“Take benefit of five before
five: Your youth before your old age, your health before your sickness, your
wealth before your poverty, your free time before you are preoccupied, and your
life before your death”
(Narrated by Ibn Abbas and reported by Al Hakim)
The above hadith is extremely well known and contains a great number of lessons.
The essence of this hadith refers to the concept of seizing every opportunity
possible to please Allah (SWT) so that we may reap the rewards in the hereafter,
Insha’Allah. The idea of doing as much good as possible is also echoed in many
traditions and can be seen to be implemented through the lives of many scholars
and distinguished Islamic personalities. For many people, this hadith is taken
as a reminder to do more ibadah, by means of praying extra nawaafil salaahs,
seeking knowledge and reading Qur’aan. But we sometimes fail to remember that
Islam is a great religion, one where even the smallest act can count as ibadah.
In this great religion, giving half a date in charity could save a person from
eternal hellfire, and even a simple smile is sadaqah. The amount of good we
could do and the rewards we could reap are infinite.
Here in the UK, we are lucky to be blessed with the above five things in
abundance. Yet we seem to only think about ourselves when utilising these
things. We study hard while we are young seeking to earn more wealth, and spend
our time in pointless pursuits such as gaming and watching TV. We like to have
as much fun as we can, thinking that life is short. You see, for so many of us,
we use these things only to our own advantage and for the sake of
self-gratification. We are extremely lucky, and for this we should give thanks.
And what better way to give thanks than to utilise the gifts Allah (SWT) has
given us to help those who are less fortunate?
Our youth: While we are young, we are strong and active, we have fewer
commitments. We should all try to volunteer to help the needy. Everyone has
skill sets and particular areas and if a person searches hard enough, they will
always find a way to use their skills for the sake of Allah.
Our health: We are in good health compared to those in many other countries and
we should thank Allah (SWT) for this ni’mat by helping those who are weak.
Our time: There is no end to after-school and weekend initiatives where people
can get involved to make a difference to their community.
Your wealth: When one gives their wealth in the path of Allah, their wealth does
not decrease. Rather, the so called investment is returned a million times over
in ways that only Allah (SWT) can perceive. This is the kindness of our Lord.
Also, it is important to remember that even if a person has a small amount of
money and does not exactly conform to the modern definition of “wealthy”, it is
sincerity that Allah (SWT) sees over and above all other things. So give even if
it a little but with sincerity.
Your life: We live, and we die. This is certain. On the Day of Judgment, when we
are all standing before Allah (SWT), we will have to account for the above four
things. We are all sinful slaves, nobody is perfect. But we should hope for the
mercy of Allah (SWT), and at the same time, seek to do what good we can with the
gifts we have been given. This life is the only chance we have, and so we should
use it wisely.
“None of you will believe until you love for your brother what you love for
yourself.” (Related by Bukhari and Muslim)
While we live comfortable lives, reclining in the lap of luxury, it is unfair
that so many of our fellow ummatis suffer and live in poverty. However, our
sense of duty in helping people should not only be restricted to Muslim people
and strictly Muslim charities. Being grateful for the favours we have been given
by our Creator is an extremely important part of being a Muslim, and we should
count ourselves lucky that we are surrounded by secular charities who can also
help us. I know of Muslims who have been afflicted with cancer and have been
helped immensely by charities such as Cancer Research and Macmillan. We should
support all charities but the likes of Cancer Research and Macmillan should also
be supported as there is no equivalent Muslim organisation.
Always remember that Allah (SWT) looks at our deeds, but in Islam our intention
is what takes precedence. Therefore the end result is of less significance. Yes,
to help a fellow Muslim may earn you their du’aas and sadaqah jaariah, but in
the end what matters is your sincerity. There are charities that do all sorts of
things, from helping the elderly learn to use iPads, to volunteering on hospital
wards. For many of us, these are the only opportunities we will get to fulfil
the rights of Allah’s creation by looking after the sick, old and the poor.
Arguably, doing charity work (within halal boundaries of activity) is even more
valuable, as it presents an opportunity for da’wah. With so much negativity
surrounding our faith, we should be willing to show the non-Muslims a whole new
side to our deen. This is the side that our beloved Nabi (SAW) displayed at
every moment of his life, the compassionate side. Think of the incident where
Nabi (SAW) offered to help an old lady carry her bags home. She spent the whole
journey warning him of the bad man called Muhammad who was breaking up families
and turning people away from the religion of her forefathers. Our Nabi (SAW)
simply listened and at the end of the journey the lady asked his name, as he had
been so polite and kind. When he said “Muhammad”, the lady embraced Islam on the
spot. So in the same way, we can aspire to assist others, so when a non-Muslim
hears a negative view on Islam, they may instead think about the kindness of
that one Muslim man or woman who supported them at their time of need.
With Ramadan coming up, and the long fasts ahead of us, our preoccupation tends
to be to pass time. So why not “pass time” by volunteering. Our day will go by
quicker, and while it does, we will be earning 70 times the reward! There are no
losers here at all.
It is sad that so many people need our help. A simple look at the news on any
given day will give us a new list of people who are suffering, be it from
poverty, natural disasters or violence. But the good news is that we can do
things for them. Even if it is not through volunteering, we should always
remember that Allah has given us a way in every situation. So the least we can
do is make du’aa for our brothers and sisters and pray a simple two rakaat nafl.
On the Day of Judgement, everything we do will be accounted for, every minute
will be scrutinised. So we should certainly make sure that we have some good
answers to give, Insha’Allah.