Sadullah Khan – Developing a Qur’anic Personality To be and What not to be. #8

Developing the Quranic personality,

how to be and what not to be.

We know that Ramadan is a month of

ihsan, a month of heightened consciousness,

month of fasting,

of increased

worship,

of spiritual reflection,

a month of philanthropy and increased compassion.

Ramadan encourages the promotion of the spirit of

what we call local Ubuntu,

of humanity to others.

It's about consciously caring, about sharing,

about being sympathetic

of the needs of the people around us,

about deepening our understanding of our world

while

simultaneously empathizing with the challenges

faced by people and those in need.

This spirit of Hassan

and this concept of wundtu which we have

locally

was brought into test

the past few days.

We experienced a devastating fire

the past 2 days in our beautiful city

of Cape Town. Burning acres of vegetation on

the iconic Table Mountain.

And spreading to the esteemed University of Cape

Town, destroying part of the 200 year old

Library of African antiquities,

forcing hundreds of students

on campus

and thousands of residents in surrounding areas to

evacuate.

But in all of that, it was so

reassuring,

alhamdulillah,

to see the immediate

positive response

of muslim institutions.

Institutions that provided much needed

and urgently required aid and relief

to all those who needed the help and

support. May Allah bless all of them.

We know that this tragedy, like any other

tragedy, carries tremendous power. Tragedies

carry tremendous power.

Power to cause grief, to cause sadness,

to cause despondency sometimes,

to cause mourning.

But also it has the power to cause

cooperation,

reflection,

and also introspection.

Though we cannot undo the tragedy, what has

happened has happened, we cannot undo the tragedy.

But we can and must reflect upon what

we can do to alleviate its negative effects.

We live in a universe of cause and

effect. We are alive,

people are born, people will die, people get

sick. This is the reality of life that

will not change.

So we live in a in a universe

of cause and effect, and the consequences of

which are inescapable.

Fire does burn,

water

does drown,

viruses do infect,

and diseases do destroy.

They'll continue doing so till the end of

time.

These facts and these realities

have moral and social implications.

And as we know,

any natural hazard

may strike at any time and can cause

considerable

loss of life and of property.

Reminding us as human beings,

as powerful as we think we are, it

reminds us of our enduring vulnerability

in the face

of mother nature.

So as people of faith, as people of

iman,

it is our moral duty to respond to

the needs of people who are in distress.

To respond with generosity of spirit but also

with urgency.

And that's why

Rasulullah said,

Allah will be at the

Allah

will be at the assistance of a person

as long as that person is of assistance

to fellow human beings. Another hadith, Rasulullah

His Sahih Muslim documented. He

said,

Whoever

helps

people in the difficulties,

Allah will personally help them in this world

and the hereafter. May Allah count us among

them.

So rather than merely watching the devastation by

the fire on television

or listening on the news as detached spectators,

our faith

demands of us and motivates us to be

proactive.

You can, you donate.

If you can physically or indirectly

support, please support as best as you can.

The prophet

reminded us after all,

The most beloved of people. Of all the

people, the most beloved to Allah are those

who are most beneficial to humanity.

So may the compassionate.

May the most compassionate.

Rahman Ar Raheem. May the most compassionate

make us agents of His compassion.

In this times of time of tribulation

and beyond, through Ramadan

and after Ramadan, through the pandemic and after

the pandemic, through the fire and well after

fire or any other tragedy that may strike.

So let us be beloved to Allah. If

the most beloved are those who are helpful

to others,

may we be also beloved to Allah. Let

us be beneficial agents of compassion.

Let's never be indifferent

to the suffering of people.