The first person who benefits from an act of charity is the benefactor himself, by seeing changes in himself and in his manners, by finding peace, by watching a smile form on the lips of another person.
If you find yourself to be in difficulty or distress, show kindness to others, and you will be the first to find solace and comfort. Give to the needy, defend the oppressed, help those in distress, and visit the sick: you will find that happiness surrounds you from all directions.
An act of charity is like perfume. It benefits the user, the seller, and the buyer. Furthermore, the psychological benefits that one receives from helping others are indeed great. If you suffer from depression, an act of charity will have a more potent effect on your sickness than will the best available medicine.
Even when you smile upon meeting others, you are giving charity. The Prophet (SAW) said:” So do not dismiss certain acts of kindness by deeming them to be insignificant, even if (such an act) is to meet your brother with a smiling face (for that is a deed which might weigh heavily in your scale of deeds.”
On the other hand, when you frown upon meeting others, you are displaying enmity, an act so detrimental to brotherhood that only Allah knows the full extent of its evil effects.
The Prophet (SAW) informed us that the prostitute who once gave a dog a handful of water was rewarded for that deed with Paradise, which is as wide as the heavens and the earth. This is because the Giver of rewards is Forgiving, Rich, and Worthy of Praise.
O you who are threatened by misery, fear, and grief, occupy yourself in the betterment of others. Help others in different ways – through charity, hospitality, sympathy, and support. And in doing so, you will find all of the happiness that you desire. Allah (SWT) said:” He who spends his wealth for the increase in self-purification, and has in his mind no favor from anyone for which a reward is expected in return; except only the desire to seek the Countenance of his Lord, the Most High. He surely will be pleased when he enters Paradise.” (Qur’an 92: 18-21)
Repel boredom with work
Those who have nothing to do with their lives are the same people who spend most of their time spreading rumors and falsehood, mainly because their minds are devoid of beneficial thoughts. Allah (SWT) said:” They are content to be with those (the women) who sit behind (at home). Their hearts are sealed up (from right guidance) so they understand not.” (Qur’an 9: 87)
When you find yourself to be idle, prepare for depression and despair, because idleness allows your mind to wander in the past, the present, and the future, with all of their difficulties. Therefore, my sincere advice to you is to engage in fruitful acts rather than remain idle, for idleness is a slow and veiled form of suicide.
Being inactive means being negligent of one’s duties. Idleness is an expert thief, and your mind is its victim.
Therefore, get up now and say a du’a or read a book; praise your Lord, study, write, organize your library, fix something in your house, or benefit others so that you can put an end to your inactivity. I say this because I sincerely wish you the best.
Destroy boredom by working. When you apply this simple precept alone, you will have traveled at least fifty percent of the way towards happiness. Look at farmers, carpenters, and the bread makers, and observe how, when they are working, they recite words as melodious as the singing of birds, because they are content. Afterwards, observe yourself and how you toss and turn in your bed while wiping away your tears, always miserable, always torturing yourself.
Dr. ‘Aid Al-Qarni
