Class 6
BEST OF YOU
THE PEOPLE WHO FEED & GREET
The Prophet ﷺ said,
“The best of you are those who feed others”
(Ahmad)
’A man asked the Prophet ﷺ, “What Islamic traits are the best?”
The Prophet ﷺ said,
”Feed the people, and greet those whom you know and those whom you do not know”’.
[Bukhari]
Feeding People
On any given day, a staggering 870 million people worldwide do not have enough food to eat, and the religion of Islam works to combat that staggering statistic. Feeding the hungry and helping the poor is an integral part of the Islamic faith. The Prophet ﷺ encouraged us to feed the poor and commanded us to give Zakat al-Fitr to feed the poor on Eid al-Fitr. Sharing food is a way of taking care of the vulnerable and bringing the community together.
Allah describes how He will bless those who feed others even more beautifully, in the following powerful verses from Surah Al-Insan:
′And they give food, in spite of love for it, to the needy, the orphan, and the captive.
[Saying], “We feed you only for the countenance of Allah. We don’t want from you either reward or gratitude. Indeed, we fear from our Lord a Day austere and distressful”.
So Allah will protect them from the evil of that Day and give them radiance and happiness. And He will reward them, for what they patiently endured, with a Garden and clothes of silk. Reclining therein on adorned couches, they will not see therein any (burning) sun or (freezing) cold. And the shade of the (Garden) will come low over them, and its bunches (of fruit) will hang low (i.e. within reach)’. (The Noble Qur’an, 76:8-14)
Also the Prophet ﷺ highlighted the great rewards of feeding the hungry when he ﷺ said,
“(All of you) worship Ar-Rahman, feed others, spread the (greeting of) Salam, then you will enter Paradise in security." (Tirmidhi, Hasan)
"Indeed in Paradise there are chambers, whose outside can be seen from their inside, and their inside can be seen from their outside." A Bedouin stood and said : 'Who are they for, O Messenger of Allah?" He ﷺ said: "For those who speak well, feed others, fast regularly, and perform salat [for Allah] during the night while the people sleep." (Tirmidhi, Hasan)
“Feed the hungry, spread peace, speak kind words, and pray at night when people are sleeping. You will enter Paradise in peace.” (Musnad al-Bazzār 2497; classed as Sahih li ghayrihi authentic due to external evidence according to Al-Albani)
’No Muslim plants a tree or sows a seed and then a bird, or a human, or an animal eats from it but that it is charity for him’. [Muslim]
It is thus the essence of the believer to feed the poor. It is especially important to feed our neighbours:
Moreover, Abu Dharr reported, ’The Prophet ﷺ said, “O Abu Dharr, when you cook a stew, put more water in the broth and take care of your neighbours“’. [Muslim]
SubhanAllah, the Prophet ﷺ gave us such a practical way of fulfilling our obligation as believers - simply add more water to the food you are already making! This adds barakah (blessings) to your meal and ensures you are nurturing a good relationship with your neighbours, regardless of their faith.
Warning against not taking care or feeding the poor
Giving food is an important part of being a Muslim - and not doing so is specifically mentioned in the Qur’an as a quality of a disbeliever.
Allah says:
“What drove you to Hell?” ’They will say, “We were not of those who prayed, nor did we used to feed the poor…“′ [The Noble Qur’an, 74:42-44]
’And when it is said to them, “Spend from that which Allah has provided for you”, those who disbelieve say to those who believe, “Should we feed one whom, if Allah had willed, He would have fed? You are not but in clear error”’. [The Noble Qur’an, 36:47]
Actively denying someone food and preventing them from access it can lead to the Fire. The below hadith teaches us that even keeping an animal hungry is a weighty sin:
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, ’A woman punished her cat by imprisoning it until it died of hunger and because of it, she entered the Fire. It was said - and Allah knows best - ”You did not feed it nor give it water when you imprisoned it, nor did you release it and let it eat from the creatures which creep on the earth”’. [Bukhari]
We will be questioned about it
Since Allah mentioned feeding the poor after worshipping Him and performing Salah, it is no surprise that He will question us as to whether we fulfilled this obligation. The below quote has been taken from a longer Hadith Qudsi:
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ,said,
“Allah says: ‘I asked you for food and you did not feed Me. “
He (His slave) will say, ‘Lord,how could I feed You when You did not ask me for food and You are the Lord of the universe?’
He will say, ‘Do you not know that My slave so-and-so asked you for food and you did not feed him? Do you not know that if you had fed him,you would have found that action with Me?…… (Bukhari in Al-Adab Al-Mufrad)
In the above hadith, Allah rebukes a person with the powerful words ‘I asked you for food and you did not feed Me’. SubhanAllah, if we were to imagine that, every time a hungry person comes to us, it is Allah who is asking us to feed this person, we would surely not be able to turn them away! Even if all we had to give them was bread, we would not hesitate to do so.
Feeding your family even yourself is a charity
We tend to think of charity as something we give to the poor, but the truth is that sharing food is always a Sadaqah, if you do it for the sake of Allah. In fact, the Prophet ﷺ even said that feeding our own selves is considered a charity, subhanAllah!
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, ‘What you feed yourself is Sadaqah for you. What you feed your child is Sadaqah for you. What you feed your wife is Sadaqah is for you. What you feed your servant is Sadaqah for you’. [Bukhari]
Therefore, it is important for us to always make the intention to cook, eat and share food for Allah’s sake, to ensure this action is spiritually meaningful and that we reap its rewards.
An Abandoned Sunnah
Over the years Muslims were known for being the people who would be feeding others, we can still almost always see free food being distributed around the Harmain in Makkah & Madinah but this was one of the things commonly done around the world in a various Masjids or Muslim areas, something we should together work to revive.
It is also a common practice to feed before giving Dawah as it softens the heart and chances of accepting the words would be greater. So get in touch with your local Dawah organizations and you can contribute to their efforts InShaAllah.
Spreading Salam
’A man asked the Prophet ﷺ, “What Islamic traits are the best?”
The Prophet ﷺ said,
“To give food, and to greet everyone, whether you know or you do not.”
[Bukhari & Muslim]
The Prophet ﷺ urged the Muslims to foster love between one another by exchanging gifts and food, and by spreading salam, and he forbade the opposite, namely forsaking one another, turning away from one another, spying on one another, seeking out information about one another, stirring up trouble and being two faced.
Ibn Hajar said: “I.e., do not single out anybody out of arrogance or to impress them, but do it to honour the symbols of Islam and to foster Islamic brotherhood.”
Ibn Rajab said: “The hadith makes the connection between feeding others and spreading salam because this combines good actions in both word and deed, which is perfect good treatment (ihsan). Indeed, this is the best thing that you can do in Islam after the obligatory duties.”
Al-Sanusi said: “What is meant by salam is the greeting between people, which sows seeds of love and friendship in their hearts, as does giving food. There may be some weakness in the heart of one of them, which is dispelled when he is greeted, or there may be some hostility, which is turned to friendship by the greeting.”
Al-Qadi said: “Here the Prophet ﷺ was urging the believers to soften their hearts. The best Islamic attitude is to love one another and greet one another, and this is achieved by words and deeds.
Love is one of the duties of Islam and one of the pillars of the Islamic system. One should give salams to those whom one knows and those whom one does not know, out of sincerity towards Allah; one should not try to impress other people by giving salams only to those whom one knows and no-one else. This also entails an attitude of humility and spreading the symbols of this ummah through the word of salam.
Thus the Prophet ﷺ explained that this salam spreads love and brotherhood. He ﷺ said: “You will not enter Paradise until you believe, and you will not believe until you love one another. Shall I not tell you about something which, if you do it, you will love one another? Spread salam amongst yourselves.” (Muslim, Ahmad, and al-Tirmidhi)
Al-Qadi ‘Iyad said in al-Ikmal (1/304): “This is urging us to spread salam, as mentioned above, among those whom we know and those whom we do not know. Salam is the first level of righteousness and the first quality of brotherhood, and it is the key to creating love. By spreading salam the Muslims’ love for one another grows stronger and they demonstrate their distinctive symbols and spread a feeling of security amongst themselves. This is the meaning of Islam.
When Islam came, Allah prescribed that the manner of greeting among Muslims should be Al-salamu ‘alaykum, and that this greeting should only be used among Muslims and not for other nations.
The meaning of salam (literally, peace) is harmlessness, safety and protection from evil and from faults.
The name al-Salam is a Name of Allah, may He be exalted, so the meaning of the greeting of salam which is required among Muslims is, May the blessing of His Name descend upon you. The usage of the preposition ‘ala in ‘alaykum (upon you) indicates that the greeting is inclusive.
Ibn al-Qayyim said in Badai' al-Fawaid (144): “Allah, the Sovereign, the Most Holy, the Peace, prescribed that the greeting among the people of Islam should be al-salamu ‘alaykum, which is better than all the greetings of other nations which include impossible ideas or lies, such as saying, May you live for a thousand years, or things that are not accurate, such as An`im sabahan (Good morning), or actions that are not right, such as prostrating in greeting. Thus the greeting of salam is better than all of these, because it has the meaning of safety which is life, without which nothing else can be achieved. So this takes precedence over all other aims or objectives. A person has two main aims in life: to keep himself safe from evil, and to get something good. Keeping safe from evil takes precedence over getting something good.”
It is a distinct feature of Islam, one that makes others envy us, the Prophet ﷺ said, "The J e w s do not envy you for anything the way that they envy you for the salam and the Amin." (Bukhari in Adab al Mufrad & Ibn Majah; Sahih)
Reward for giving salam
The Prophet ﷺ also explained the reward earned by the one who says salam. Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that a man passed by the Messenger of Allah ﷺ whilst he was sitting with some others, and said Salam ‘alaykum (peace be upon you). The Prophet ﷺ said, [He will have] ten hasanat (rewards). Another man passed by and said Salam ‘alaykum wa rahmat-Allah (peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah). The Prophet ﷺ said, [He will have] twenty hasanat. Another man passed by and said Salam ‘alaykum wa rahmat-Allahi wa barakatuhu (peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah and His blessings). The Prophet ﷺ said, [He will have] thirty hasanat. (al-Nasai, al-Bukhari in al-Adab al-Mufrad and Ibn Hibban)
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "The person nearest to Allah is one who is the first to offer greeting." (Abu Dawud, with a sound chain).
The narration in At-Tirmidhi is: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was asked: "O Messenger of Allah! When two persons meet, who should greet the other first?'' The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "The person nearest to Allah (i.e., one who is more obedient and therefore closer to Allah will say: As-Salam first)."
Importance of returning salam
The Prophet ﷺ commanded us to return salams, and made it a right and a duty. He ﷺ said: The Muslim has five rights over his fellow-Muslim: he should return his salams, visit him when he is sick, attend his funeral, accept his invitation, and pray for mercy for him [say Yarhamuk Allah] when he sneezes. (Bukhari, Muslim, al-Nisai, Ahmed and Abu Dawud)
It is clear that it is obligatory to return salams, because by doing so a Muslim is giving you safety and you have to give him safety in return. It is as if he is saying to you, I am giving you safety and security, so you have to give him the same, so that he does not get suspicious or think that the one to whom he has given salam is betraying him or ignoring him. The Prophet ﷺ told us that if Muslims are ignoring or forsaking one another, this will be put to an end when one of them gives salam. He ﷺ said: It is not permissible for a Muslim to forsake his brother for more than three days, each of them turning away from the other if they meet. The better of them is the first one to say salam. (Bukhari)
Another Abandoned Sunnah
Unfortunately, this is another simple Sunnah that has been abandoned by the Ummah and we wonder why there are so many differences amongst us, why does the Ummah lack unity.
Instead of saying salam to everyone whether we know them or not we have actually gone down to the level where we avoid eye contact with people we know, you can see people looking elsewhere or putting their heads in their mobiles just to avoid saying a greeting? Please brothers & sisters in Islam, say the Salam and continue with what you were doing, you will get multiple rewards and also help spread love and peace amongst the Ummah.
Please join our free online certificate course “FORGOTTEN SUNNAHS”, to learn more of simple Sunnahs that we have abandoned, importance of Sunnahs, why Sunnahs are abandoned and more. https://learn-islam.org/forgotten-sunnahs (available online now, register and learn).
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TIPS FOR THE TEST
Do not have to memorise the ayahs or hadeeths word for word and their references, but remember their meanings and the msg being given.
Remember virtues and warnings.
ASSIGNMENT
There will be an Assignment Question asked in the Test. Marks will be given based on the following: -
Implement any 3 of the deeds covered from week 2. 5 Marks
Talk about any 3 topics covered in this week’s classes with atleast 3 people. 5 Marks.
Inform a minimum of 15 friends/family about LEARN ISLAM (we have around 30 courses for adults and along with courses for children, all for free and certificates are also given) 3 Marks.
Pray for the Ummah, pray for the ease of all the poor & oppressed Muslims and pray that Allah make us all strong in imaan and give us the hidayah to work for the aakhirah and to help each other. Pray for this applying any three Sunnahs from class 4. - 2 Marks
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