Editor in Chief: Moh. Reza Huwaida Thursday, March 28th, 2024

Good Ways of Goodness

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Good Ways of Goodness

Many years back, I was in a big market where there were a lot many shops and the shopkeepers and customers always occupied the big open space present in the center of it. A man came who looked very tired and ill. He told the people that he was a stranger and a traveler going to a very far city but then he had finished his money and had nothing to buy the ticket of the bus.

The owner of the market, who was a big and bulky man, took him to his shop. After some time, he shouted and gathered all the shopkeepers and customers in front of his shop. Then he told the people that that man was a traveler who had finished his money and now he had come for help and they all should contribute and collect money for the man.

Although he had initiated a good work but the way he did this made the people feel very bad about him. He first pointed at the man and asked the people to look at him carefully as he looked like a patient suffering from disease from many years. While saying so, he gave a smile that turned the color of the man pale.

Then he continued his lecture about the need of helping such people and included a lot many things that were absolutely irrelevant or needless. In the meantime, the man stood in the centre like a monkey that was left helplessly to be observed by the people surrounding him. Anyhow, this drama came to an end and every one contributed more or less and the collected money was given to the depressed man.

It is always a difficult task to ask for help or anything else from others, if one's ego is alive and functional. Human nature has been made like this that one feels really embarrassed on any such occasion. It has been said that people of decent nature would never spread their hands in front of others, asking for anything. That's why, it is an Islamic order that we should search and help those who really deserve but can never beg for anything from others. It has also been recommended that we need to be very careful as not to harm the feelings of others when we help them.

We help others in any of the following three ways; financially, physically or morally. When one is need of money and we give him some money, it becomes a financial assistance. Opening a door for someone, or carrying someone's luggage or giving free education are few of the many ways in which we help others physically. Saying good words to others, asserting the rights of others and condoling in their grievances are some of the forms when we support the people morally.

A Saint says that whenever you help the others financially, physically or morally, you are not doing anything of your own because all these blessings are also gifted to you by God. You are just transferring these to others and in return, these blessings are again given to you many folds. It means that, you need not to worry that you would finish your money as more you spend on others, more will be bestowed upon you from the hidden treasures of God.

When you will do a kindness to others from this perspective, you will not be proud of your act of kindness. Rather, you would be grateful that you were the one to do kindness and not the one to receive it.

A man was standing beside a deep lake where so many other people were busy in looking at the beautiful and deep blue water of the lake. Suddenly a young man's leg slipped and he fell into the water with a splash. The man did not know how to swim and was struggling a lot to keep himself on the surface of water and he went in and rose up to the surface of water many times in this struggle. People had started shouting but no one knew to swim either. The man who was standing there knew how to swim but he was a bit hesitant.

He was waiting as if anyone else would save the man or he should jump into the water. When he was in this hesitation, an old man took off his shoes and jumped into the water and brought the young man out of the water. The man who was hesitant had missed a chance that is not provided to all.

Being able to help someone is indeed a favor of God and not everyone is lucky enough to help others. Some have rigid hearts that restrain them from doing any act of kindness; others don't have enough money to spend on others while some more don't find time to spare for any such good work. If someone has been granted with a chance to help others and extend kindness and provided with soft heart, open hand and sensitivity to feel the sufferings of others, he should not miss a single chance to be of any help to others.

Helping others is just like a telephone call. A bell rings to everyone but some people pick up the call while others keep hesitating and the bell stops ringing. Whenever such a call comes to you, you should not hesitate even for a single moment and immediately pick up the phone. Tomorrow, you may be in difficulty and may make a call to others and they would also answer to your call like you did.

If a friend of you calls from a police station, you should not start asking as how did it happen or what had he done? You need to run for his help. Your friend is in difficulty and your questions would only add to his difficulties and you would not perform your duty of comforting a friend; a duty which is associated with true and sincere friendships.

We all have watched in movies that a badly injured man is taken to the hospital and in order to save his life, immediate medical treatment is necessary but a cruel doctor comes to scene that starts asking different questions instead of starting the treatment and by the time he finishes his questions, patient is found to have expired. Doing a good act in this manner has nothing to do with goodness. There is a Persian saying that, 'Henna remains of no worth after the Eid celebrations are over'.

A saint is reported to thank the person whom he helped because with his cooperation, he was able to carry out this act. Being able to carry any good act is itself a blessing given to you by the Supreme power. It is one of the most precious and important jobs that one can ever do in his lifetime and such an act of kindness is also very rare as it does not occur to all and at all the times.

If it is such a valued responsibility, it needs to be done with complete care and attention. Do it in any a way that the receiver's feelings should not be hurt and there should not come even a tinge of pride in your heart and your soul should be soaked with the feelings of thankfulness to Allah for being able to do so.

Mohammad Rasool Shah is the permanent writer of the Daily Outlook Afghanistan and teaches English at Afghan-Turk School, Kabul. Email your suggestions and opinions at muhammadrasoolshah@gmail.com

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