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Certain tasks that are big and important cannot be accomplished single-handed. But if there is some help available, the same job is done with ease. If man keeps working alone he will fall behind in doing many tasks. It seldom happens that a single person starts and runs an organisation for social welfare. An individual cannot run a hospital, school, mosque, orphanage, library etc without having others to help him. In fact, a person cannot even manage the administration of any such organisation individually. But with others’ help and co-operation the work can be accomplished to perfection. Any nation where the population has the spirit of mutual help and co-operation will be a prosperous nation.
In this respect Islam is a complete congregational system that invites people to come together for common good. The Holy Quran says:
“Help ye ( one another ) in righteousness and piety, and help ye not ( one another ) in sin and aggression" (Quran, 5:4)
Ali, The Commander of the Faithful, says:
“Co-operating to withhold the truth is fidelity and probity." (Gharar al hukm, p. 48)
The spirit of co-operation and camaraderie takes root from childhood only. Luckily human beings have gregarious nature by birth. But there is always the need to utilise this instinct to advantage. The parents who are keen to give good upbringing to their children encourage the instinct of fellowship in them and provide to them toys and games that need group participation. They can give them toys that need assembling by more than one child. They can encourage them to have a jointly save their money for use for a good cause with guidance from the parents. With this collective saving they can buy fruits and sweets to distribute to the sickly, poor and needy. The parents can add some money to this amount and also help them to buy and distribute the fruits etc. They can also give the savings periodically to some welfare organisation. They may also give the money to some public library to help buy new books. The parents can also encourage the children to form a small committee and initiate some welfare activity by themselves.
If the parents are members of a welfare organisation, they should initiate the children too to the activity. They can give some money to the child to personally contribute to the fund of the organisation and make him a regular member.
52. HUMANENESS AND CHILDREN
All are Gods creations. All humans are the off springs of the same first parents.(Adam and Eve. In fact all men belong to the same large family. Allah has created them and He likes them. He has assured sustenance to everyone. Allah only has endowed them with all their necessities in the world. He has given them control over the manipulation and use of these things. He has given them wisdom and strength to gainfully utilise the things around them to their advantage. Allah has provided them the opportunities to raise their spirits to reach perfection in piety and earn rewards in the Hereafter. He provided the means of guidance in the forms of Prophets from time to time. He has Ordained (mansus) .the Imams and then there are the religious guides, the mujtahids and maraja’h. All this because Allah loves men and He is extremely Munificent. He wants men to be kind to one another and strive for the general welfare. He wants men toassist each other both in fair weather and during calamitous conditions. Those who have welfare of other human beings in their thoughts and actions are the chosen people of Allah. They shall have plenty of rewards in the Hereafter. Islam, a gregarious Faith, has given particular emphasis to the need for service to humanity.
The Prophet of Islam has said:
“All men eat the food provided by Allah. Therefore from men the dearest to Allah are those who give sustenance to other men and please some families." (Bihar al-anwar, v74, p. 317)
Imam Jafer al Sadiq says:
“Allah says that people eat the food given by Me. Such of those men are dear to me who are kind to the other humans and strive hard to help them in the time of need." (Bihar al-anwar, v 73, p. 337
Someone asked the Prophet:
“Who is the dearest to Allah among men?’
The Prophet replied:
‘One who is most beneficial to other fellow-men." (Bihar al-anwar, v74, p. 239)
The Prophet of Islam has said:
“After the Faith, the wisest act for a person is the love and care of the other human beings, be they good or otherwise." (Bihar al-anwar, v74, p. 392)
"One who is not concerned with the good of the Muslims is not a Muslim". (Bihar al-anwar, v74, p. 347)
Imam Jafer al Sadiq says:
“Allah’s preferred men are those who are approached by men in need of help. These preferred men of Allah will be in the Care of Allah on the Day of Judgment." (Bihar al-anwar, v 74, p. 318)
The Prophet of Islam said:
“Allah is Kind on His men and likes those men who are kind to their fellow men." ((Bihar al-anwar, v 74, p. 339)
There are hundreds of such traditions of the Prophet and the Imams that are spread over many compendiums of the sayings of these Infallible Persons.
The Prophet has seen the Islamic society as a single unit and has asked the followers of the Faith to work for the common good. Islam is a Gregarious Faith and considers the welfare of individuals as the welfare of the society. It fights against all kinds of selfishness. A true Muslim can never be selfish and will never overlook the rights of others in the society.
Friendship for other human beings is a superior quality and it is imbued in the nature of every individual. But with proper training this quality can be made manifest. Sometimes it may happen that this wonderful quality might totally disappear from the nature of some individuals. This is like other inherent instincts in all human being which start manifesting during early childhood in their rudiments and if they are not properly nourished, they might become dormant or totally recede into the recesses of the individual’s mind. It is the responsibility of the parents to make their children friendly to human beings and generous. If the parents themselves are generous to others and the children see the shades of generosity in their words and actions, they can naturally follow suit.
The responsible and informed parents sometimes describe the plight of the needy people, the poor, the handicapped and old, in the presence of their children. If possible they take out the children to meet these people. They tell the children that these are the deprived people and are in need of support and help. They provide help to such people in the presence of the children to set a good example for them to emulate when they grow up and are capable of helping others. The parents sometimes describe to the children the unfair tyranny heaped by some people on hapless persons and also the pathetic condition of the unfortunate sufferers. They also talk to their children about the unfortunate orphans who don’t have parents to look after them and they deserve full support from others in the society. They take their children to the orphanage to meet these kids and sometimes invite some of them to their home. All this goes a long way in making the children realise their responsibility to help and assist the needy in the society.
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