Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Help you one another in Al‑Birr and At‑Taqwa (virtue, righteousness and piety); but do not help one another in sin and transgression. And fear Allaah. Verily, Allaah is Severe in punishment” [al-Maa’idah 5:2].
The Prophet (sal-lAllaahu 'alayhi wa sal-lam) said :
Righteousness is in good character, and wrongdoing is that which wavers in your soul, and which you dislike people finding out about.
It was related by Muslim (صحيح مسلم).
The maintenance of al-Birr (i.e righteousness) by man among his folks and with others is nothing void of goalscoring!
Such goals, many a time, range from being personal to that aimed at bettering the lots of a group or a section of a population that he is a part of. These goals are further conditioned with the particular state of being that man finds himself.
In short, you will hardly see that man maintains and sustains his righteousness in poverty and wealth. There is always a room for an *imbalance!*
Yuusuf ('alayhi salaam) was addressed as good doer while in jail as well as while in power.
*In jail:* Allaah says concerning him (in Q12:36):
“And there entered with him two young men in the prison. One of them said: “Verily, I saw myself (in a dream) pressing wine.” The other said: “Verily, I saw myself (in a dream) carrying bread on my head and birds were eating thereof.” (They said): “Inform us of the interpretation of this. Verily, we think you are one of the Muhsinuun (doers of good – see V.2:112).”...
*As a minister:* ( just as we are told in Q12:78 about how he related humbly and righteously with his brothers even when it was glaring that they were in the wrong); Allaah says:
They said: “O ruler of the land! Verily, he has an old father (who will grieve for him); so take one of us in his place. Indeed we think that you are one of the Muhsinuun (good-doers – see V.2:112).”
We ask Allaah for *al-birr* both while in affluence and during every hard times of our lives...
Aamiin.
*Baaraka Allaahu fiikum wa fiinaa!*
Written by: AbuZayd Ibraaheem Raji
Edited by: AbuuHaashim M.A. Bolaji
