Maulana Wahiduddin Khan | The Sunday Guardian | April 10, 2016, p. 12

Many people who profess themselves to be true in their faith and their worship show themselves in quite another light when it comes to dealing with others who are weak and helpless. They show them neither kindness nor forgiveness, they ignore or reject them, treat them with arrogance and injustice and never see any reason to extend a helping hand to them, because they see no possibility of gaining anything in return. Such people profess their religiosity in vain, for their behaviour exposes their ignorance of what is meant by faith and worship. It shows that they have never taken to heart the message of countless verses of the Quran and sayings of the Prophet which emphasize the importance of be-ing charitable to those in need.

The reason that the giving of help to those in distress is so pleasing to God is that it is an indirect acknowledgement that mankind is inherently helpless before the Lord.

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It is not only the helpless who are in need of help, but also those who are strong and well-placed in life, for everything is in the hands of the Almighty. Failure and success, prosperity and in-digence are all dependent upon God's will.

Those who help the indigent whether they are rich or poor themselves, will find a place in God's heart in this life and in the Hereafter. Those who are indifferent to the sufferings of the under-privileged, will, on the contrary, forfeit their right to God's favour.

We all stand alone. We are all in need of God's assistance, whether our distress is of a spiritual or a material nature.

If, then, we pray for God's mercy and succour, we should also be willing to be helpful and merciful to our fellow-men. He who desires God's assistance should not hesitate for one second in going to the assistance of others. He who hesitates is lost.