Caregiving

* Introduction:

-It is an honor to be here
-You’re in the process of living Islam
-Reminder of the beautiful sayings of Allah and the Messenger of Allah on care

*Sometimes it becomes difficult to maintain high level of compassion and mercy, what is known as compassion fatigue or the like.

The remedies:
-Remind yourself that it is really you who are gaining by comforting the sick
-Remind yourself of the immense reward in giving care
-Remind yourself of the direct correlation between your treatment of Allah’s creation, and Allah’s treatment of you

Saying of the Qur’an
“Worship God, associate nothing with Him, behave with excellence toward parents, near relatives, orphans, the poor, the neighbor who is of kin, and the neighbor who is not.”

Sayings of Prophet Muhammad
“God is only Merciful to those of His servants who are merciful; those who show no mercy are shown no mercy.”

“A believer is friendly and easy to approach; there is no good in anyone who is neither friendly nor easy to approach.”

“God shall grant ease to him who eases the hardship of another, and shall conceal in this world and the hereafter, the sins of him who conceals the disgrace of a believer; and He shall relieve from him one of the hardships of the Day of Rising the one who relieves a Muslim from one of the hardships of this world; He shall fulfill the need of the man who fulfills his brother’s needs. He assists His servant for as long as he assists his brother.”

Saying of Imam Al-Haddad
“Comfort the broken-hearted, be gentle to the weak and the needy, console the poor, be lenient with the one in debt, and lend to those who ask you…Console those who are stricken by adversity, for the Prophet has said, may blessings and peace be upon him, “The one who consoles a man stricken by adversity, that is, helps him endure patiently, has a reward similar to his.”