Be concerned about others

People usually like to be valued. This is why one sees individuals

at times acting in a certain manner in order to attract

attention. They may even invent tales or stories of their valour

so that people may show them concern or be amazed by them.

Imagine a person who returns home from work tired. He

enters his living room and finds his four children sitting alone.

The oldest of them is eleven-years old and is watching a television

program. The second is having his dinner. The third is playing

with his toys, and the fourth is doing his homework. The father

then greets them in a loud voice: “as-Salaamu ‘alaykum!” One of

the children is lost in his television program, the second is completely

enchanted by his toys and the third is busy with his dinner.

As for the fourth, when he turns around and sees his father,

he drops his books and rushes in delight to welcome him, kisses

his hand, and then returns to his books.

Which of the four children would be the most beloved to

the father?

I say with certainty that our response would be the same:

the most beloved of them would of course be the fourth; not

because he is the most beautiful or the most intelligent, but only

because he showed his father that he valued him. Hence, the

more one cares for others, the greater their love and respect

will be for him.

The best of the creation (pbuh) would consider these factors in

people. He would make everyone feel that their problem was in

fact his own problem, and that their worry was indeed his own.

Once, when the Prophet (pbuh) stood on his pulpit to address the

people, a man entered the mosque. He looked at the Messenger

of Allah (pbuh) and said: “O Messenger of Allah!”, and then began to

ask him about his religion, for he knew little about it.

The Prophet (pbuh) turned to him and noticed that he was a

Bedouin who might not have been able to wait for the sermon

to finish in order to obtain an answer. He feared that the man

may have even left the mosque and never returned.

The issue was of utmost importance to the man, to such an

extent that he had interrupted the sermon in order to ask him

about religious rulings! The Prophet (pbuh) was thinking from the

perspective of others and not his own. Thus, he (pbuh) descended

from his noble pulpit and called for a chair to be brought. He

(pbuh) sat in front of the man and began teaching and explaining

religious rulings to him until he understood. He then stood up

and returned to his pulpit to finish his sermon. How great he

was! How persevering he was!

Being compassionate and sympathising with people captivates

their hearts. If one was in the midst of his exams and received

a text message saying: “Give me some good news about

your exams. By Allah, I am concerned about you and praying for

you. Your friend, Ibrahim.” - Would this not increase his admiration

for the friend? No doubt, it would.

If one’s father was ill in hospital, and he was to remain with

him in his room, distressed and preoccupied with concern, and

his friend were to phone him, asking after the father, saying: “Do

you need any help? I am always there if you need me,” he would

certainly thank him. Then, if he were to call in the evening again,

saying: “Does your family need anything that I can buy for them?

Please let me know,” he would have thanked him and prayed for

him. Do you not think that his heart would be endeared towards

him further? Compare that to a friend who calls, saying: ‘Hello!

We are going off to the beach to have fun. What do you say? Do

you want to come with us?” he would reply: ‘Well, my father is ill,

so I cannot.’ Then, instead of praying for the father and apologising

for not asking about his condition, if the friend were to say,

“I know that, but he is in the hospital and he has nurses to look

after him. He won’t benefit much from your presence, anyway.

Come with us, enjoy yourself and swim, etc.” If he said this while

laughing and joking, as if he is unconcerned about the father’s illness,

what would one’s view of the friend be then? No doubt, his

status in his heart would decrease as he simply did not display

any concern whatsoever about his worries.