Central Khutbah: “Compassion Towards Those in Distress is a Believer’s Virtue”
Praise be to Allah, Lord of all the worlds, who has guided us to the right path and made us among those who do good. I bear witness that there is no deity except Allah, the One without partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger. May peace and blessings be upon our beloved Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, his family, his companions, and all who follow them until the Day of Judgment. Ameen.
Dear brothers and sisters, today we will speak about a noble quality essential in the life of every believer: compassion for those in distress. Compassion, empathy, and kindness are qualities that should characterize every Muslim, as they are what bring us closer to one another, binding us and making us aware of each other. Our attitude toward other Muslims, and toward people in general, reflects the state of our faith (iman), for compassion toward our brothers and sisters in faith comes from love and care for them, as exemplified by our Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.
Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyya, rahimahullah, said:
“There are various ways to show compassion towards Muslims:
• Compassion with wealth
• Compassion through reputation
• Physical compassion and assistance
• Compassion through advice and guidance
• Compassion through supplications and seeking forgiveness for them
• Compassion through empathy
A Muslim’s compassion towards other Muslims is proportional to the strength of their faith (iman); the stronger and greater the faith, the more powerful the compassion, and the weaker the faith, the less the compassion and empathy towards Muslims.”
These insights from Ibn al-Qayyim, rahimahullah, teach us different forms of compassion, each one being important and valuable. To truly understand the meaning of compassion, we must look at how the best among us, our predecessors, the companions, and the pious generations who followed them, embodied this quality and applied it in their daily lives.
Compassion through wealth means giving material help to those in need, whether through charity (sadaqah), zakat, or any form of financial assistance. This is a trait of those who are conscious that everything they possess is, in reality, a blessing from Allah that has been entrusted to them, and they wish for their brothers and sisters to also benefit from these blessings. In this way, they do good for themselves as well, for the Almighty says:
“Whatever you spend in His cause, He will compensate it; He is the best of providers.” (Saba, 39)
Compassion through reputation means using one’s status, position, or influence in society to help others. If we have the opportunity to intercede for someone, to advocate in situations where our voice can bring benefit, it is our way of showing compassion. The companions often used their words and authority to help their fellow people, recalling the words of the Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam:
“Whoever eases the distress of someone in difficulty, Allah will make things easier for them on the Day of Judgment.”
Physical compassion and help can mean assisting through personal effort and labor, whether that involves removing obstacles, helping in difficult tasks, or supporting those who need strength and encouragement. This was the practice of the Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, who was always at the service of his community.
Compassion through advice and guidance, through wise counsel and sincere concern, reflects a true desire for others’ well-being. Advice given from the heart, solely for Allah’s pleasure, brings happiness, success, and peace to those who receive it. The Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, taught us to be advisors to one another, saying:
“Religion is sincere advice.”
Compassion through supplication and seeking forgiveness for others is one of the most beautiful acts a person can do for their brothers and sisters. Supplicating for others nurtures love in hearts, and Allah, the Exalted, encourages us to have such concern for others, as the supplication we make for our brothers and sisters is also granted for ourselves.
Compassion through empathy involves feeling the pain of others and sharing in their hardship, even if we cannot physically assist them. In this way, we show our solidarity and understanding of their circumstances. This was exemplified by the pious man Bishr al-Hafi on a cold, rainy day when Muslims found him in an unusual state.
“It is related that a group of Muslims visited the pious Bishr al-Hafi on a cold and rainy day, and found him half-dressed, huddled in a corner of his room. They asked him, ‘What happened to you, Abu Nasr?’ He replied, ‘I remembered the poor who do not have enough clothing and who endure great cold on this day, and I have nothing with which to comfort them and express my compassion, so I wanted to share their pain in this way.’” (Ibn al-Qayyim, Al-Fawaid)
This story of Bishr al-Hafi shows how essential it is to feel compassion for others. Even when we do not have material means to help them, we can remember their condition and share in their struggles through our thoughts, prayers, and feelings. The compassion that arises from the heart of a true believer never goes unnoticed by Allah, for Allah loves those who show compassion and come to the aid of others.
Brothers and sisters, the richness of our faith is reflected in our compassion towards others. Our beloved Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, embodied all these aspects of compassion in his relationships with his companions, and we are expected to follow him. The more sincere we are in our following of the Prophet’s sunnah, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, the greater our compassion for other Muslims will be.
We ask Allah, Lord of all the worlds, to instill true compassion and love for all believers in our hearts. We ask Him to make us among those who help, advise, show compassion, and seek forgiveness for their brothers and sisters. Ameen!
(Central khutbah by the religious leader Hafiz Hilmija Redžić on October 4, 2024, at the “Association Fraternelle Musulmane” in Mersch)
