5.7.2 Helping Others

The Meaning of Helping Others in Islam

Helping others in Islam is not an optional kindness. It is a central part of faith and a practical expression of tawḥīd and submission to Allah. A Muslim does not live only for himself or herself. The believer sees every person as an opportunity to gain Allah’s pleasure through service, support, and mercy.

Allah praises those who care for others and share what they have, even when they themselves feel need.

“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 Face of Allah. We desire from you neither reward nor thanks.’”
(Qur’an 76:8–9)

This attitude defines Islamic helping: it is for the Face of Allah, not for praise or repayment.

Helping as a Sign of Faith

Helping others is directly tied to one’s īmān. A person’s faith is not complete if he is unconcerned with the needs and harms of others.

The Prophet ﷺ said:

“None of you truly believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.”
(al-Bukhari, Muslim)

This hadith shows that real faith pushes the believer to want good, benefit, and relief for others. When someone is happy only with his own safety and comfort while being indifferent to the suffering of others, his faith is weak.

The Prophet ﷺ also linked the presence of mercy for Allah’s creation with receiving mercy from Allah.

“The merciful are shown mercy by the Most Merciful. Be merciful to those on the earth, and the One above the heavens will be merciful to you.”
(at-Tirmidhi)

Every time a Muslim helps, supports, or relieves another, he is in fact seeking mercy from Allah.

Helping as Worship and a Path to Allah

In Islam, helping others is not separate from worship. It is an act of ʿibādah when done sincerely. Giving money, spending time, using skills, offering advice, or even smiling at someone can be written as worship.

The Prophet ﷺ said:

“Your smile in the face of your brother is charity for you. Enjoining good and forbidding evil is charity. Guiding a man in a land where he is lost is charity. Helping a man with weak eyesight is charity for you.”
(at-Tirmidhi)

He ﷺ also said:

“Every joint of a person must perform a charity each day that the sun rises. To act justly between two people is charity. To help a man with his mount, lifting him onto it or hoisting up his belongings onto it, is charity…”
(al-Bukhari, Muslim)

From these narrations, we learn that the Muslim can be in a constant state of worship through service to others. Every day brings many chances to draw nearer to Allah through helping, even in very small ways.

The Prophet ﷺ was asked about the most beloved people and deeds to Allah. He replied:

“The most beloved people to Allah are those who are most beneficial to people. The most beloved deeds to Allah are to make a Muslim happy, or to relieve him of a hardship, or to forgive him a debt, or to feed him when he is hungry…”
(at-Tabarani, graded sound)

Helping people is therefore not just permitted or recommended, it is among the most beloved actions to Allah.

Sincerity When Helping Others

The value of helping in Islam depends strongly on intention. A person may perform a very large favour, but if it is for praise, wealth, or status, he loses the real reward with Allah. The Qur’an shows that the righteous help only seeking Allah’s face.

“We feed you only for the Face of Allah. We desire from you neither reward nor thanks.”
(Qur’an 76:9)

The Prophet ﷺ warned about people who do good for the wrong reasons. Among those most severely punished on the Day of Judgment are people who appeared charitable and helpful, but their aim was reputation, not Allah.

He ﷺ described a man who gave charity and helped, but on the Day of Judgment it will be said:

“You gave charity so it would be said: ‘He is generous.’ And it was said.”
(Muslim)

So he receives public praise in the world but no reward with Allah.

A Muslim should therefore guard his intention when giving help. He remembers that the true observer and rewarder is Allah alone.

Different Forms of Helping

Islam opens many doors for helping others, so that every Muslim in every situation can participate, even if he owns very little.

One of the greatest forms of help is financial support. Allah praises those who spend of their wealth for others.

“Those who spend their wealth by night and by day, secretly and publicly, they will have their reward with their Lord, and no fear will there be concerning them, nor will they grieve.”
(Qur’an 2:274)

Giving food, clothing, shelter, or money to those in need is highly rewarded. Yet help is not limited to money.

The Prophet ﷺ said:

“There is a charity due upon every joint of each person on every day the sun rises: reconciling between two people is charity, helping a man with his animal is charity, a good word is charity, every step you take toward prayer is charity, and removing harmful things from the road is charity.”
(Muslim)

From this, we learn that the believer can help by:

Using physical effort to assist someone weak or burdened.

Using his tongue to say a good word, comfort, guide, or reconcile between people.

Using his body to remove harm from pathways and places others use.

Even those who cannot give money can always give something. The Prophet ﷺ said:

“If you cannot find anything to give, then withhold yourself from doing evil, for that is a charity from you for yourself.”
(al-Bukhari, Muslim)

In Islam, helping includes active service and also protecting others from your harm.

Relieving Hardships and Gaining Allah’s Help

One of the most emphasized aspects of helping in Islam is relieving the distress of others. Removing someone’s difficulty is a powerful cause for Allah to remove your own difficulties in this world and in the Hereafter.

The Prophet ﷺ said:

“Whoever relieves a believer of one of the hardships of this world, Allah will relieve him of one of the hardships of the Day of Resurrection. Whoever makes it easy for one in difficulty, Allah will make it easy for him in this world and the Hereafter. Whoever conceals the fault of a Muslim, Allah will conceal his fault in this world and the Hereafter. Allah continues to aid the servant as long as the servant aids his brother.”
(Muslim)

This hadith teaches several important connections. Helping others brings help from Allah. Easing people’s burdens brings ease from Allah in this life and the next. Hiding people’s faults and protecting their dignity leads to Allah hiding your own faults.

This promise should motivate the believer to search out opportunities to lift burdens. Visiting the sick, helping someone in debt, assisting a person in confusion, or defending an absent person from backbiting are all ways to relieve hardship.

Helping Family, Neighbours, and the Weak

Islam gives special attention to those close to us. It is not enough to be generous with faraway causes while neglecting those right beside us. The Qur’an mentions giving to “the near of kin, the orphan, and the needy.”

“So give the relative his right, as well as the needy and the traveler. That is best for those who seek the Face of Allah, and it is they who will be successful.”
(Qur’an 30:38)

Helping one’s parents, spouse, children, and relatives is counted as charity. The Prophet ﷺ said that what a man spends on his family is written for him as charity when he seeks Allah’s reward. He ﷺ said:

“A dinar which you spend in the path of Allah, a dinar which you spend to free a slave, a dinar which you give in charity to a poor person, and a dinar which you spend on your family, the greatest of them in reward is the one which you spend on your family.”
(Muslim)

Islam also honours neighbours. The Prophet ﷺ was commanded through Jibrīl عليه السلام to care for neighbours so often that he thought they might even receive a share in inheritance.

“Jibrīl kept advising me about the neighbour until I thought he would make him an heir.”
(al-Bukhari, Muslim)

Helping neighbours includes checking on them, sharing food, assisting in their needs, and protecting them from harm.

The weak in society, such as orphans, the poor, widows, and those without protection, have a special place in Islamic teaching. Allah warns against neglecting or oppressing them, and promises reward for those who care for them.

“Therefore, do not oppress the orphan, and do not repel the beggar.”
(Qur’an 93:9–10)

The Prophet ﷺ said:

“I and the one who sponsors an orphan will be in Paradise like this,” and he held his two fingers together.
(al-Bukhari)

Supporting those who cannot support themselves is a fast path to closeness with the Messenger ﷺ in Paradise.

Helping Beyond Muslims: Mercy for All

Helping others in Islam is not limited only to Muslims. The Prophet ﷺ was sent as a mercy to all worlds.

“And We have not sent you, [O Muhammad], except as a mercy to the worlds.”
(Qur’an 21:107)

This mercy includes kindness, fairness, and assistance to non Muslims as long as they are not fighting or oppressing Muslims. Allah praises feeding “the captive” together with the needy and the orphan, and captives were often non Muslim.

“And they give food in spite of love for it to the needy, the orphan, and the captive…”
(Qur’an 76:8)

This verse shows that compassion is extended to all. The Prophet ﷺ also stood up when a Jewish funeral passed by. When he was told that it was the funeral of a Jew, he replied:

“Was he not a soul?”
(al-Bukhari, Muslim)

This respect for human life and dignity is part of the Islamic ethic of helping. The believer is kind and helpful to neighbours, coworkers, or strangers regardless of religion, seeking the pleasure of Allah and displaying the truth of Islam through action.

Helping Without Harm or Injustice

While Islam strongly encourages helping others, it also sets boundaries. Assistance that supports sin, oppression, or injustice is prohibited. A Muslim cannot help another person to do something that displeases Allah.

Allah says:

“And cooperate in righteousness and piety, but do not cooperate in sin and aggression.”
(Qur’an 5:2)

This principle guides the believer in choosing how and when to help. He assists in what is good and lawful, and he refrains from actions that would encourage wrongdoing, even if they appear outwardly as “help.”

The Prophet ﷺ explained that true support is not blind loyalty. He ﷺ said:

“Help your brother whether he is an oppressor or is oppressed.” A man said, “O Messenger of Allah, I can help him if he is oppressed, but how can I help him if he is an oppressor?” He said, “By preventing him from oppressing others. That is your helping him.”
(al-Bukhari)

Stopping someone from wronging others is itself a form of help, both for the victim and for the oppressor, because it saves the oppressor from sin and punishment.

Helping According to One’s Ability

Islam recognizes that people differ in means, strength, and time. Allah does not burden a soul beyond what it can bear.

“Allah does not burden a soul beyond its capacity.”
(Qur’an 2:286)

The Prophet ﷺ taught that even a small act can have great value. For those unable to give much, he opened various paths: a good word, a smile, removing harm, or making duʿāʾ. No one is cut off from the chance to help.

He ﷺ said:

“Do not belittle any good deed, even if it is to meet your brother with a cheerful face.”
(Muslim)

At the same time, a Muslim should not endanger himself or neglect his obligations to those directly under his care. He balances his desire to help with wisdom. He helps as much as he can, without falling into harm that he cannot bear or neglecting duties that Allah has made foremost upon him.

Inner State When Helping: Humility and Gratitude

The attitude of the believer when helping others is very important. He does not see himself as superior or use his help to humiliate people. Instead, he feels honoured that Allah used him as a tool to deliver goodness.

The Qur’an shows the speech of the righteous when they help.

“…We feed you only for the Face of Allah. We desire from you neither reward nor thanks.”
(Qur’an 76:9)

This speech reflects humility. They declare that their help is for Allah and they do not expect gratitude. In their hearts, they know that the one who is helped is actually a cause for their own forgiveness and reward.

Helping others should increase a person’s gratitude, because seeing others’ difficulties reminds him of Allah’s blessings upon him. It should increase softness of heart, not pride.

The Prophet ﷺ warned against reminding people of one’s favours. Allah dislikes those who give and then ruin their gifts by boasting and harm.

“O you who have believed, do not invalidate your charities with reminders [of it] or injury, like one who spends his wealth [only] to be seen by the people…”
(Qur’an 2:264)

So the believer helps quietly when possible, avoids boasting, and prays that Allah accepts the deed.

Hope in Reward and Fear of Falling Short

Helping others is one of the surest ways to accumulate reward and erase sins. The Prophet ﷺ said:

“A Muslim is the brother of a Muslim: he does not wrong him nor abandon him nor despise him. Whoever is in the need of his brother, Allah will be in his need. Whoever relieves a Muslim of a hardship, Allah will relieve him of a hardship on the Day of Resurrection. Whoever conceals a Muslim’s faults, Allah will conceal his faults on the Day of Resurrection.”
(al-Bukhari, Muslim)

The believer lives between hope and fear. He hopes for Allah’s promise of aid and mercy when he supports others. At the same time, he fears being selfish, hard hearted, or neglectful, which may lead to losing Allah’s help.

Remembering the example of the Prophet ﷺ, who was described as “most generous” especially in times of need, the Muslim strives to match that character in his own capacity. He seeks opportunities, in family, community, and the wider world, to be a source of benefit.

Walking Through Life as a Helper

Helping others in Islam is not a separate project or occasional campaign. It is a way of walking through life. The Muslim sees people’s needs in daily interactions and responds as much as he can. He sees his time, health, knowledge, and wealth as trusts from Allah to be used for the benefit of others.

By doing this, he follows the path of the Prophet ﷺ, who never turned away a genuine request when he was able to answer it. He also strengthens the unity and mercy of the Ummah, which is described as one body. When one part feels pain, the rest responds.

“The example of the believers in their mutual love, mercy, and compassion is that of a single body. When one limb suffers, the whole body responds with sleeplessness and fever.”
(al-Bukhari, Muslim)

A believer who helps others lives this hadith. He feels others’ pain and takes action. Through that, he becomes a person beloved to Allah, beloved to people, and successful in this world and the next.