The People of Doom

5. Any merciful deed is an act of worship: The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, considered mercy the best of human virtues and deemed any merciful deed to be one of the purest acts of worship. Thus, the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, told us that Allah the Almighty considers being merciful to others an act of worship done for His Sake;

Acts of kindness: acts of worship! So if you visit the sick or feed the hungry, it is as if you were doing a favour to Allah the Almighty. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, has transmitted from Allah Most High in a hadith qudsi:

O son of Adam! I was ill, but you did not visit Me! He responds: O Lord! How could I have visited You, the Lord of all the Worlds?! Allah says: Did you not know that My slave so-and-so was ill, but you did not visit him? Did you not know that if you had visited him, you would have found Me with him?

O son of Adam! I asked you to feed Me, but you didn’t. He responds: O Lord! How could I have fed You, the Lord of all the Worlds? Allah says: Did you not know that My slave so-and-so asked you to feed him but you did not feed him?! Did you not know that if you had fed him, you would have found that (which you gave) with Me? [Muslim, on the authority of Abu Huraira]

. أي عمل رحيم عبادةً من أزكى العبادات 5 ويجعل النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم الرحمة فوق الفضائل الإنسانية كلها، فيجعل كل عمل رحيم عبادةً من أزكى العبادات، فعند النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم أن أعمالنا الرحيمة التي نسديها للآخرين إنما يراها الله قُربات توجه إليه ذاته، فإذا زرت مريضاً فأنت إنما تزور الله، وإذا أطعمت جائعاً فكأنما تطعم الله، يقول عليه الصلاة والسلام فيما يرويه عن ربه :

(( يا بن آدم مرضت ولم تعدني، قال يا رب كيف أعودك وأنت رب العالمين، قال أما علمت أن عبدي فلان مرض فلم تعده ، أما علمت أنك لوعدته لوجدتني عنده، يا ابن آدم استطعمتك فلم تطعمني، قال : يا رب كيف أطعمك وأنت رب العالمين؟ قال : أما علمت أنه استطعمك عبدي فلان فلم تطعمه، أما علمت أنك لو أطعمته لوجدت ذلك عندي )). [ أخرجه مسلم عن أبي هريرة ]