The Qur'anic Teachings

     "O Mankind! There has come to you from your Guardian-Lord and exhortation, a prescription
for the minds, a guidance and beneficence for those who believe" [10:57].
 

One of the earnest desires of the believers is mentioned in 1:5, i.e. to (collectively) seek help, aid or assistance exclusively from Allah.

The question is how this معاونة or اعانة is achieved?

Allah is the One Whose help should/(is to) be sought (12:18, 21:112).

وَاللَّهُ الْمُسْتَعَانُ

(12:18)

رَبُّنَا الرَّحْمَنُ الْمُسْتَعَانُ

(21:112)

However, Allah does not help directly to individual people but He guides them to establish a way of life whereby the believers, counsel together, and help and cooperate with one another to accomplish al-birr and at-taqwa (58:9, 5:2).

وَتَنَاجَوْا بِالْبِرِّ وَالتَّقْوَى

and give to each other counsel of al-birr and at-taqwa

(58:9)

وَتَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْبِرِّ وَالتَّقْوَى

and help each other in al-birr and at-taqwa

(5:2)

Notice the word تَعَاوَنُو in 5:2, which has the same root as معاونة , اعانة.

Al-birr comprises the following (among other things) [these are also the characteristics of al-muttaqooon, i.e. those having at-taqwa]:

(1) to give one’s wealth, in spite of love for it, to: - family and relatives - orphans - widows - those left helpless in the society - those whose hard-earned income fails to meet their basic needs - those whose running businesses have stalled - the ones who have lost their jobs - whose life has stalled for any reason - the disabled - the needy wayfarer, son of the street, the homeless, the one who comes for assistance - those who ask for help, and - those whose necks are burdened with any kind of bondage, oppression, crushing debts and extreme hardship of labor. (‘Yatim’, ‘Miskin’, ‘Ibnis Sabeel’, ‘Fir-Riqab’ carry all the meanings given above) (2:177).

(2) to establish as-salat, and set up the Just Economic Order of zakat (2:177).

(3) to remain steadfast in physical or emotional distress and in times of peril (2:177).

(4) to spend on others out of what one cherishes himself (3:92)

Further, Allah has also guided the believers to seek help through sabr and as-salat (2:45, 2:153).

Sabr means showing patience, endurance, equanimity and adherence to the Laws of Allah in harm, injury, mischief, damage, poverty, bodily affliction, distress, lack of means of subsistence, misfortune, calamity, a state of pressing want (2:177), in fear, hunger, in case of loss of money, loss of life or loss of fruits of labour (2:155), in the face of rejection (6:34), in wartime (2:250) or in any other calamity (22:35).

As-salat is a social system wherein, in addition to prayer congregations, al-musalleen closely follow the Divine Laws in all walks of their life, and give from there wealth to those whose resources cannot meet their needs or those who became incapacitated and are unable to earn, thus being deprived of the necessities of life. They do this considering it an established right of the deprived one (70:22-25). Their resources remain open and available, like ever-flowing springs, for all needy people (107:1-7).

 This is what comes out of all that is given above:

• When anyone is in need of assistance, he asks for assistance exclusively to Allah.
• Allah would not answer him directly. He has given answer to this prayer of his in His Book. That answer is as follows:
  • Believe in His guidance given in His Book and help other believers in establishing His Divine Order, wherein He has made incumbent upon all believers to help one another.
  • When a calamity falls upon you, show patience, endurance, perseverance, equanimity and adherence to the Laws of Allah.

09/11/2005

Important

And do not follow (blindly) any information of which you have no (direct) knowledge. (Using your faculties of perception and conception, you must verify it for yourself. (In the Court of your Lord,) you will be held accountable for your hearing, sight, and the faculty of reasoning."[17:36]