Written and collected by Zia H Shah MD

A single act of kindness creates ripples of compassion. In this Hadith Qudsi (a sacred narration where the Prophet ﷺ conveys Allah’s words), the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ relates that on the Day of Judgment Allah will say to a person: “O son of Adam, I was ill and you did not visit Me; I was hungry and you did not feed Me; I was thirsty and you did not give Me to drink.” The person, astonished, will ask how that could be – for Allah is Lord of the worlds. Allah will explain that had the person cared for the needy servant – visiting the sick, feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty – he would have found Allah’s reward and presence there with that servant themuslimtimes.info themuslimtimes.info. In other words, Allah identifies Himself with the vulnerable: neglecting those in need is akin to neglecting one’s Lord, while caring for them earns Allah’s pleasure (“you would have found Me with him” themuslimtimes.info). This profound teaching highlights that true devotion is not abstract piety alone, but is proven through compassionate action towards fellow human beings.

Serving the Needy as Serving Allah

The hadith’s message is clear: serving humanity is a path to closeness to Allah. One who sincerely seeks Allah’s love and presence will look after His servants. Indeed, the Quran echoes this principle. It promises Allah’s guidance and companionship to those who strive to do good for others: “Allah is with those who are of service to others.” (Quran 29:70) thequran.love. In fact, as one article notes, “Allah says that to be godly is to be compassionate. He makes His relationship with the common man conditional on human compassion, claiming that those who wish to find Him will succeed only if they are kind and compassionate to common people” thequran.love. Helping those in need is portrayed as “finding” Allah, because His grace and mercy accompany such acts. The reward for feeding the hungry or comforting the ill is with Allah Himself themuslimtimes.info – meaning He will reward it manifold, and one will experience His pleasure and closeness through these deeds themuslimtimes.info. Conversely, turning away from people in their hardship distances a person from Allah. The hadith Qudsi uses strong imagery to drive this point home on Judgment Day, but its lesson applies in every moment: whenever we alleviate someone’s suffering, we draw nearer to the Divine.

Moreover, Allah’s help comes to those who help others. The Prophet ﷺ taught that “As long as a Muslim occupies himself with helping his brother, Allah, the Exalted, occupies Himself with helping him” scribd.com. In worldly terms and spiritual terms alike, God supports those who support the weak. Another saying relates that “You are provided for and given help because of the weak and poor ones among you” scribd.com. In a similar vein, the Prophet said, “Look for me among the weak ones, for you are helped and provided for on account of the weak ones among you” scribd.com. This means our fortunes as individuals and as a community are tied to how we treat the most vulnerable. The presence of the poor, sick, and needy is an opportunity and a test – by honoring their rights and caring for them, we invite divine assistance and find the Prophet’s example and Allah’s favor “among the weak.”

Compassion at the Core of Faith

Islam places compassion at the very heart of righteousness. The Qur’an emphatically teaches that religiosity is hollow without humane conduct. “The Quran stresses that righteousness is not in precise observance of rituals but in acts of compassion and kindness,” as the author of one collection notes thequran.love. A famous verse defines true goodness as follows:

“Goodness does not consist in turning your face towards East or West. The truly good are those who believe in God and the Last Day… who give away some of their wealth, however much they cherish it, to relatives, to orphans, the needy, travelers and beggars, and to liberate those in debt and bondage; those who keep up the prayer and pay the alms… These are the ones who are truthful, and it is they who are aware of God.” (Quran 2:177) thequran.love

In this seminal verse, charitable compassion – caring for orphans, the poor, the stranded, and the oppressed – is listed alongside prayer and faith as a hallmark of the true believer. It shows that faith in Allah and empathy for people are inseparable. Religious rituals like prayer and fasting must transform one’s character, making one more kind and generous; otherwise, they are devoid of spirit thequran.love. The “litmus test” for genuine faith is that it “leads to compassionate living” thequran.love. Thus, the Quran frames moral duties – feeding the hungry, helping those in debt, supporting family and community – not as supererogatory acts, but as essential to being “aware of God” and attaining salvation. The hadith Qudsi under discussion dramatically affirms this Quranic principle: on the Day of Resurrection, a person’s treatment of those in need will testify to the sincerity of his faith. One cannot claim to love God while ignoring the suffering of God’s creatures.

The Qur’an repeatedly calls believers to uphold mercy, justice, and kindness in society. For example, “Allah enjoins justice, and doing good to others, and giving to relatives” (Quran 16:90)thequran.love. It also reminds us that “The reward of goodness is nothing but goodness” (Quran 55:60)thequran.love – meaning Allah will repay acts of goodness in kind. Every effort to relieve someone’s hardship is an act of worship and an investment in the Hereafter. In short, to be godly is to be compassionate thequran.love. This ethos pervades Islamic scripture: faith is validated by compassion, and compassion is elevated as a form of faith.

The Prophet’s Teachings of Mercy and Solidarity

The Prophet Muhammad’s own sayings and example reinforce the same compassionate ethos. He was described in the Qur’an as “a mercy for all creatures” (21:107), and he constantly urged believers to show mercy to others. “Allah has no mercy on one who has no mercy for others,” the Prophet warned themuslimtimes.info. To be denied Allah’s mercy – what greater loss could there be? Thus, showing mercy and kindness is not just virtuous but a condition for receiving Allah’s mercy. Another narration states, “He who has no compassion will receive none” themuslimtimes.info, succinctly tying our treatment of people to Allah’s treatment of us. These teachings make it clear that cruelty, selfishness, or indifference toward others are spiritually ruinous traits, while compassion opens the door to divine grace.

The Prophet ﷺ lived this principle. In practice he was gentle and attentive to the weak. He shortened congregational prayers when he heard a baby crying, out of empathy for the infant’s mother themuslimtimes.info. He cared for orphans and widows, saying that one who supports them is like a warrior in God’s cause – or like one who prays and fasts constantly scribd.com. He emphasized caring for neighbors to such an extent that he said, “Gabriel kept urging me about the neighbor until I thought he would make him my heir” scribd.com. The Prophet also taught that the whole ummah (community) must feel a shared responsibility: “The believers, in their mutual kindness, compassion, and sympathy, are like one body; when one limb is afflicted, the whole body responds with wakefulness and fever” scribd.com. In other words, a Muslim should feel the pain of another Muslim as his own. This beautiful analogy urges us to collective empathy – when any person suffers in our society, we cannot be complacent or detached. We are “one body,” and healing one part brings health to all.

Crucially, the hadith Qudsi in question elevates certain everyday acts – visiting a sick person, feeding someone hungry, giving water to the thirsty – to the level of sacred deeds. The Prophet ﷺ elsewhere said even a smile or a kind word is a form of charityscribd.com. But here, the reward is described in the most exalted terms: Allah Himself acknowledges and rewards the deed (“you would have found that reward with Me”themuslimtimes.info). Visiting the sick or feeding the poor may seem like simple kindness, but in Allah’s eyes these are among the greatest deeds, weighty enough to mention on the Day of Judgment. It is as if Allah is saying: “I was there – with that sick or hungry person – waiting to see if you would help. Had you done so, you would have found Me and My reward beside him.” This should greatly encourage believers to seek out chances to help those in need. Every such opportunity is in fact an invitation to gain nearness to Allah.

Conclusion: Compassion as the Path to Divine Favor

This Hadith Qudsi offers a powerful reminder that faith is not truly lived until it translates into compassion for people. Love of God is demonstrated by love for God’s creation. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, through many sayings, made compassionate living a centerpiece of Islamic ethics – from caring for neighbors and orphans to showing gentleness to animals scribd.com scribd.com. A person who is kind-hearted and charitable is promised closeness to Allah, whereas one who is hard-hearted and neglectful of others cannot attain real pietythemuslimtimes.info. On the Day of Resurrection, our service to humanity will weigh heavily. As the Quran assures, “Allah is with those who are righteous and those who do good” (16:128)thequran.love – His support and grace accompany the doers of good.

Finally, it is worth noting that this message of compassion is universal. The idea that God regards goodness to the needy as goodness to Himself is found in other faith traditions as well. (The Bible, for instance, teaches: “I was hungry and you gave Me food, I was sick and you visited Me… Whatever you did for the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.” – Matthew 25:35-40themuslimtimes.info.) All humanity is called to recognize the divine value of mercy. For Muslims, the Prophet ﷺ said, “Seek me among the weak”scribd.com – meaning the pleasure of God and His Messenger lies in how we treat the weakest members of society. In sum, this hadith Qudsi encapsulates the spirit of compassionate living in Islam: serving those in need is a form of worship and the surest route to earning Allah’s love. It challenges us to see every suffering person as an opportunity to “find” Allah’s presence and reward themuslimtimes.info. By feeding the hungry, healing the sick, and relieving thirst and hardship, we fulfill the very purpose of our faith and prepare for the ultimate success in the Hereafter themuslimtimes.info thequran.love.

May Allah inspire us to live by this teaching – to be ever compassionate, such that on the Last Day we are greeted with His pleasure, not reproach.

Sources: The hadith and insights are drawn from Forty Hadiths … about Compassionate Living themuslimtimes.info themuslimtimes.infothemuslimtimes.info scribd.com scribd.com and Two Hundred Verses about Compassionate Living in the Quran thequran.love thequran.love thequran.love, which compile the Prophet’s sayings and Quranic verses on mercy and kindness. These collections underscore that compassion toward others is not just encouraged but central to Islamic life, as also reflected in the hadith Qudsi above.