Charity is Loving People

Before Hurricane Gustav’s arrival it was brought to my attention that some people have forgotten what charity actually is.

Charity is not just about giving money to an organization, but curtails many things such as helping to feed or cloth the poor and suffering, putting one’s life on the line for the sake of the life of other’s to pulling that troubled person by the hand out of the ditch and dusting them off, to even wiping a tear from a sad face.

For anytime one see’s another in trouble or suffering of some kind, relieving there problem to make there life better is charity, as it say’s in Islam and Judaism to the simple thing of just giving a person a smile or a simple greeting acknowledging the person.

Further example, when I was much younger, I use to make simple toys for children and I did this for several years and every time I seen a sad or troubled child, I would put one of these toys in there hands. To many time’s I must say, the child was in tears and ended up sitting in my lap or their arms wrapped around my neck as I wiped there tears, before the toy was presented and the sunshine would return to their beautiful faces. Even now, while I do not make the toys anymore, because my hands are not so agreeable, I still find the time when I can to purchase a toy, for I know it will find its way into the tiny hands.

A recent example, when the mandatory evacuations came for Hurricane Gustav, an American couple that lived near me, I spoke to them about leaving for I did not wish harm to come to them, because they had planned on staying through the hurricane; but after talking to them they did leave for Florida and returned safe and I guess in there way they thanked me for thinking of there welfare.

Another facet of charity is helping and caring for every living thing upon the earth, not matter if it is a Mouse to a Whale.

For the core of charity, is just loving one another. For love is one of the most powerful gift's Allah (Hashem) gave mankind.-HRM Deborah