Dearest to God Are
Those Who Are Most Beneficial to People

By God, he is not a believer, by God he is not a believer, by God he is not a believer whose neighbour is not safe from his mischief.” (Sahih al-Bukhari 6016)

The subject for today’s address is service of humanity. In this regard, the Companions enquired from the Prophet: “Who among the people is dearest to God?” The Prophet replied: “The person who is most beneficial to people.” (Al-Targheeb wal-Tarheeb, v. 3, p. 347)

If while sitting at home you play the radio at loud volume, it may cause inconvenience to a student in the neighbourhood who would be preparing for his exams. He may find it difficult to focus on his studies, which may adversely affect his results in the exam. The responsibility for the student’s performance would fall squarely upon you. This is just one example of the innumerable ways you can prove to be of service to your neighbours. If you cannot do any good to people, at least refrain from harming them. The Prophet exclaimed: “By God, he is not a believer, by God he is not a believer, by God he is not a believer whose neighbour is not safe from his mischief.” (Sahih al-Bukhari 6016)

There are several verses of the Quran and sayings of the Prophet on this subject. Working for the welfare of humanity means being beneficial to people.

In November 1988 issue of my journal Al-Risala, I had written about an incident of an acquaintance of mine, Mr. P.D. Malhotra, who was born in 1935. He came to visit me on August 24, 1988. He told me that one day he had stayed back after working hours to finish some task at his office in New Delhi. When it struck midnight, there was silence all around in the city. He set out for his home on his two-wheeler. At one of the checkpoints on the road, a policeman signalled him to stop, wondering why a person was roaming about the streets in the middle of the night. The policeman angrily demanded him to produce his driving license. When he reached into his pocket to fetch his driving license, another card came out along with it. This was an eye donor’s card. These days hospitals have initiated schemes through which people can volunteer to donate their eyes after death. One who agrees to volunteer receives a card from the hospital stating that the concerned person had decided to donate his eyes. The prospective donor is required to carry this card with him all the time. Mr. Malhotra’s eye donor’s card read: “I have gifted my eyes to the Nation. Kindly inform the nearest Eye Bank immediately on my demise and help them to fulfil my desire. Thanks.” The policeman, who had previously been rude, toned down immediately on seeing this eye donor’s card and politely gestured Mr. Malhotra to proceed without any further investigation.

Eye donation is considered a noble deed. Televisions broadcast emotional appeals for eye donations by proclaiming, ‘There is something which only you can offer to the world!’ When the policeman saw the eye donor’s card, he realized that Mr. Malhotra was an honourable and charitable person. The eye donor’s card confirmed that he was a benefactor of society, something that turned the policeman in his favour.

In this world, those who give are also the ones who are given. Those who give to others, receive in turn from them. Such people become deserving of receiving from others even when they have not yet practically given anything but have only expressed their intention to give.

This incident helped me understand a truth about life. Mr. Malhotra had not yet donated his eyes, rather he had only exhibited his desire to do so. If you have done service to humanity, you have performed a virtuous task, but even if you just aspire to be of service to humanity, that too will have an overpowering effect on those around you. For example, in the above incident a person who was initially looked upon with mistrust by the policeman was afterwards regarded with the respect of one who is a sincere well-wisher of humanity. The policeman’s anger was instantly pacified and transformed into reverence.

Without doubt showing benevolence and being of service to people are exalted deeds. If you have only sincerely expressed the intention to perform these acts of kindness, it would still work as an irresistible force in your favour.

Here I would like to cite an incident from the life of the Nobel laureate Dr Abdus Salam (d. 1996). I read about this incident in an article that Dr Abdus Salam had written for a journal. In one of his travels to Europe, Dr Abdus Salam had a conversation with an Orientalist. The Orientalist revealed that many countries in the East, especially the Muslim ones, sought aid from Western nations. He enquired why should these Muslims countries be given aid when they had made no contributions to human history? He offered this as a justification against the contention that it was the responsibility of the West to provide financial assistance to Muslim countries.

We all know that today Europe and the US are providing monetary assistance to numerous countries of the world. Even countries with “petrodollars” are reliant on the US—all these nations are being sustained by the West. This is why, the Orientalist demanded an explanation for continuing to provide aid to dependent nations which had no share in scientific, technological or cultural progress. India, for instance, required passenger aircrafts Airbus. About twenty of these were purchased from France and are currently in service of Indian airlines. Dr Abdus Salam further writes that after listening to the Orientalist’s comment, he was left embarrassed and speechless.