Be virtuous and do good to people. Indeed God loves the virtuous and good doers. (Qur’an, 2:195).

I wonder what our world would be like if each of us would find somebody to be good to every day. What would our city be like? What would our offices be like? What would our schools be like if we made it a priority to brighten somebody else’s day?

Qur’an says,

“Be virtuous and do good to people. Indeed God loves the virtuous and good doers.” (Qur’an, 2:195).

That means you need to be on the lookout. You need to be proactive. You need to have the mindset of, “who can I bless today? For whom can I do a favor?” You cannot just sit back and wait for the need to come to you. You have to go after it. Imam Husain1 (peace be upon him) said, “If People wish you and need you it is the God’s blessings, so do not get tired of it.”2

Sometimes it is easy for you to get so caught up in your own little world that you are focused only on yourselves. “I have got my plans. Do not get me off my schedule. I would love to help you out with some work around your house, but I am sorry, this is football season. I just do not have the time.” However, you were not created to live selfishly.

You were created to make a difference in the lives of others. You have not lived today until you have done something for someone that cannot pay you back. Then you will be blessed as Jesus (peace be upon him) said,

“God has made me blessed, wherever I may be.” (Qur’an, 19:31).

Imam Al-Sadiq3 (peace be upon him) said about this speech, that it means “God made me beneficial.”

All around us are hurting people who need our love and encouragement. Do not miss the miracle of the moment. Do not be too busy, or insensitive to the needs of those around you. Be willing to be inconvenienced. Be sensitive and pay attention to those around you, your friends, your coworkers and your relatives.

Listen to what they are saying. You should not miss opportunities to do good whenever situations come across your paths to bless people. Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his pure progeny) said, “Who start his day and do not care about the others, he is not a real Muslim.”4

He who is gracious to a poor, and help people, it is as he is doing it unto the Almighty God and lends to Him. Then the Lord will repay him for his good deed and pay him back with interest. Therefore, Qur’an says,

“Who is it that will lend God a good loan, that He may multiply it for him and that there may be a noble reward for him?” (Qur’an, 57:11).

You may not be able to give money, but you can baby-sit that single mom’s children. Why do not you give her a break one night? Tell her: “You go do something special for yourself. Here is a gift certificate. You go up to the mall. Our family is going to keep your children tonight.” If you see one of your friends wearing the same clothes all the time, why do not you step up to the plate and say, “Let me buy you a new suit or two, or, take this gift certificate and go get yourself some new clothes.”

Maybe you and your family go out to eat every weak; why do not you take a single parent family along with you? Better yet, be a mentor to one of those young children that does not take a lot of money. It just takes time and love. That just takes somebody that cares, somebody that is willing to make a difference.

I heard a story about a young boy that lived in the inner city. He was about eight years old and was very poor. One cold day, he was looking in the window of a local store admiring a pair of tennis shoes. As he stood there, cold and barefooted, a woman came along and asked, “Young man, what are you doing staring so intently in this window?” Shyly he said, “Well, I was just sort of praying and asking God if He would give me a new pair of tennis shoes.”

Without hesitation, the woman took him into the store and very gently and lovingly washed off his cold dirty feet. She put a brand new pair of socks on his feet. Then she told him to pick out three new pairs of tennis shoes. The boy could not believe it. He was so excited! He had never owned a new pair of shoes. He had always just worn old hand-me-downs. After she paid for the purchase, the woman handed the shoes to the child. “Enjoy your shoes, son“, she said. The little boy looked at her in amazement. Nobody had ever taken that kind of interest in him.

Friend, you are never more like God than when you give. You are never more like God than when you take time for people, than when you do something to bless someone else. You are here to become like God.

Your Lord said to the Angels, “I am placing a successor on earth.” (Qur’an, 2:30).

You are His successors so you should be like Him, like your Lord.

Learn to be good to people in your everyday life. When you stop to get a cup of coffee at work, bring your coworker back a cup, too. When traffic backs up on the freeway, let that car into the lane in front of you. At the grocery store, when you have a bunch of groceries and somebody behind you has just a few, let them go ahead of you. How about in the parking lot, when you pull up to that last front row parking space at the same time as another car. Why do not you back up and let them have that space?

Do you want another simple way of blessing someone? When you are at a restaurant, be a good tipper. God’s people believe in being good to people. We believe in showing God’s kindness wherever we go. People are God’s family and the most popular creatures in the sight of God is the one who benefits the Family of God and make them happy.5

When you make a person happy with your words or your money, you are going to sow a seed into that person’s life and in your life in the hereafter. As it has been said, “This world is the field for hereafter.”6

Love is seen in your actions. This world does not need to hear sermons as much as it needs to see you being good to people. Learn to give your time, your money, or an encouraging word. When you show love, you are showing God to the world. Do not worry if you do not get any credit; when you let somebody in traffic in front of you, you may never see that person again; when you give somebody twenty dollars because you had compassion in your heart, you may never hear back from them, but let me assure you, God is keeping the records.

He has seen every time you have been good to somebody. He has heard every encouraging word you have spoken. God has seen all the times you went out of your way to help somebody, but they never even said thank you. Qur’an says when you do things in secret, when you do things without getting any credit, when nobody thanks you, God sees it, and you will even receive a greater reward.

Whatever charity you may give, God indeed knows it. If you disclose your charities, that is well, but if you hide them and give them to the poor, that is better for you, and it will atone for some of your misdeeds, and God is well aware of what you do. (Qur’an, 2:270-271).

It is one thing to make a big splash and let everybody know how generous you are. However, if you really want to be blessed, do something good for somebody and do not tell anybody about it. Leave some cash in an unmarked envelope on the desk of that coworker that is struggling to make ends meet. At the restaurant, buy somebody’s dinner and remain anonymous.

Clean up the kitchen at the office and do not tell anybody that you did it. When you do things in secret and you do not get any credit, you are sowing a seed for Almighty God to do great things in your life and He will make it grow. Qur’an says,

“Have you considered what you sow? Is it you who make it grow, or are We the grower?” (Qur’an, 56:63-64).

Why do not you make a decision that you are going to start being good to people? Remember, true love is always backed up with your actions. People are watching you, and one of the best witnesses you could have is simply by being good to people. If you will get up every day and focus on how you can be a blessing and not just on how you can get blessed, God will meet your own needs as you meet others’ needs. God will meet all your needs in abundance! Who is for God, God will be for him.

Qur’an says that people are not going to know true Muslims by how many verses they quote. They are not going to know them by how many Muslim stickers they have on their rooms or cars. They will know true Muslims and the faithful by their behaviors.

The faithful are only those who have attained faith in God and His Apostle and then have never doubted, and who strive with their possessions and their persons in the way of God. It is they who are the truthful. (Qur’an, 49:15).

In another verse, Qur’an says,

“The faithful are only those who maintain the prayer and spend out of what We have provided them. It is they who are truly the faithful. They shall have ranks near their Lord, forgiveness and a noble provision.” (Qur’an, 2:3-4).

People are going to really know that you are believers when you are helping other people, meeting their needs, doing good works and when you are blessing people with your words and your actions. Imam Al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) said, “Know that who has not good behavior with others, he is not from us. He is not a real Muslim.”7 He said, “They know you that you are with us so you should be adornment and beauty of us and do not cause of our embarrassment.”8

• 1. The third Imam of Shia Muslims.
• 2. Bihar Al-Anwar, vol. 71, p. 318.
• 3. The sixth Imam of Shia Muslims.
• 4. Al-Kafi, vol. 2, p. 164.
• 5. This tradition has been narrated from the Prophet (peace be upon him and his pure progeny). (Al-Kafi, vol. 2, p. 164)
• 6. Tanbih Al-Khawater (Warram), vol. 1, p. 92.
• 7. Al-Kafi, vol. 4, p. 286.
• 8. Al-Amali (Sadouq), p. 400.