficial
We saw in Hadith Four how we could come nearer to Allah by adopting the qualities of His Names and Attributes. Since Allah is the One who blesses all, He loves those who benefit others and alleviate their hardships. This Hadith teaches us that we can attain the love of Allah by helping those around us in whatever way possible.
This was how the Prophets of Allah lived. Allah described Prophet Jesus as a source of constant blessings. Allah said:
And He made me [i.e. Jesus] a blessing wherever I may be.
Maryam (Q19:31)
Jesus radiated benefits. No matter where he went and whom he met, his presence was a blessing, injecting benefit wherever He was. He taught the truth, made du‘a for the afflicted, assisted the needy, commanded virtue and spoke out against evil, and was patient with his opponents. This was how all the Prophets of Allah were. And this was how the Companions of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم were. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم once asked:
«Who fasted among you today?» Abu Bakr replied, “I did.” He asked, “Who among you followed a funeral today?” Abu Bakr replied, “I did.” He asked, “Who among you
fed a poor person today?” Abu Bakr replied, “I did.” He asked, «Who among you visited a sick person today?» Abu Bakr replied, “I did.” So the Messenger of Allah
صلى الله عليه وسلم said, «Anyone in whom these good deeds are combined will enter Jannah.»
Reported by Muslim (1028)
What would prompt a person to do so much good in one day? Loving Allah and loving His servants is the answer. When one tastes the love of Allah, they would naturally gravitate towards what Allah loves. They will be looking for every opportunity to
do what Allah loves. Every good deed is one step closer to Allah. Every good deed is more of Allah’s love that we get to feel and enjoy. Every good deed is a gift that Allah sent us to get closer to Him. And when one feels love and compassion towards Allah’s creation, they cannot sit back and not help. If we love the ones whom Allah loves, we cannot see them in pain and do nothing. Allah’s beloveds are an extension of Allah’s mercy and love, a conduit for His blessings, spreading goodness wherever they are, and searching for the opportunity to help. This person is from the people of Jannah.
If we desire to attain the love of Allah, we should care for Allah’s creation. Allah made all this and it is dear to Him, so how will you take care of what is precious to Allah? This is where the righteous demonstrate their love for Allah. And for the seeker of righteousness, as Ibn Taymiyyah wrote:
The one who loves to reach the rank of the pious and imitate the righteous should intend to benefit creation every single day.
Al-Iman al-Awsat (p. 609)
That is, wake up each day with the intention of helping someone. Look for them and jump at the opportunity to help. It is a true gift when Allah sends someone your way and you happen to be the one who can help. It is a gift from Allah to you.
The greatest gift we can give is spreading Islam and Islamic knowledge. It is the best gift because it is beneficial in this life and the next. This was the mission of the Prophets of Allah and how they were the most helpful. Next comes bringing happiness to the life of a Muslim by removing their hardship. Some will need money, but others need reconciliation with loved ones, mediation to remove injustice, or advice. Finally, if we love Allah’s creation, we will not hurt them. We will hold back our evil and rage for the sake of Allah. If we cannot help, at least we should not hurt.
Loving the servants of Allah means desiring the best for them, loving for them what we love for ourselves. If we were in hardship, would we not want someone to help? Well, this is what they need from you and me.
The comparison that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم made is fascinating. Many of us wish to travel and pray at the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah. Motivated by the great reward for praying there and by our love for him, we dream about it, save money for it, and are
elated when it finally happens. Can you imagine how beautiful a month’s stay in the Prophet’s Mosque would be? But this is not possible for many of us. What is incredible is that something better than that is available to all of us. Helping people is better than staying at the Prophet’s Mosque for a whole month! The merit and advantages of staying at the Prophet’s Mosque are paramount. So it goes to show how much Allah loves it when we help people if it is better than worshipping for a whole month at that cherished Mosque.
Be kind as Allah was kind to you
Allah is very gracious to us. He secures our basic needs and gives beyond what we deserve, all without requesting anything in advance. He gave it all out of His generosity and love. Part of the gratitude we owe Him is sharing His gifts and spreading goodwill. Allah said:
And do good as Allah has done good to you.
Al-Qasas (Q28:77)
Sharing what we have only blesses it. We share some of our money when we pay Zakah, and the rest of the gifts of Allah have their Zakah too. If Allah taught you something, teach it. This is the Zakah of knowledge. The more that you teach, the more your understanding will grow and flourish. If you have a skill, share it. If you are healthy, help the sick. If you are a professional, use your position to make people’s lives better. And as you share, remember that you are truly blessed: blessed to receive but also blessed to give. The gifts of Allah grow when we are generous with them.
DR. ALI ALBARGHOUTHI
Comments
John Doe
23/3/2019Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.
John Doe
23/3/2019Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.
John Doe
23/3/2019Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.