Zain Ali reflects on Islam's tradition of selfless service as a way of life to develop community relationships.

Our car began to slow down. Dad made a rapid turn and brought it to stop on the left-hand shoulder of the motorway. We were heading for West Auckland; however, the petrol tank had run dry. So there we were, me and Dad, on the side of the motorway. The closest petrol station was a good half hour walk from where we’d stopped. Just as we began contemplating the walk, a car pulled up ahead of us. The driver walked up to Dad: "You right, mate?" "Yeah, nah. We’re out of petrol." "All good. I’ll tow you to the petrol station." We made it to the petrol station a few minutes later. Dad thanked the good Samaritan, and we carried on with our journey.

Listening to Wisdom

The theme of the good Samaritan is important in the Islamic tradition. We find it in the example of Muhammad  — the prophet of Islam. Muhammad had a relatively successful career as a trader, so it is likely he would have travelled the trade routes to Syria, which had a strong Christian presence at the time. Around the age of 40 his life took a spiritual turn. He is reported to have gone on meditative retreats in the hills surrounding Mecca. During one such retreat he described an angel appearing to him and commanding him to recite the following words:

"Read: In the Name of your Lord, Who has created (all that exists). Has created humans from a clot. Read and Your Lord is Most Generous, who taught by the pen, taught humans what they knew not" (Q 96).

This experience was unexpected. Muhammad wasn’t seeking to be a recipient of revelation — he found the experience deeply unsettling. He immediately ran home to his wife Khadija.

As it happens, Khadija was considerably older than him. She was also his boss. Muhammad had been her employee. He was about 25 years old when she proposed to him; Khadija was 40 at the time. So, there he is, running home to Khadija saying:

"'Cover me! Cover me!' They covered him till his fear was over and then he said: 'O Khadija, what is wrong with me?'

Then he told her everything that had happened and said: 'I fear that something may happen to me.'”

Given the highly unusual nature of his experience, Muhammad probably thought he was losing his mind. Khadija’s response to Muhammad is interesting:

"Khadija said: 'Never! But have the glad tidings, for by God, God will never disgrace you as you keep good reactions with your kith and kin, speak the truth, help the poor and the destitute, serve your guest generously and assist the deserving, calamity-afflicted ones.'"

Khadija’s words calm Muhammad, reassure him that God is to be trusted, and would not disgrace a man like him. She knew him as someone who was good to his family and relatives, honest and generous, someone who also helped the poor and the needy. She loves him and she cannot see God as someone who would disgrace a good man. Khadija’s role is pivotal — she could easily have advised Muhammad to simply ignore his experience. Had she done this, there most likely would not be a religion called Islam. Khadija is a key figure in the origins and development of Islam.

Characteristics of Service

So what of the good Samaritan? We should look closely at what Khadija says about Muhammad. The character traits she sees in Muhammad seem to be the kind of traits that would belong to the good Samaritan. While the phrase "good Samaritan" isn’t explicitly used within the Islamic tradition, Muhammad can be seen to embody the character of a good Samaritan. And Khadija can also be seen to embody the spirit of the Samaritan — she sees the good and seeks to bring about the good.

Kindness as Love of Neighbour

There are also Quranic verses that strongly encourage behaviour that is consistent with being a good Samaritan:

". . . worship God and don’t worship anything else, and show kindness to parents, and to kindred, and orphans, and the needy, and to the neighbour that is a kinsman and the neighbour that is a stranger, and the companion by your side, and the wayfarer, and those whom your right hand possess. Surely, God likes not the proud and the boastful" (Q4:37).

These verses echo the dual commandments to love God and to love thy neighbour. Other categories of people are mentioned, too: parents, orphans, the poor, spouses, travellers, the homeless, slaves. Each deserves kindness from the believer. The verse ends with a strong reprimand against those who are full of pride and arrogance — a strong caution against straying from the way of the good Samaritan.

Serving Willingly

In addition to the Qur'an, there are also anecdotes (hadith) from Muhammad which emphasise the importance of helping others, even animals:

"Whoever alleviates [the situation of] one in dire straits who cannot repay his debt, God will alleviate his lot in both this world and in the Hereafter.

A prostitute had once been forgiven. She passed by a dog panting near a well. Thirst had nearly killed him, so she took off her sock, tied it to her veil, and drew up some water [for the dog]. God forgave her [for her sins]."

Muslim tradition also speaks about more intimate forms of service. For instance, Aisha, a wife of Muhammad, was asked about what Muhammad did while he was at home. She answers: "He would serve his family, then when the time for prayer came, he would go out to the prayer."

We don’t know for sure how Muhammad would have served his family, although we could speculate that he helped with the cleaning, tidying, washing and possibly cooking. It’s interesting that Aisha remembered Muhammad for his service to his family. He wasn’t too proud to serve others.

Examples of Serving Others

The idea of service is also a theme that permeates the work and lives of later Muslims. For instance, the 11th-century scholar, Abu Hamid al-Ghazali, said there were three ways to be of service: first, by not being a source of harm to others; second, having a willingness to forgive others; third, through preparedness to serve others.

A more recent example is Abdul Sattar Edhi, who established the Edhi Foundation, which runs the world's largest volunteer ambulance network, along with homeless shelters, animal shelters, rehab centres, and orphanages across Pakistan.

There is a story about a robbery in Pakistan. The crime went unsolved until it became public that the robbers had made off with money intended for the Edhi Foundation. At this point, a member of the Pakistani underworld noted that he would probably end up dead in a ditch one day and Abdul Sattar would be the only person who would care enough to give him a dignified burial. The money was soon returned by the robbers to the Foundation.

As we approach Easter and reflect on the nature of service and the selfless life of Christ, we may reflect, too, on Rumi's words:

"Be a lamp, or a lifeboat, or a ladder. Help someone's soul heal. Walk out of your house like a shepherd." 

Tui Motu Magazine. Issue 236 April 2019: 14-15