Endeavor to help a Believer

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا الْحَسَنِ ع يَقُولُ‌ إِنَّ لِلَّهِ عِبَاداً فِي الْأَرْضِ يَسْعَوْنَ فِي حَوَائِجِ النَّاسِ هُمُ الْآمِنُونَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَ مَنْ أَدْخَلَ عَلَى مُؤْمِنٍ سُرُوراً فَرَّحَ‌[1] اللَّهُ قَلْبَهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ.

“I heard abu al-Hassan (a.s.) saying, ‘There are servants of Allah on earth who endeavor to help people, these (helping ones) will be secure and safe on the Day of Judgment. Whoever sends joy to the heart of a believer, on the Day of Judgment, Allah will fill his heart with joy.’”

قَالَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ ع‌ مَنْ مَشَى فِي حَاجَةِ أَخِيهِ الْمُسْلِمِ أَظَلَّهُ اللَّهُ بِخَمْسَةٍ وَ سَبْعِينَ أَلْفَ مَلَكٍ‌[2] وَ لَمْ يَرْفَعْ قَدَماً إِلَّا كَتَبَ اللَّهُ لَهُ حَسَنَةً وَ حَطَّ عَنْهُ بِهَا سَيِّئَةً وَ يَرْفَعُ لَهُ بِهَا دَرَجَةً فَإِذَا فَرَغَ مِنْ حَاجَتِهِ كَتَبَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ لَهُ بِهَا أَجْرَ حَاجٍّ وَ مُعْتَمِرٍ.

“Abu Ja’far (a.s.) has said, ‘One who walks to help his Muslim brother (in belief) Allah will make seventy-five thousand angels to provide him shadow and for each step that he walks Allah writes for him one good deed, deletes one of his sins and raises him by one degree in meritorious satus. When he completes the help,

لَأَنْ أَمْشِيَ فِي حَاجَةِ أَخٍ لِي مُسْلِمٍ أَحَبُّ إِلَيَّ مِنْ أَنْ أُعْتِقَ أَلْفَ نَسَمَةٍ وَ أَحْمِلَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ عَلَى أَلْفِ فَرَسٍ‌[4] مُسْرَجَةٍ مُلْجَمَةٍ.

“Walking to help my Muslim brother (in belief) is more beloved to me than setting free one thousand souls and donating one thousand horses, saddled and harnessed, ready for use in the way of Allah.”

مَا مِنْ مُؤْمِنٍ يَمْشِي لِأَخِيهِ الْمُؤْمِنِ‌[5] فِي حَاجَةٍ إِلَّا كَتَبَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ لَهُ بِكُلِّ خُطْوَةٍ حَسَنَةً وَ حَطَّ عَنْهُ بِهَا سَيِّئَةً وَ رَفَعَ لَهُ بِهَا دَرَجَةً وَ زِيدَ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ عَشْرُ حَسَنَاتٍ وَ شُفِّعَ فِي عَشْرِ حَاجَاتٍ.

“Whoever of the believing people walks to help his believing brother, Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, writes one good deed for him for every step of his walking, deletes one sin and raises him one degree in meritorious status, adds ten good deeds thereafter and accepts his intercession in ten issues.”

مَنْ سَعَى فِي حَاجَةِ أَخِيهِ الْمُسْلِمِ طَلَبَ وَجْهِ اللَّهِ كَتَبَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ لَهُ أَلْفَ أَلْفِ حَسَنَةٍ يَغْفِرُ فِيهَا لِأَقَارِبِهِ وَ جِيرَانِهِ وَ إِخْوَانِهِ‌ وَ مَعَارِفِهِ وَ مَنْ صَنَعَ إِلَيْهِ مَعْرُوفاً فِي الدُّنْيَا فَإِذَا كَانَ يَوْمُ الْقِيَامَةِ قِيلَ لَهُ ادْخُلِ النَّارَ فَمَنْ وَجَدْتَهُ فِيهَا صَنَعَ إِلَيْكَ مَعْرُوفاً فِي الدُّنْيَا فَأَخْرِجْهُ بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلّ

“One who endeavors to help his Muslim brother (in belief) for the sake of Allah, Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, writes for him one million good deeds, grants forgiveness to his relatives, neighbors, brothers, those whom he knows and those who has done favors for him in the worldly life. On the Day of Judgment

مَنْ سَعَى فِي حَاجَةِ أَخِيهِ الْمُسْلِمِ فَاجْتَهَدَ فِيهَا فَأَجْرَى اللَّهُ عَلَى يَدَيْهِ قَضَاءَهَا كَتَبَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ لَهُ حَجَّةً وَ عُمْرَةً وَ اعْتِكَافَ شَهْرَيْنِ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ وَ صِيَامَهُمَا وَ إِنِ اجْتَهَدَ فِيهَا وَ لَمْ يُجْرِ اللَّهُ قَضَاءَهَا عَلَى يَدَيْهِ كَتَبَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ لَهُ حَجَّةً وَ عُمْرَةً.

“Whoever endeavors to help his Muslim brother (in belief) and strives in it and Allah makes it (such help) possible through him, Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, writes down for him the reward for one Hajj, one ‘Umrah and ‘l’tikaf (a certain form of worship) for two months in the Sacred Mosque with fasting. If

كَفَى بِالْمَرْءِ اعْتِمَاداً عَلَى أَخِيهِ أَنْ يُنْزِلَ بِهِ حَاجَتَهُ.

“A believer’s asking help from his brother (in belief) is enough proof of the former’s trust in the latter.”

كُنْتُ جَالِساً مَعَ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع إِذْ دَخَلَ عَلَيْهِ رَجُلٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ مَكَّةَ يُقَالُ لَهُ مَيْمُونٌ فَشَكَا إِلَيْهِ تَعَذُّرَ الْكِرَاءِ عَلَيْهِ‌[1] فَقَالَ لِي قُمْ فَأَعِنْ أَخَاكَ فَقُمْتُ مَعَهُ فَيَسَّرَ اللَّهُ كِرَاهُ فَرَجَعْتُ إِلَى مَجْلِسِي فَقَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع مَا صَنَعْتَ فِي حَاجَةِ أَخِيكَ فَقُلْتُ قَضَاهَا اللَّهُ بِأَبِي أَنْتَ وَ أُمِّي فَقَالَ أَمَا إِنَّكَ أَنْ تُعِينَ‌[

“Once I was in the presence of Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) when a man from the people of Makkah called Maymun came in and complained to him about his difficulty paying his rent. The Imam said to me, ‘Stand up and help your brother (in belief).’ I then left with him and Allah facilitated payment for his rent and I returned to

قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع‌ قَالَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ الْخَلْقُ عِيَالِي فَأَحَبُّهُمْ إِلَيَّ أَلْطَفُهُمْ بِهِمْ وَ أَسْعَاهُمْ فِي حَوَائِجِهِمْ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, ‘Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, has said, “Creatures are My dependents. The most beloved among them to Me is the most compassionate of them toward the others and who endeavors the most to help them.’”

كَانَ حَمَّادُ بْنُ أَبِي حَنِيفَةَ إِذَا لَقِيَنِي قَالَ كَرِّرْ عَلَيَّ حَدِيثَكَ فَأُحَدِّثَهُ قُلْتُ رُوِّينَا أَنَّ عَابِدَ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ كَانَ إِذَا بَلَغَ الْغَايَةَ فِي الْعِبَادَةِ صَارَ مَشَّاءً فِي حَوَائِجِ النَّاسِ عَانِياً بِمَا يُصْلِحُهُمْ.

‘It is narrated to us that the worshippers of Israelites on reaching the perfect stage of worshipping would become the walkers to help meet the needs of people and paid proper attention to benefit them.’”