A KINDNESS REMINDER FOR MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS WEEK
In the name of Allah, the most Merciful, always Merciful.
This week is the last one in Ramadan, the month of forgiveness and mercy, and it also coincides with Mental Health Awareness Week.
The theme for the week is ‘kindness’. We thought we would remind all of us with some of the guidance from the Quran and Sunnah regarding mercy.
During these challenging times, more than ever we are in need to practice the values of kindness and compassion as individuals, families, communities and the wider society.
Allah the Exalted said:
إِنَّ اللَّهَ بِالنَّاسِ لَرَءُوفٌ رَّحِيمٌ
Verily, Allah is kind and merciful to the people. (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:143)
And Allah said:
لَقَدْ جَاءَكُمْ رَسُولٌ مِّنْ أَنفُسِكُمْ عَزِيزٌ عَلَيْهِ مَا عَنِتُّمْ حَرِيصٌ عَلَيْكُم بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ رَءُوفٌ رَّحِيمٌ
There has certainly come to you a Messenger from among yourselves. Grievous to him is what you suffer, for he is concerned over you and to the believers he is kind and merciful. (Surah At-Tawbah 9:128)
And Allah said:
ثُمَّ قَفَّيْنَا عَلَىٰ آثَارِهِم بِرُسُلِنَا وَقَفَّيْنَا بِعِيسَى ابْنِ مَرْيَمَ وَآتَيْنَاهُ الْإِنجِيلَ وَجَعَلْنَا فِي قُلُوبِ الَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوهُ رَأْفَةً وَرَحْمَةً
Then We sent Our messengers in their footsteps and followed them with Jesus, the son of Mary, and gave him the Gospel. We placed in the hearts of those who followed him kindness and mercy. (Surah Al-Hadeed 57:27)
And Allah said:
فَقُولَا لَهُ قَوْلًا لَّيِّنًا لَّعَلَّهُ يَتَذَكَّرُ أَوْ يَخْشَىٰ
Speak to to Pharaoh mildly that perhaps he may be reminded or fear Allah. (Surah TaHa 20:44)
And Allah said:
فَوَيْلٌ لِّلْمُصَلِّينَ الَّذِينَ هُمْ عَن صَلَاتِهِمْ سَاهُونَ الَّذِينَ هُمْ يُرَاءُونَ وَيَمْنَعُونَ الْمَاعُونَ
Woe to those who pray, who are heedless of their prayer, who pray to be seen and withhold small acts of kindness. (Surah Al-Ma’un 107:4-7)
Aisha, RadhiAllahu Anha, reported: The Messenger of Allah, SallAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam, said:
يَا عَائِشَةُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ رَفِيقٌ يُحِبُّ الرِّفْقَ فِي الْأَمْرِ كُلِّهِ
O Aisha, Allah is kind and He loves kindness in all matters. (Sahih: Bukhari)
Aisha, RadhiAllahu Anha, reported: The Messenger of Allah, SallAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam, said:
يَا عَائِشَةُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ رَفِيقٌ يُحِبُّ الرِّفْقَ وَيُعْطِي عَلَى الرِّفْقِ مَا لَا يُعْطِي عَلَى الْعُنْفِ وَمَا لَا يُعْطِي عَلَى مَا سِوَاهُ
O Aisha, Allah is gentle and He loves gentleness, and He rewards for gentleness what is not granted for harshness, and He does not reward anything else like it. (Sahih: Muslim)
Aisha, RadhiAllahu Anha, reported: I was upon a camel which was misbehaving so I began to strike it, then the Messenger of Allah, SallAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam, said:
عَلَيْكِ بِالرِّفْقِ فَإِنَّ الرِّفْقَ لَا يَكُونُ فِي شَيْءٍ إِلَّا زَانَهُ وَلَا يُنْزَعُ مِنْ شَيْءٍ إِلَّا شَانَهُ
You must be gentle. Verily, gentleness is not in anything except that it beautifies it, and it is not removed from anything except that it disgraces it. (Sahih: Musnad Ahmad)
Aisha, RadhiAllahu Anha, reported: The Messenger of Allah, SallAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam, said:
إِذَا أَرَادَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ بِأَهْلِ بَيْتٍ خَيْرًا أَدْخَلَ عَلَيْهِمْ الرِّفْقَ
If Allah the Exalted intends goodness for a household, He lets gentleness come over them. (Sahih; Musnad Ahmad)
Jareer, RadhiAllahu Anhu, reported: The Messenger of Allah, SallAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam, said:
مَنْ يُحْرَمْ الرِّفْقَ يُحْرَمْ الْخَيْرَ
He who is deprived of kindness is deprived of goodness. (Sahih: Muslim)
Abu Ad-Darda, RadhiAllahu Anhu, reported: The Messenger of Allah, SallAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam, said:
مَنْ أُعْطِيَ حَظَّهُ مِنْ الرِّفْقِ فَقَدْ أُعْطِيَ حَظَّهُ مِنْ الْخَيْرِ وَمَنْ حُرِمَ حَظَّهُ مِنْ الرِّفْقِ فَقَدْ حُرِمَ حَظَّهُ مِنْ الْخَيْرِ
Whoever is given his portion of kindness has been given his portion of goodness, and whoever is deprived of his portion of kindness has been deprived of his portion of goodness. (Sahih: Sunan At-Tirmidhi)
Abu Huraira, RadhiAllahu Anhu, reported: The Messenger of Allah, SallAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam, said:
الْمُؤْمِنُ مُؤْلَفٌ وَلَا خَيْرَ فِيمَنْ لَا يَأْلَفُ وَلَا يُؤْلَفُ
The believer is gracious, for there is no goodness in one who is neither kind nor friendly. (Sahih: Musnad Ahmad)
Anas ibn Malik, RadhiAllahu Anhu, reported: The Messenger of Allah, SallAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam, said:
Harshness is not found in anything except that it disgraces it. Verily, Allah is kind and He loves kindness. (Hasan: Al-Adab Al-Mufrad)
Ibn Mas’ud, RadhiAllahu Anhu, reported: The Messenger of Allah, SallAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam, said:
أَلَا أُخْبِرُكُمْ بِمَنْ يَحْرُمُ عَلَى النَّارِ أَوْ بِمَنْ تَحْرُمُ عَلَيْهِ النَّارُ عَلَى كُلِّ قَرِيبٍ هَيِّنٍ سَهْلٍ
Shall I not tell you for whom the Hellfire is forbidden? It is every person accessible, polite, and mild. (Hasan: Sunan At-Tirmidhi)
Abu Huraira, RadhiAllahu Anhu, reported: The Messenger of Allah, SallAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam, said:
رَأْسُ الْعَقْلِ بَعْدَ الْإِيمَانِ بِاللَّهِ التَّوَدُّدُ إِلَى النَّاسِ
The basis of reasoning, after faith in Allah, is loving kindness toward the people. (Hasan: Al-Mu’jam Al-Awsat)
Jubair, RadhiAllahu Anhu, reported:
وَقَدْ سَمَّاهُ اللَّهُ رَءُوفًا رَحِيمًا
Allah has named the Prophet as kind and merciful. (Sahih: Muslim)
Abu Sulaiman, RadhiAllahu Anhu, reported:
وَكَانَ رَفِيقًا رَحِيمًا
The Prophet was kind-hearted and merciful. (Sahih: Bukhari)
“There is nothing more beneficial for the heart than treating people well and wanting good for them. If you do this, you will gain the love and affection of strangers; you will maintain the companionship and love of friends; and your kindness will extinguish the fire of hatred raging in the breast of your enemy…”
“The person who treats others kindly and thinks well of them, will find that his intention will remain true, he will feel at ease, his heart will be sound and Allah will protect him from evil and calamity.”
Imam ibn al Qayyim (rahimahullah) ~ Madarij al-Salikeen 2/511
May Allah, Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala, maintain us all in His Mercy and Protection. Ameen.
Success comes from Allah, and Allah knows best.