In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Some righteous deeds have begun to fade from among the people.
They have become forgotten or are on the verge of extinction.
I have found some people striving to preserve
the species of certain animals
for fear of their extinction.
Indeed, there are laws that punish those who cause
the extinction of certain animals.
But when moral virtues begin to go extinct,
who will stand up for them?
Among the virtues that are fading and being forgotten day by day
is a magnificent virtue:
fulfilling the needs of others.
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
used to strongly encourage this deed.
He said, "The most beloved of people to Allah
is the one who is most beneficial to people."
And the most beloved of deeds to Allah, the Almighty and Majestic,
is bringing joy to a Muslim,
or relieving him of a hardship,
or paying off a debt for him,
or driving away hunger from him.
"For me to walk with a brother to fulfill a need
is dearer to me than to seclude myself in this mosque for months,"
meaning the mosque of Medina.
"Whoever restrains his anger, Allah will conceal his faults."
And whoever suppresses his rage,
even though he could have acted upon it,
hoping for the reward of the Day of Resurrection.
"And whoever walks with his brother to fulfill a need until it is secured for him,
Allah will make his feet firm
on the day when feet shall slip."
On the authority of Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:
The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:
"Whoever relieves a believer of a hardship,
Allah will relieve him of a hardship from the hardships
of the Day of Resurrection."
Allah will make things easy for him in this world and the Hereafter.
"And Allah is in the aid of the servant
as long as the servant is in the aid of his brother."
Among the virtues of fulfilling needs,
Allah the Almighty says:
“Whoso interveneth in a good cause will have the reward thereof, and whoso interveneth in an evil cause will bear the consequence thereof. Allah overseeth all things.” (4:85)
"He will have a share of it."
"And whoever intercedes with an intercession
that is evil will have
a portion of it."
"And Allah is ever, over all
things, a Keeper."
The Prophet, peace be upon him, said:
"Intercede, and you will be rewarded."
And Allah decrees through the tongue of His Prophet what He wills.
Ibn 'Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them both, said:
"Indeed, Allah has servants
to whom people turn for the fulfillment of
their needs,
and for the bringing of joy to them.
Those are the ones who will be safe from the punishment of the Day of Resurrection."
Al-Dahhak said regarding the words of Allah the Almighty:
"Indeed, we see you as one of the doers of good,"
in the story of Yusuf, peace be upon him.
His goodness was such that
if a man fell ill in prison, he would care for him.
And if the place became too cramped for him,
may Allah be pleased with him, he would look after the widows,
bringing them water at night.
Talhah saw him at night entering
the house of a woman, and he doubted the matter.
He entered after him, and it was an old,
blind, and bedridden woman. He asked her,
"What does this man do for you?"
She replied, "He has been doing this for such
and such a time, looking after us
and removing the harm from me."
So Talhah said,
"May your mother be bereaved of you, O Talhah!
Are you tracking the slips of 'Umar?"
Who can match 'Umar Ibn al-Khattab
in fulfilling the needs of the people?
Or has this deed been sentenced to extinction?