Hadith Of The Week – Volume 03 Issue 34
Faith in Allah, Benefit to Others: A Practical Lesson from Imam Hasan al-Askari (a.s.)
Occasion of reflection on this hadith: 8 Rabīʿ al-Awwal: Martyrdom of Imam Hasan al-ʿAskarī (as)
Introduction:
In this profound and beautiful hadith, Imam Hasan al-Askari (a.s.) emphasises two qualities that can guide a believer throughout life: faith in Allah and benefiting others:
قالَ الإمامُ الْحَسَنُ الْعَسْکَری (علیه السلام): خَصْلَتانِ لَیْسَ فَوْقَهُما شَیْءٌ: الاْیمانُ بِاللهِ، وَنَفْعُ الاْخْوانِ.
“There are two qualities above which there is nothing: faith in Allah and benefiting others.” (Tuhaf al-‘Uqul, p. 489)
Educational messages of the hadith for teenagers and youth
- Do not let false values define you
Do not let social media or today’s empty trends become your measure of success; the real values are faith in Allah and benefiting others.
Practical Challenge: This week, identify one trend you follow and ask, “Does it strengthen my faith or help others?”
- Keep faith and service together
True faith should never lead you to harm people, and helping others should be rooted in faith and what is right.
Practical Challenge: Before one action this week, ask yourself, “Is this both pleasing to Allah and beneficial to others?”
- Check yourself regularly
Reflect on these two qualities in your own life to understand where you are strong and where you need to improve.
Practical Challenge: At the end of this week, rate yourself from 1–5 on faith and helping others, and choose one area to improve.
- Let Faith Guide Your Choices
Remembering Allah can help you choose what is right, even when the easier choice is different.
Practical Challenge: Before one important decision this week, stop for a moment and ask, “What choice is pleasing to Allah?”
- Be the Friend Who Helps
Benefiting others can be as simple as listening, encouraging a friend or offering help when someone is struggling.
Practical Challenge: Notice one friend who needs support and do one helpful thing without waiting to be asked.
- Turn Your Talent into Service
Your abilities can become a form of worship when you use them to make life easier for someone else.
Practical Challenge: Choose one skill you have and use it this week to help another person.
Educational messages of the hadith for parents
- Let Children See Your Faith and Service
Children learn that faith and service matter when they see it guiding their parents’ everyday choices.
Practical Challenge: Explain one family decision this week by saying how remembering Allah influenced it.
- Teach Children to Notice Needs
Children should learn to look beyond themselves and notice when another person needs help.
Practical Challenge: Ask your child, “Who needs our help today?” and act on the answer together.
- Celebrate the right kind of success
Value and praise your children for growing in faith and helping others, not only for outward achievements.
Practical Challenge: Praise your child this week for one act of faith, kindness or service.
- Raise children around these values
Make faith in Allah and serving others part of your children’s everyday upbringing.
Practical Challenge: Choose one small daily family habit that strengthens faith or helps others.
- Build a Helping Family Culture
A family grows stronger when everyone learns to share responsibilities and think about others’ needs.
Practical Challenge: Give each family member one simple task that benefits everyone.
Educational messages of the hadith for imams and teachers
- Define Service as Part of Faith
Teach your audience that serving and benefiting others are not separate from faith, but an important expression of it.
Practical Challenge: In your next lesson or sermon, give one clear example of how serving others can be an act of faith.
- Define Good and Bad Service
Teach that good service is helping others in ways that are in line with Allah’s guidance, while bad service is helping others through actions that displease Allah or cause harm.
Practical Challenge: In your next lesson or sermon, give one simple example of good service and one example of harmful or misguided service.
- Teach Service by Practicing it
People understand the value of helping others more deeply when they have opportunities to practise it.
Practical Challenge: Organise one simple service activity for your students or congregation.
- Celebrate Those Who Are Faithful and Helpful
Recognise and appreciate people whose faith is reflected in the way they serve and benefit others.
Practical Challenge: In your next gathering, publicly acknowledge one person who has shown both strong faith and helpfulness.
- Explain the meaning clearly
Help your audience understand what true faith in Allah means and what benefiting others looks like in everyday life.
Practical Challenge: In your next sermon or talk, give one simple example of each quality from everyday life.
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