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The concept of volunteerism isn’t foreign to Muslims. In fact, throughout the course of history, Muslims have always engaged in voluntary acts of goodness, with the desire to contribute to their communities and provide assistance to the needy.
It’s solely due to volunteers that we can make use of the readily available services within our communities. These include: food banks, charities, and Islamic centres.
As Muslims, we are not only instructed to simply carry out ritual acts of worship, like Salat, Zakat, and Siyām (fasting). Rather, we have been given the broader role of sacrificing our time and efforts with the aim of improving our communities!
The Prophet (ﷺ) said,
أَحَبُّ النَّاسِ إِلَى اللَّهِ أَنْفَعُهُمْ لِلنَّاسِ
“The most beloved people to Allah are those who are most beneficial to people.” [1]
In this report, it can be argued that the Prophet (ﷺ) makes a significant comparison between the entire populace and those who benefit people, and considered those who strive to bring about change in their communities through beneficial activity, to be superior.
Elevated rank
One of the things that clearly manifests in this report is the high-ranking station a person can attain through engaging in voluntary activity.
As we seek to fill our time with rewarding actions in Ramadan, let’s spare some time to volunteer in local charitable events, mosques, or community centres in hope of becoming an integral part of the change we want to see in our communities.
Action plan
- Explore the available options of voluntary work, by paying a visit to a local food bank or community centre;
- Encourage family and friends to come on-board, to make it more enjoyable whilst gaining more reward.
Coming up
While you enquire about available options of voluntary work, don’t miss out on the next part of this series!
In Part 7, we will be shedding some light on the effects of sharing knowledge. Have you attained some knowledge over the years that you’re withholding from those around you? Well, the next article is for you!
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Source: Islam21c
Notes
[1] al-Tabarāni: 6/139
