الحمد لله رب العالمين
والصلاة والسلام على المبعوث رحمة العالمين
وعلى آله وصحبه ومن تبعهم بالخير إلى يوم يبعثون
Assalāmu Alaykum Warahmatullāh Wabarakātuh
Honored brothers and sisters, we have been on our topic yesternight on the Basics of a Healthy Society and we stopped in our explanation of the Hadīth in which the Rasūl – salallāhu alayhi wasallam – said:
“O People, spread the Salām, feed people, tie the bonds of kinship, and observe the Salāt in the night while others are asleep, you shall enter into the Jannah with Peace.”
Which was recorded by Imām Al-Bukhāri rahimahullah
As for feeding people, then it is of the excellent of ways that everyone in the society been poor or rich is fed what satisfies him. For this reason, Feeding People in the Sharī’ah has two Rulings;
There is that which is obligatory and that includes one of three possibilities:
1. The Muslim Ruler – Imām – must ensure that the entire People under his Leadership are fed. This is not of those things that he has a choice about for every Shepherd must be questioned regarding his herd.
2. A man must feed his wife, children and parents. This is not of the things about which he has some choice
3. Kaffārah (Expiation) This is seen in the Kaffara of Broken Oaths (Al-Yamīn).
About this, Allah – ta’ālā – said:
فكفارته إطعام عشرة مساكين من أوسط ما تطعمون أهليكم أو كسوتهم أو تحرير رقبة فمن لم يجد فصيام ثلاثة أيام ذلك كفارة أيمانكم إذا حلفتم واحفظوا أيمانكم كذلك يبين الله لكم آياته لعلكم تشكرون ) .
“Thus, its expiation is to feed ten Needy People in equivalent of that which you feed your families, or clothing them, or freeing the slave. Then whosoever does not find the wherewithal to do those, then let him fast three days. This is the expiation of your Oaths when you swear. And safeguard your Oaths. Thus does Allāh explain to you His Signs that you may show gratitude.”
This shows the importance of feeding the needy and the poor that Allah made it the first of the options of expiating for the Broken Oaths. This is also seen in the Fidya (Compensation) for deliberate breaking of fast in Ramadān. Then there is the Feeding that is encouraged (Mustahabb). About it, the Rasūl – salallāhu Alayhi Wasallam – said: When he was asked by ‘Amr Ibn ‘Abasah – radiyallāhu anhu; “What is Islām?”
He answered:
: طِيبُ الْكَلاَمِ وَإِطْعَامُ الطَّعَامِ
“Excellent Speech and Feeding others”
This was recorded by Imām Ahmad in the Musnad.
The Rasūl – salallāhu alayhi wasallam – thus summed Islām up in the excellence of speech which includes the Tawhid of Allāh, the giving of everything is due right on the tongue, and then the extension of good to others as represented in feeding.
And when He – salallāhu alayhi wasallam – was asked about the best of Islām, he said:
تطعم الطعام وتقرأ السلام على من عرفت ومن لم تعرف
“That you should feed others and say the Salām to those you know and those you do not know”
This was recorded by both Imām Al-Bukhari and Imām Muslim.
Can’t you see, o beloved one, that feeding others and providing food to the society isn’t just a social good. It also keeps the society in check and makes the masses satisfied.
One of the greatest causes of Revolutions in human history is Hunger.
The French Revolution was mainly caused by it. Historians with tell you that.
In our history, we have similar situations past. The Misran Historian, the Imām, Abū Al-‘Abbās Al-Maqrīzī – rahimahullāh – lived in a time in Misr (Egypt) when there was severe famine that was followed by an epidemic. His only daughter lost her life in that epidemic.
And he wanted to author a book to record that suffering and to console the People of Misr by reminding them of the people before them who experienced similar situations.
He therefore, titled his book: “Ighāthatu Al-Ummah Bi Kashfi Al-Ghummah”
Recording in it the historical famines of Egypt and how they resulted into Revolutions and or epidemics. We ask Allāh to protect our Ummah from that, āmīn.
Then, maintaining and strengthening the bonds of kinship.
Had everyone in the society been involved in strengthening the bonds of his kinship, the society would have been stronger and more knit. For indeed, most societies are Inter-related in kinship.
People who strive to service their bonds of kinship end up discovering that they have many more relatives than they are aware of. Now, if everybody was to do that, most problems in the society would have vanished.
The Rasūl – salallāhu alayhi wasallam – was ordered by Allāh to begin his message from those who are closest to him of kin and to save from the Fire of Hell, those who are closest of his relatives as much as he can Zakāt and Sadaqāt are also commanded to be began from the near relatives before the distant.
This is to ensure that people do not give out their riches while their neighbours are hungry
Those three: spreading the Salām, feeding the people and maintaining the ties of kinship, are for the society and a man’s outward. But for himself, the Rasūl – salallāhu alayhi wasallam – said:
“And observe the Salāt in the night while others are asleep”
Salāt in the night strengthens the Īmān, it makes one brave, steadfast upon the truth, sharpens the memory, refreshes the heart, and increases one’s health. Allah looks at His Servant that observes the night Salāt while others are asleep and looks u to him with Mercy and Forgiveness.
Brothers and Sisters, What we have explained are the basic needs for a society to be sound, excellent, free of harm, and healthy for living. This is the recipe that Islām gave for that. We ask Allah to be bountiful to us and to make us of His pious servants.
اللهم ابرم لأمتنا امر رشد يعز فيها اهل الطاعة، ويذل فيها اهل المعصية
Āmīn
Bārakallāhu fīkum
Jazākumullāhu Khayran
Assalāmu alaykum Warahmatullāh Wabarakātuh
سبحان ربك رب العزة عما يصفون
وسلام على المرسلين
والحمد لله رب العالمين
