KINDNESS IS LIVING AND REVITILIZATION
Human life which is limited and restricted to a certain time and place which ends when the time has come. Kindness saves humans from feeling the absence of death. Kindness is an enormous opportunity which sustains abundance even after the death of the body. It is possible to show that foundation culture, one of the building blocks of Islamic Civilization, is one of the best examples for cognizance of permanent kindness and living with kindness after death. Our Rasulullah ﷺ says by telling us about this permanence “when a man dies, his deeds come to an end except for three things: Sadaqah Jariyah (ceaseless charity); a knowledge which is beneficial; or a virtuous descendant who prays for him (for the deceased).”
The leading Islamic scholars state that every step taken towards goodness and truthfulness will be permanently recorded in ‘Lawh-i-mahfuz and the goodness that is shared with other people will receive reward. “Verily, We shall give life to the dead, and We record that which they send before and that which they leave behind, and of all things have We taken account in a clear Book (of evidence)”.By commenting on the verse of the Quran, scholars express that people who take the road to goodness, their footsteps will be recorded accordingly.
In a remote neighbourhood far from Rasulullah ﷺ ’s Mosque in Madinah , the Salama sons wanted to move into a house closer to the mosque and Rasulullah ﷺ said: “O the sons of Salama, for every step you take to the mosque your footprints will be recorded.” Quran exegete, Ibn Kathir, while explaining this verse, used the narration of the beloved Rasulullah ﷺ as a supplementary or complementary meaning to the verse: “Whoever revives a Sunnah of mine he will have a reward equivalent to that of the people who follow him, without it detracting in the least from their reward”.
Those who choose the path of goodness in everything that they do, materialistically and spiritually will not only contribute and revive their own lives they will benefit those around them and their communities. Kindness is a tradition that is inherited from previous generations of mankind for future generations to prosper. The survival of humanity is dependent of human kindness, therefore, mankind “should think about what they will leave behind” after they depart from this world.
The beloved Rasulullah ﷺ and his distinguished successors, despite scarcity in resources always preferred to be kind and generous to those they encountered on a journey. Rasulullah ﷺ owned of a portion of land in Madinah, a share of Fadek and Khaybar that was given to him as a bounty were generously donated it to the needy in the form of charity. Similarly, Umar bin Khattab RA, Uthamn bin Affan RA, Ali ibn Abi Talib RA owned land, wells and water supply and donated them and alocated their new respective owners. Other companions such as Jabir bin Abdullah RA turned their homes and land into foundations (non-for-profit organisations, that provide resources) for people like emigrants (Muhajirun) and Helpers (Ansar), and they did so inconspicuously and surreptitiously.
