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Charity and Relief Works
Shaykh Abdur-Rahmaan As-Sudays [(Rabee‘ul-awwal
1, 1424 (May 2, 2003)]
All praise is
due to Allaah, Lord of all the worlds. May peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon the Messenger, his household and companions.
Dear brethren!
The judicious and understanding nation is the one that knows how to derive
lessons from its afflictions and trials. Events that affected our Ummah
lately should not be allowed to pass into oblivion without deriving
lessons from them. One of the greatest lessons of these events is that the
Muslims are in dire need of a sincere return to Allaah. They must bear it
in minds with all conviction that rotation of power among nations is
natural and that the victory of this Ummah depends absolutely on the
Muslims’ help for the cause of their religion and their strict adherence
to the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of His Messenger.
Another matter
that needs mentioning is that the big challenges that the Ummah is facing
should create a developing awareness among the Muslims and be a guide
light for the their thinkers. Muslim leaders and intellectuals should make
a good use of these events to amend our points of weakness from which the
enemies attack us. Energies of the youth should be employed in serious
programmes that can help the cause of Islaam, defend its foundation,
protect its interests and safeguard its security and valuables. This is
because, the mask has fallen off the face of falsehood and the realities
of fake slogans of the hypocrites and defeatists have been exposed.
Now is the time
for the Ummah to review its stands and re-examine its programmes and
methodologies in a way that will be suitable to the modern age. It should
not forget that its faith of Islaamic Monotheism and its principles are
the major pillar in which the remedies of its crises rest.
Fellow Muslims!
The war has nearly come to an end. Has the Ummah now realized what is
being planned for it? When you Muslims hold fast unto the rope of Allaah,
which is the Qur’aan, you will never be disunited and if you are united in
this trial of yours, you will never go astray by the Will of Allaah.
Brethren in
faith! Though the war in Iraq has ended, your Iraqi brethren are still
suffering from the consequences of that cruel war. This makes it
compelling on the Muslims to rise to the support of their brethren, to
cure for them their wounds and to give relief to the needy among them.
O you generous
and noble people! Hurry up onto the field of mutual compassion. Console
your brethren with your gifts and know that your kindness to them will
alleviate their sufferings. Many verses of the Qur’aan and many
hadeeths encourage you to assist your brethren who are in need. Allaah
says,
“And whatever you spend in
good, it is for yourselves, when you spend not except seeking Allaah’s
Countenance. And whatever you spend in good, it will be repaid to you in
full, and you shall not be wronged.”
(Al-Baqarah 2:272)
The part of
your money, which you spend in righteousness and relief, is what is kept
for you against the Day of Resurrection. The Messenger of Allaah said, “A
Muslim is the brother of another Muslim. He should nor wrong him nor
surrender him (to the enemy) or leave him in the lurch. Whoever fulfils
the needs of his brother, Allaah will fulfil his own need. Whoever
relieves a Muslim of a distress of this world Allaah will relieve of a
distress of the Hereafter. Whoever covers the nakedness of a Muslim Allaah
will cover his own nakedness on the Day of Resurrection. Allaah will help
the servant as long as he helps his brother.”
The Messenger of Allaah also described
the unity and solidarity of the Muslims saying, “You see the believers as
regards their being merciful among themselves and showing love among
themselves and being kind, resembling one body, so that, if any part of
the body is not well then the whole body shares the sleeplessness
(insomnia) and fever with it.” (Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim)
In the Musnad,
‘Uthmaan narrated that: “By Allaah! We have accompanied the Messenger of
Allaah in his journeys and while he was at home. He used to share
everything with us, either little or much.” Allaah says about the Prophet,
“And We have sent you (O
Muhammad (peace be upon him)) not but as a mercy for all the worlds.”
(Al-Anbiyaa 21:107)
Brethren in faith! There are
brethren of yours in different parts of the world especially in Palestine
and Iraq who have been afflicted with hardship and persecution. Show
brotherly compassion to them, for there are among them bereaved women, the
widow, the orphans, the sick who could not get drugs and the hungry
refugees.
Also remember, dear
brethren, that you are enjoying security and blissful. Do not forget your
less fortunate brethren. Allaah says,
“And whatsoever you spend of
anything (in Allaah’s Cause), He will replace it. And He is the Best of
providers.”
(Saba’ 34:39)
Aboo Mas‘ood Al-Ansaaree narrated that a man came to the
Messenger of Allaah with a stamped camel and said: “I dedicate this for
the cause of Allaah.” The Messenger of Allaah said, “You will have as a
reward for this on the Day of Judgment, seven hundred camel, all of them
stamped.” (Muslim)
It is our obligation towards
our brethren, especially those who are in Palestine and Iraq, to remind
them of the importance of exerting efforts to reform themselves, unite
their ranks, shun their differences, take care of their security, deny
their enemies any opportunity to have their way among them and to adhere
to the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of His Messenger. The combination of
all these will realize for them the good and security to which they aspire
and will give them the strength they so much need to face the foreign
occupations.
It is a great disappointment
that Muslims should hear the agonies of these brethren and yet they do
nothing more than shrugging their shoulders and going to sleep as if
nothing concerns them.
Brethren in Islaam! The real
brotherly tie that shows in the word of Allaah,
“The believers are nothing
else than brothers.”
(Al-Hujuraat 49:10)
And His saying,
“The believers, men and
women, are supporters of one another.”
(At-Tawbah 9:71)
It is this brotherhood that
prompts the Muslim to look for the hardships that his brethren are
suffering from. He will then not rest until they get relief, and until
injustices and distress, which they suffer from, are removed.
Fellow Muslims! Avenues of
good deeds are wide. The relief and charity works are noble works that
lead to success in this world and the Hereafter. Allaah says,
“And do good that you may be
successful.”
(Al-Hajj 22:77)
They also elevate a Muslim
to the rank of perfection in purifying the soul from greediness and
instilling a sense of generosity. They are also signs of perfect faith and
having good opinion about Allaah.
Brethren in Islaam! Being
kind and showing compassion to the poor, the distressed, the refugees, the
bereaved and the orphan are among the greatest righteous deeds that a
compassionate mind could think of. These kinds of good deeds rescue man
from the shackles of selfishness and avarice.
Dear Muslims! It is known to
all that the only deeds that adorn, glorify and revive human life are
those charitable deeds that are free from worldly interests and from
hypocrisy and showing-off. Yes, they are those deeds by which the only
required reward is the pleasure of Allaah.
May Allaah bless the land,
which enjoys security, implements the law of Allaah and generously gives
to others on the basis of its unique principle that is derived from the
pure religion of Islaam.
Brethren in Islaam! The
charity and relief work that is based on the fear of Allaah, seeking His
pleasure and on the light from Allaah is a blessed deed. Muslim are the
relief and charity people in the real meaning of the word. Do not you see
that they never expect any worldly reward or thanks or any fame? They only
want to win the pleasure of Allaah and the everlasting bliss. They are
looking for the reward that Allaah mentioned in His Book when He says,
“Truly, Allaah is with those
who fear Him (keep their duty unto Him), and those who are good-doers.”
(An-Nahl 16:128)
What is then greater than
Allaah’s support for His servant and His awarding him of victory? It is by
this righteous deed that a Muslim can properly be a living practical
example for Islaam.
O you relief workers and
generous brethren! The venomous lies that the enemies of Islaam are
spreading about the good deeds that you are doing will never succeed
Inshaallaah. All these lies and false propagandas are just a
manifestation of the natural war that is between truth and falsehood.
Dear brethren! Our attention
must be called to the fact that the importance of charity work during
times of crises like this provides us with an experiment, which the Ummah
can adopt in future crises. Charity work and its organizations must meet
the required standard. This underlines the importance of drawing a
long-term plan in which the aspects of Islaamic doctrine and thought will
be given due consideration.
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