Malfuzat - Volume VII — Page 89
29 December 1904 89 Virtue is Verily the Ladder of All Progress Everyone should study himself daily to see how far he cares for these matters and how far he sympathises with his brothers and shows them kindness. There is a great responsibility placed on man in this respect. It has been mentioned in the s a hih h ad i th [authentic hadith] that on the Day of Resurrection, God Almighty will say: ‘I was hungry, and you did not feed Me. I was thirsty, and you did not give Me water. I was sick, and you did not visit Me. ’ Those who will be asked this question will reply: ‘O our Lord! When were You hungry that we did not give You food? When were You thirsty that we did not provide You with water, and when were You sick and we did not visit You?’ Then God Almighty will say that My servant who is so-and-so needed these things, but you did not show him any sympathy. Sympathy for him was verily sympathy for Me. 1 In this very manner, He will say to another group: ‘Well done! You showed Me sympathy. I was hungry; you fed Me. I was thirsty; you gave Me water, etc. ’ That party will say: ‘O our God! When did we do this to You?’ Then Allah the Exalted will reply that the compassion you showed to such and such a servant of Mine was the same as showing Me compassion. In fact, sympathizing with God’s creation is an extremely impor- tant matter, and God Almighty is very pleased by it. What would be a greater outcome from this than He showing His own sympathy? It generally occurs exactly so in this world as well, that if someone’s servant goes to his friend and that friend does not even show him any regard, will the master of that servant be 1. S a hih Muslim, Kit a bul-Birr wa a s - S ilati wal- A d a b, B a b Fa d l ‘Iy a dati al-Mar id , Hadith 2569 [Publisher]