The Two Essential Things
I found out a guy from Banten (the city I’m in now), who became an Imam and a well-regarded figure in Mecca and the world.
Syaikh Nawawi al-Bantani.
I purchased his books and wanted to share an excerpt here.
The Two Essential Things
The Prophet Muhammad once said, 'Nothing defeats believing in God and helping others, especially our community.'
Help with whatever you have - power, money, and effort - to do good.
'If you start your day planning not to hurt anyone, your past wrongs are forgiven. If you start your day planning to help someone in need, it's like you've done a sacred pilgrimage.'
The Prophet said that the people God loves the most are the ones who help others the most.
So go feed someone hungry, ease someone's pain, or pay off someone's debt.
The two things you should never do: deny God and hurt other people, whether it's their body or possessions.
Everything God asks us to do is about respecting Him and being kind to others.
'Pray and give charity.' (Quran 2:43)
'Be thankful to Me and to your parents.' (Quran 31:14)
Same pattern. Honor God and act with compassion towards human beings.
A story about Uwais al-Qarni:
He once met a monk and asked him about the first step for someone seeking wisdom. The monk said, 'Stop oppressing others and be humble, for the reward of good deeds doesn't ascend to the divine if it's tainted with injustice.'
Photo by Anne Kristin Euba | FLORAL ART PHOTOGRAPHY on Unsplash