The Buck Stops Here Contribute to Your Community

November 22, 2013Striving Muslimah Jabir bin Abdullah narrated that the Messenger of Allah said: Every good is charity.

Indeed among the good is to meet your brother with a smiling face, and to pour what is left in your buc et into the vessel of your brother.! " Tirmidhi# Good conduct and noble character are the most valued qualities in any society. s Muslims, our actions and the !ay !e behave to!ards others re"lects not only us as individuals but also re#resents $slam. %ithin our deen, generally s#ea&ing, there are t!o ty#es o" #eo#le' those !ho can live !ith the minimal e(#ectations, "or e(am#le, they stay a!ay "rom haram and ma)or sins and "ul"ill !hat is required o" them. Then, there are those !ho ta&e any chance to bene"it another #erson, s#reading the message and the beauty o" $slam, going that e(tra mile. There is nothing !rong !ith !hat the "ormer individual does. *o!ever i" !e thin& o" this li"e as a test and !hen the time arrives "or us to meet our +reator, do !e !ish to be o" those !ho ,)ust got by- or o" those !ho sacri"iced a great deal "or llah to achieve abundant re!ards and be o" those !ho are beloved to *im on the day o" resurrection. /uilding u#on and im#lementing this e(em#lary character to bene"it the community around us and become a valued member o" society is !hat this article !ill discuss. 0irst, let1s ste# bac& and e(amine the attitudes !e have to!ards our community. *ere1s !hat you need to sto# doing be"ore you can be a #roductive member o" your community'

1. Sto# +om#laining
There are many ,com#lainers- among the 2mmah. They are quic& to utter !ords o" disa##roval and discontent or sometimes tarnish the re#utation o" others but slo! to act u#on their o!n advice. $nstead o" com#laining, !e, as Muslims, should !or& to!ards building good a&hlaq 3moral and mannerisms4 so that !e can bene"it others in this li"e as !ell as ourselves in the &hirah 3*erea"ter4. $" you see something !rong ta&ing #lace !hether that be in the community or your o!n circle o" "amily5"riends, then ta&e active ste#s to recti"y it, i" something is missing !ithin the community 6 "ill the ga#, be the change. Do not complain to the creation, instead call out to the Creator.

2. Sto# Ma&ing 7(cuses

8et1s ta&e a scenario' $" your "amily is in great distress 6 llah "orbid 6 you !ould rush to their saviour. Then !hy is it !hen !e see our brothers and sisters in $slam su""ering, all o" a sudden ,there

isn1t enough money in the ban&- or ,$ !ould love to hel#, but $ have so many things to do and no time-, or !e try to ma&e ourselves "eel better by saying ,$1m sure someone else !ill hel#-. This, my brothers and sisters, are the !his#ers o" Shaytaan, the cursed one.

%hat ha##ened to the unity. s narrated n9Nu:man bin /ashir, llah1s Messenger

said, ,;ou

see the believers as regards their being merci"ul among themselves and sho!ing love among themselves and being &ind, resembling one body, so that, i" any #art o" the body is not !ell then the !hole body shares the slee#lessness 3insomnia4 and "ever !ith it.- </u&hari= >no!ing this, ho! can anyone ma&e e(cuses. re you honestly telling me you1ve e(hausted 88 avenues #ossible to hel# the or#han !ho cries himsel" to slee# !hile motherless? the !ido! !ho is "orced to choose !hich child she !ill "eed to survive today? your brother in $slam !ho is slee#ing alone on a bench in the #ar& )ust around the corner on a cold night, !hile you are !ith your "amily in a !arm home. %e could all do more? !e need to do more.

3. Sto# 8oo&ing @o!n on Athers

nd the servants o" the Most Merci"ul are those !ho !al& u#on the earth easily, and !hen the ignorant address them <harshly=, they say <!ords o"= #eace, <BurCan' +ha#ter 2D, Eerse F3= No matter !hat race, ethnicity, age, gender and even "aith someone is "rom, do not thin& o" him5her as in"erior. $" !e begin to thin&, even "or a moment, that !e are better than someone else, then nothing !e do in the !ay o" llah counts because that1s shir&. Dont ever think you are better than the people you are trying to serve. ;our "riend may be a an atheist today and you thin& , t least $1m not an atheist, $1m better than him-. /ut tomorro! !hen he ta&es his shahadah and all his sins are !i#ed a!ay, in "ront o" llah , he is better than you 6 !e must have humility.

G. Sto# 7(#ecting Hraise5 ##reciation "rom Ather Heo#le

;our real )ob is to serve llah. %hen you truly com#lete this )ob, you get the bene"its. Too many Muslims !ant the bene"its but don1t !ant to do the )ob 6 Nouman li >han llah &no!s !hat is hidden in our hearts. No matter !hat !e do 6 donating some money,

volunteering "or a charity, hel#ing a sister5brother in need, treating others !ith &indness 6 !e should do it #urely "or the sa&e o" llah . $", at any #oint in time, our heart "ills !ith other motives, then the re!ard o" that act !ill be !asted. @on1t e(#ect #eo#le to ac&no!ledge your ,achievements-. Know that the One above, the Lord of all that e ists, is witness to your efforts and your re!ard !ill be in the *erea"ter, $n sha llah.

D. Sto# /eing rrogant

rrogance is one o" the characteristics o" shaytan. %hoever has an ounce o" arrogance should realise the enormity o" it as this is a trait o" the shaytan. $" you1re hel#ing a cause or someone !ithin the

community, don1t thin& your role ends once that tas& is done and you1ve ,done your bit-. %e !ere chosen by llah to be *$S servants, to serve *im. s long as !e live, until our very last breath, no amount o" ,good deeds- are ever enough 6 !e must strive to continually hel# our Muslim brothers and sisters. %e, as his slaves, need to #ut in every ounce o" !hat !e have "or *is sa&e. $" you had a court case to attend to or an e(am, you1d turn u# hours early and #erha#s !ould not even slee# the night be"ore. *ave T* T &ind o" dedication "or llah .

No! that !e have discussed the attitudes that need to be eradicated, let1s discuss !hat you need to start doing to be a #roductive member o" your community'

1. Start Iene!ing ;our $ntentions

A"ten, !hen an individual #er"orms a "e! good deeds, shaytan !ill try to intervene and cast doubt"ul thoughts into his heart. ,Ma&e sure they &no! you made that enormous donation, a"ter all you deserve res#ect loo& at all that money you1ve given-. ,;ou1d better tell them ho! many months o" your time you have given to hel# them, $ mean i" it !asn1t "or you all this !ouldn1t have been #ossible-. ,Ma&e sure that brother &no!s you did him a "avour by lending him that money-. >no! this' i" you !eren1t here, llah need, one !ay or another. llah !ould have made a means to hel# that #erson or charity in

does not and !ill never need you. Iather, ;A2 need *im. !o

dont ever act as if youre doing someone a favour. >ee# your intentions #ure. Iemind yoursel" that i" you start thin&ing o" yoursel" as a ,big shot-, then all that !or& you1ve done !ill amount to nothing because you didn1t do it "or llah , you did it "or yoursel" 6 to #rove to others ho! ,good- you are. *ere you are 6 those invited to s#end in the cause o" llah 6 but among you are those !ho !ithhold <out o" greed=. nd !hoever !ithholds only !ithholds <bene"it= "rom himsel"? and llah is the 0ree o" need, !hile you are the needy. nd i" you turn a!ay, *e !ill re#lace you !ith another #eo#le? then they !ill not be the li&es o" you. <BurCan' +ha#ter GJ, Eerse 3K=

2. Start to 7(em#li"y the /ehaviour ;ou %ish to See in ;our +ommunity

Most o" us are over!helmed !ith many obligations such as our !or&, "amily and children. *o!ever, instead o" living in our o!n little bubble, !e should #ut aside some time and energy into hel#ing others. %e &no! !hat it means to go above and beyond !hat !e consider our sim#le duty. $t is our Muslim obligation to be good to!ards our neighbours, "or instance. /ut !e should go "urther and &noc& on our neighbour1s door every "e! days to ensure they are !ell and i" they have a need !e may be able to hel# out !ith 6 this is the "ace o" $slam that !e !ant the !orld to see.

$slam teaches us to love "or others !hat !e love "or ourselves. $t1s the small things that ma&e the biggest di""erence. Ta&e some time out to volunteer "or community services at the local mas)id or school. +lean u# the neighbourhood, visit a sic& #erson, ba&e your neighbour a ca&e or donate toys to local hos#itals to cheer children u#. 7ven a sim#le smile or a listening ear may mean the !orld to someone !ho1s e(#eriencing hardshi#s. ,Meet the #eo#le in such a manner that i" you die, they should !ee# "or you, and i" you live, they should long "or you- 6 li $bn bi Talib

3. Start to *el# ;our 0amily

7very one has something to contribute to llah1s deen, !e 88 do. ;ou don1t have to be an ulema or a da1ee to serve. re there #eo#le in your "amily !ho are not doing the right things or dealing un"airly !ith money. $s there a dis#ute !ithin your "amily or bet!een individuals !ho have not s#o&en "or years or even across generations due to a ,grudge-. See& to hel# resolve these #roblems as "orgiveness brings "amilies and communities together. S#ea& u#, i" not you, then !ho. A""er to hel# those you love. +oo& "or your s#ouse, hel# your mother !ith the house!or&, ta&e your siblings to $slamic con"erences or lectures, among many other things 6 these small gestures go a long !ay. The Hro#het said' ,%hoever believes in llah and the 8ast @ay, should serve his guest generously? and !hoever believes in llah and the 8ast @ay, should unite the bond o" &inshi# 3i.e. &ee# good relation !ith his >ith and &in4? and !hoever believes in llah and the 8ast @ay, should tal& !hat is good or &ee# quiet. - </u&hari=

G. Start Eolunteering "or a Good +ause

There is al!ays a need "or hel# some!here. So go to your local charity sho# and $1m almost certain your o""er to hel# !ould be met !ith delight. ;our time doesn1t necessarily need to be given to a Muslim charity 6 charities or grou#s that hel# su""erers o" cancer, terminal illnesses or abused !omen need assistance too. Hic& an organisation !ith a !orthy cause and stic& to it. 2se this o##ortunity to ma&e the !orld a better #lace, to re#resent $slam in the right !ay. This sho!s that you don1t )ust care about yoursel". ;ou care about your neighbour. ;ou don1t )ust care about the Muslims in your country, but you care about the non9Muslims too. $t1s your duty to sho! them the beauty o" $slam. ;ou cannot call #eo#le to the religion o" llah !hile insulting or hating non9Muslims, you1d )ust be hel#ing to veri"y the stereoty#es o" the media. %hy !ould they !ant to be even loo& into $slam !hen all they see is hatred. This is A2I "ault and !e must recti"y this.

D. Start Hraying "or Athers

@ua is the !ea#on o" the believer. $" !e have nothing to o""er, the least !e can do is ma&e dua "or those distressed. Ta&e the time to #ray "or others 6 your "amily, your loved ones, those !ho are ill, those !ho live in "ear, those struggling to "ind a s#ouse, those !ho go hungry, those !ho !al& in dar&ness, those !ho have given u# in li"e. Sincere dua can go a long !ay. nd !hen My servants as&

you, <A Muhammad=, concerning Me 6 indeed $ am near. $ res#ond to the invocation o" the su##licant !hen he calls u#on Me. So let them res#ond to Me <by obedience= and believe in Me that they may be <rightly= guided. <BurCan' +ha#ter 2, Eerse 1KF=

%hen !e have the most )ust societies, best economic #ractices, "airest dealings, #eace amongst each other, !hen !e deal !ith our non9Muslim "riends in the best #ossible !ay. %e can give all the #am#hlets, s#eeches and res#onses but that doesn1t hel# or mean anything. The !orld doesn1t !ant to hear about $slam, it !ants to see $slam. 6 Nouman li >han $ have discussed the main #oints that $ "eel are o" im#ortance. 8oo& !ithin your community and assess ho! you can ma&e it better, and !or& to!ards the goal. $ leave you !ith the "ollo!ing hadith to #onder over' $t !as narrated that bu *urairah said' ,"he #essenger of $llah said % &'hoever relieves a

#uslim of some worldly distress, $llah will relieve him of some of the distress of the Day of (esurrection, and whoever conceals )the faults of* a #uslim, $llah will conceal him )his faults* in this world and the Day of (esurrection. $nd whoever relieves the burden from a destitute person, $llah will relieve him in this world and the ne t. $llah will help +is slave so long as +is slave helps his brother.- <Sunan $bn Ma)ah= The buck stops with you step up to the plate. Share your experiences or exchange tips on how we can contribute to our community in the Comments section below.
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