THE MANNERS AND CRITERIA OF DELIVERING SERVICE - I

Osman Nûri Topbaş

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    The rendering of a service is a social requirement demanded by God from His servants. The life of a believer becomes fruitful and meaningful when they render a service to their fellow creatures. A good deed, which is an important part of the morals of Islam, implies that the doer is seeking God's approval through an altruistic approach to God's other creatures. A sincere service that is performed only for the approval of God, without any selfish motive, will lead man to union with God.
   Thus, all services should be rendered in way that will render the quality of the service as perfect. To do so requires certain manners and criteria. That is to say, the importance attached to the service, be it a material or spiritual action, lies not only in the fact that is done sincerely, but also in the level of effort required to carry out the service. These are major requirements that must be fulfilled in order to win the approval of God.
   People who have attained spiritual superiority say: "Service is an important task; yet, the manners used in performing the service are much more important." Thus, it is maintained that a certain manner, alongside the sincerity of the doer, should be observed when a service is rendered.
   Thus, for a service to be considered as successful, a prerequisite is that it must be done with knowledge and wisdom, and that the person who carries out the action must be earnest and of sound personality. One must not expect to reap benefits from insincere and careless deeds.
   Therefore, a man of service must not perceive himself as a superior being. He is a self-sacrificing believer who is ready to give up not only his pride and fame, but also his spiritual and material wealth as well. He is one who dedicates himself to those in need. He is a source of hope and trust, and he does his bit voluntarily.
   The manners and criteria that a man of service should observe are as follows:

   1. Perceiving the Importance of Service
   Above all else, the man of service should regard the service to be performed as a grace bestowed upon him by God. He should never neglect to give thanks to God for the opportunity that has been given to him to be of service.
   The spreading of the word of God and living a life in accordance with the principles of Islam are sacred missions and services. The Qur'an and the tradition of the Prophet are two entities that the Prophet entrusted to us. The companions of the Prophets and our ancestors have passed this trust on to us and it is our duty to now pass it on to future generations. This service will, God willing, be a security for gaining a place in paradise.
   The late Musa Topbas, who devoted himself to the service of God's creatures, clarified the value and importance of service as follows:
   "A believer is supposed to use the opportunities for service even if they are insignificant. Some who think that they are delivering a great service neglect the seemingly minor ones, yet we cannot know which one attracts the approval of God. One should always bear in mind that not all people can have the opportunity to deliver a service. Many people who have the ability to do so cannot find the opportunity. A man of service should see the service as a grace given to him and thank those whom they serve, as it is they who have allowed him to perform the service."
   Imam al-Rabbani also specifies that those who serve should thank those whom they have served:
   "As one person may cause many people to reach perfection, many people may cause one to reach perfection. One master may lead his pupils to reach perfection, and his pupils may lead their master to reach perfection, as the master serves them by teaching them."
   On the other hand, the ratio of a man's possessions that is obligatory to donate has been clearly established by God. Therefore, one who makes the obligatory donation is regarded as having provided a service through his possessions. However, we are supposed to devote ourselves to serve in the way of God as much as we can; the ratio of man's abilities or opportunities that God has endowed us with has not been specified. This ratio is an unknown. Therefore, we are should do our best when delivering a service. We should not regard the deeds that we are performing at the present time as being sufficient. Rather, we should try harder and perform more services. A vivid example of such a mentality is that of Abdullah ibn Ummi Maktum, a companion of the Prophet. He was exempted from joining the battles, being blind. Yet, he choose to carry out the service of flag bearer in the battle of Qadisiya. Thus, all believers should realize the consequences inherent in shirking the responsibility of performing a service. Such an action would cause hazardous consequences in the eternal life.
   
    2. Adorning the Heart with Spiritual Characters
   A service that is not carried out sincerely is like a bucket of water that has been poured onto the desert. A seed that is sown on barren land will be devoured by the mice. Yet, seeds of service sown in the heart will blossom in the future. For this reason a man of service should be aware of
the spiritual dimension in his personal life. He will reach maturity by giving weight to the spirituality of his prayers, and by being graceful and altruistic in his dealings with others.
   The heart of the man of service is like fertile soil. Creatures who pass over the soil tramp it down. Yet, the soil still supports crops that support life. So must the heart of a man of service be, and the beauty of his heart should be reflected upon those whom he serves. In order to reach this state the following four points should be observed:

    a) One should feel the presence of God at all times.
   b) One's heart should be filled with love for God and for his Messenger.
   c) One's heart should be filled with a love for his fellow believers.
   d) One's heart should be filled with a love for all creation; all things are created by God.

    Service can only be rendered by living a sincere life; only in this way will the deed bear fruit. He who reaches such a state will become a focus of love. A seed that has been sown through love lasts for eternity. Thus, we should design our lives with the adornment of the love of God.
   
    3. Remaining Sincere and Keeping to the Right Path
   To remain sincere and to adhere to the right path are two indispensable characteristics of a man of service. To be a true man of service is a blessing from God on his servant. One should appreciate this blessing, and should behave in a sincere and honest way. The result of not doing this is that the blessing may be withdrawn by God. A man at the summit of the mountain should be careful where he places his foot or where he takes hold; at such a height a wrong step is much more hazardous. The following saying of the Prophet states this: "… Sincere people are put in greater jeopardy." (Bayhaki, Shuab al-Iman, V, 345).
   Sincerity is a prerequisite for carrying out a deed that will be effective. When one is sincere, factious, selfish, or ambitious thoughts disappear, clearing the way for the deed to be performed.
A man of service should possess a reliable character; people will imitate and follow those who are of reliable and honorable characters. A man of service, therefore, as he is aware that he is a follower of the Prophet who is known for his trust and loyalty, should be a reliable person. Such a character can be achieved by being a sincere and honest servant of God. A man of service must, therefore, be sensitive to his surroundings in both his personal and public life.

    4. Being Affectionate and Forgiving
   A perfect believer is a man of heart. His basic nature should include the characteristics of affection and altruism. Affection is like an inextinguishable light in a believer's heart. Maturity is achieved with affection and the doing of good deeds. Affection is a divine essence that is a witness to our belief and brings us to our Lord.
   A man of service should approach those whom he serves with affection; God's attributes of the Most Merciful and the Most Compassionate should be examples for him. Service is nothing more than a matter of affection. Good deeds can only be achieved when carried out with affection, mercy, and humility. The most distinctive characteristic of affection is generosity with one's possessions. Therefore, a man of service should be generous. High moralistic values are interdependent. An affectionate man is also generous, a generous man is also humble, and a humble man enjoys serving others. The Prophet says in this regard:
   "God is Generous and Beneficent; He loves generosity and good character..." (Suyuti, al-Jami al-Sagir, I, 60).
   The possession of a bad character and unpleasant features are also interdependent. A man devoid of affection is also mean, a mean man is also arrogant, and an arrogant man does not enjoy serving others.
   Thus one cannot expect deeds that are done in a grudging or harsh manner to have a good outcome. This is of particular importance in the dissemination of education or of the Message. Thus, God addresses the people of Islam through the person of the Prophet as follows:
   "Thus it is due to mercy from God that you deal with them gently, and had you been rough, hard hearted, they would certainly have dispersed from around you..." (Ali Imran 3: 159).

 

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