3– Be Willing to Listen 

Sometimes, a suffering person needs a sympathetic ear more than anything else.

Particularly, if you have gone through a similar circumstance, you can offer empathy as a listener.

However, make sure your listening session doesn’t become a conversation about you and your problems! Many times, I have seen the “listener” become so emotional about his own experiences with the same problem that he ends up seeking comfort from the very person he intended to help! 

Also, it goes without saying that whatever you hear from your friend should not be repeated to anyone else.  His suffering should not be fodder for gossip.

4 – Be Attentive

Some problems are delicate in nature, and it can be hard to know what to say.

If a person has gone through a divorce or another personal matter, it is not appropriate to pry with intrusive questions.

They might not want to talk about the details, and we should not push them. 

However, we can still offer support in a general way, for almost any situation, by saying, “It sounds like you’re going through a hard time now. I’m here if you need anything, or if you want to talk.”

5– Find the Most Vulnerable

Please be especially supportive of the most vulnerable members of your community.

When they experience trauma, it is crucial that we help as much as possible. Who is the most vulnerable? 

There are too many to enumerate, but here are some examples:

Muslims who are living far from their homelands and their families.

Converts who may have lost their connections with non-Muslim family and friends.

Our black brothers and sisters, despite being of the Ummah in which “a white does not have superiority over a black, nor a black has superiority over a white, except by piety and good actions,” according to the Prophet (PBUH), still routinely experience racism and ostracism amongst their brethren. 

Muslims with disabilities. The elderly.  Widows and widowers.

The list could go on, and perhaps in some ways, we are all vulnerable. All the more reason to be mindful of each other!

6- Take Action

Should Muslims Only Help Other Muslims In Need?

Don’t just talk, take action!  Bad news tends to spread quickly, but what good is sharing news if nothing is done to help?

Earn good deeds by avoiding gossip and using your communication with others to plan ways to help the person in need.

Allah SWT loves the believers who help one another for His sake.

Surely, to be loved by Him is the greatest ambition. There are opportunities every day to help a brother or sister in need.

Let’s look up from our screens, beyond our immediate concerns, and open our hearts to the members of our Ummah who desperately need our help.

***

This article is from our archive, originally published on an earlier date and highlighted here for its importance.