Salman Spiritual
Towards the Inner Vision of the Truth
Candle Image

"Lo! those who believe and do good works, their Lord guideth them by their faith." — Holy Qur'an 10:9

 

:: Post No. 8: Participating in Voluntary Service and Charity ::

Monday, Jul. 14, 2025

Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim
In the name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful.

 

Ya Ali Madad! This post has three parts.

1. Selected verses from beautiful ginans of our Holy Pirs;
2. Knowledge Section; and
3. Angelic Salwat Dhikr.

 

Part 1: Teachings of Pir Hasan Kabirdin (r.a.)

The following three verses are taken from Pir Hasan Kabirdin's Anant Akhado on the topic of seva (voluntary service):

Âshâji âl nabini jugmâ(n)hê âvi
tinku(n) purâ srêvoji
âgal vêlâ doali âvê
tê mâ(n)hê na rahêvê chi(n)t
Hari ana(n)t
387
Oh Lord The progeny of the Prophet has come in this age
serve him completely and devotedly
so that if difficult times come in the future,
you will be saved from worries and concerns.
Hari You are eternal;
387
Âshâji imân salâmat shâhku(n) srêvo
harâm tamâku(n) vâroji
shêtân sharâbthi duraj rahêjo
to poho(n)cho dêv duâr
Hari ana(n)t
390
Oh Lord With the Faith well secured, serve the Lord.
Abandon illicit tobacco and drugs
and stay away completely from the evil intoxicants (alcohol)
then you will reach the abode of the Lord.
Hari You are eternal;
390
Âshâji dio daso(n)d nê Alynê sêvo
to man kariyo vadhâiyu(n)ji
to mahâdan tamnê doyalo na lâgê
bêso shahpirnê pâs
Hari ana(n)t
82
Oh Lord Submit tithe (dasond) and serve your Imam
then only your mind will become magnanimous.
On the Day of reckoning you will be shielded from the
burden of trials and tribulations and you will be sitting
in the presence of the Lord (i.e., you will be
continually bestowed with noorani didar).
Hari You are eternal;
82

 

It is quite clear from the above verses that voluntary service leads the devoted momin to the abode of Mowla and a place where there is continual didar, provided other actions and religious obligations are being meet. This is a recurring theme in ginan verses on the topic of seva (voluntary service).

 

Part 2a: What is the background for voluntary service and what are its benefits?

In order to answer this question, let us study the following:

  1. Quranic Teaching on Voluntary Service (1):
    "It is said in verse (47:12): "O you who believe, if you help Allah, He will help you, and make your foot-hold firm." The value of every kind of religious service has been elevated to the heaven in this verse. It is not possible for man of frail constitution to help God, but this is a proof of the paramount importance of religious service that He, in His kindness, has raised the slavery of His slaves to such a lofty rank and promised to grant them success in their good deeds with His heavenly and spiritual help."
    [Source: A Thousand Wisdoms, p.9]
     
  2. Quranic Teaching on Voluntary Service (2):
    "Verse (3:52) says: "But when 'Isa become conscious of their disbelief, he said: Who will be my helpers unto God? The disciples said: We will be God's helpers." Another verse (61:14): "O you who believe! Be helpers of God, as 'Isa, son of Maryam, said to the disciples: Who will be my helpers unto God? The disciples said: We are the helpers of God."
     
    The gist of these two verses is that those who wish to help God, should help the Prophet, and those who wish to help the Prophet should help the Imam of the time, so that they may receive the help of God, the Prophet and the Imam, in the form of external and internal guidance and as a result they will be the fountainhead of human powers and they will be provided with the means of success in both worlds."
    [Source: Ya Ali Madad, p.24]
     
  3. Ta'wil of word 'Nasir' (helper):
    "Some blessed names and titles of the Holy Prophet (s.a.s.) are such that from their significance and meanings, it becomes vividly clear that he was the protector, defender, supporter, helper and an example for his people. This is clear from his holy name "Nasir" which means helper and supporter and by which is meant the giver of spiritual and luminous help (tayid). And in this there cannot be any surprise as he is the universal mercy of God for the people of the entire world. If someone thinks with his intellect, he will come to understand that mercy is not the name of only one favour, but includes all favours, including help, support, and protection. And the same perfect attributes belong to exalted Ali (a.s.) and the noble and holy Imam from his progeny. Therefore, if we say "Ya Ali Madad" how can anyone say that we have said something against God's will? We have not said anything in this that is against God's will, rather, by saying this we have recourse to that means which has been appointed by God and His Messenger of mercy."
    [Source: Ya Ali Madad, pp. 16-17]

 

In his firman to the Edmonton Jamat on April 24, 1983, NOOR Mowlana Shah Karim Al-Hussaini (a.s.) said:

"In our Jamat, for centuries, there has been the most admirable tradition of service and this tradition has existed in times of happiness, in times of difficulty and it has been a fundamental pillar in our Jamat, that is, that the spirit of Muslim brotherhood should be made evident, not only in treating each man and each woman as a brother but demonstrating that brotherhood by rendering service, service without remuneration, without recognition, without titles, without social status, simply rendering service."

Part 2b. The Importance and Benefits of Charity

Let us first reflect upon the following ayats from the Holy Qur'an and also read the footnotes:


Footnote 309

"Vrs. 2:274. (309) It is an accepted fact even by scholars of the Sunni school that this verse was revealed in praise of [Hazrat] Ali who offered them only four dirhams and gave them in charity—one by night, one in day, one secretly and one openly. It is reported through Ibraham ibne Saleh, Yousuf bin Bilal, Muhammad bin Haroon, Muhammad bin Saleh, Abi Saleh and Ibne Abbas, that the Holy Prophet said that this verse was revealed in the praise of Ali since he parted with four dinars he possessed in this world, as said above. Once [when] Ali met the Holy Prophet, the Holy Prophet asked why he parted with whatever he had, Ali replied "to please God I had nothing more than this and I will be fully satisfied if God accepts it." This verse was revealed to the Holy Prophet."

(Source: S. V. Mir Ahmed Ali's translation of the Holy Qu'ran, p.237)


Footnote 301

"Vrs. 2:265. (301) The extraordinary or special stress on charity that Islam lays, is a clear evidence of main or sole object of religion being the welfare of the human race as a whole, and thus the creed being undoubtedly a universal religion revealed by the Creator Lord of all, Who has Himself made Mercy incumbent upon Himself (Vr. 6:12 and 6:54).

No other religion in the world has stressed so much upon charity as Islam has done. It is a cardinal doctrine or the fundamental article of the practice of the faith, closely associated or identified with the 'Wajib' or the compulsory prayer to God. The faith, Islam, when translated into action take the form mainly of prayer and charity. Faith unless proved in action is nothing but a bogus claim, acceptable neither by man nor by God.

The merit of charity lies in the spirit or the intention underlying it. The tall trees of a garden do not very much depend upon the rainfall. To draw sufficient nutrition from the soil in which they have sent roots very deep, it makes very little difference to such trees whether it rains heavily or lightly. The heavy or light rain is compared to external circumstances that seems to make a difference in the productive aspect of charity.

The verse exhorts to assure the sincere believers in particular and every member of the human family in general that every act of virtue has an energy of its own, to grow in this life and also in the next, and it has fountains of life to draw upon even if there were nothing to nourish them."

(Source: S. V. Mir Ahmed Ali's translation of the Holy Qu'ran, p.234-5)

Hadith: Sadaqa has to be from Lawful Sources

"Abu Huraira reported God's messenger as saying, "If anyone gives as sadaqa the equivalent of a date from something lawfully earned, for God accepts only what is lawful, God will accept it with His right hand, then foster it for the one who gave it as one of you fosters his colt, till it becomes like a mountain." (Bukhari and Muslim) "

(Source: Dr. James Robson, Mishkat al Masabih, Vol. 1, p.402)

Hadith: Different Forms of Sadaqa

"Abu Dharr reported God's messenger as saying, "When you smile in your brother's face, or enjoin what is reputable, or forbid what is objectionable, or direct someone who has lost the way, or help a man who has bad eyesight, or remove stones, thorns and bones from the road, or pour water from your bucket into your brother's, it counts to you as 'sadaqa'. Tirmidhi transmitted it , saying that is a gharib tradition. "

(Source: Dr. James Robson, Mishkat al Masabih, Vol. 1, p.405-6)

Hadith: Sadaqa Stands in the way of Calamity

"Ali reported God's messenger as saying, "Give the sadaqa without delay, for it stands in the way of calamity." Razin transmitted it."

(Source: Dr. James Robson, Mishkat al Masabih, Vol. 1, p.401)

Hadith: Protection of Sadaqa

"Marthad b. 'Abdallah said one of the companions of God's messenger told him that he had heard him say, "The believer's shade on the day of resurrection will be his 'sadaqa'." Ahmad transmitted it."

(Source: Dr. James Robson, Mishkat al Masabih, Vol. 1, p.409)

 

 

Part 3. Angelic Salwat
Let us recite angelic salwats to invoke Divine grace and mercy.

Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim
In the name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful

Allâhumâ salli alâ Muhammadin wa âle Muhammad:
O Allah! Bestow Peace on and through Muhammad and his Descendants

33 beads recited by Noorallah Juma

or

101 beads recited by Noorallah Juma

Al-hamdu lillahi rabbil 'alamin.
Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds!

 

Haizinda — Qayampaya
(Our Present Imam is Living and His NOOR is Eternal)

 

Holy Noorani Didar Preparation Gems