The Islamic Garden
Questions and Answers –
Why Volunteer?
Question One:
Salam,
I understand that volunteering is a good training place for practicing the soft
skills and self-development, but what about come to situation where students
need to learn how to earn money as a practice of self-reliance as well?
Answer:
Salam
alaikum, many thanks for sending in your question. I think this is a very
important one. Volunteering v earning a living…..
It is very
easy for terms like ‘volunteering’ to become cliché. When we talk about it,
certain images come to mind and if we are not careful, we may limit its
meaning.
We can
look at the subject of volunteering from many perspectives. Yes, it does help
the person develop many soft skills, and it does help him/her to grow in
self-esteem. But really, we have to ask, is that why we do it?
There is
also the issue that we have to earn money to live and this is an important
responsibility that should not be ignored. But I don’t see that we have to
separate the two.
‘Volunteering’,
or we could say, ‘giving back to the world’, is a way of life: it is the way we
approach our life. It is a general attitude of giving, caring and thinking
beyond our own selves. I have met many amazing people and one thing they all
have in common is that they managed to combine earning their living with work
that benefits others in real terms. I guess that is the peak of the ‘volunteer
lifestyle’.
So,
volunteering is an attitude of giving and thoughtfulness. It’s about empathy
and selflessness. It is the true and essential spirit of Islam and once
adopted, it spills over onto all aspects of the person’s life and enriches
his/her life and those around him.
Many
people are caught up in the cycle of gaining money and this can be a
frustrating process especially in the context of the worldwide recession. In
this way, the volunteer attitude gets thrown to the back and overlooked – for
now. The truth is though, that the more we give, the more we receive. The more
we help our fellow-man the more barakah (blessings and increase) we will find
in our own lives.
Question Two:
How to balance between volunteer work and my studies?
Answer:
Salam
alaikum, many thanks for your question. It is always a challenge to create
balance in our lives, but if we can do that, we will be able to achieve many
things.
First of
all, it is important to remember that we limit ourselves more than our circumstances
limit us. If we want to have more time, more barakah (blessings and increase),
achieve more, and do more we have to think in a positive way.
Our
thinking paves the way for our words and actions and the direction of our life.
So if a person wants to study well plus be involved in volunteer work he has to
think in a positive way; not conjure up all the negative ideas associated with
it.
Next, we should
remember that volunteer work is a state of mind; it is a committed desire to
give to others, to care about people and issues, and to be the one who reaches
out, stands up and does something about it (in whatever way we can). The sky is
the limit! But the first step is to adjust our thinking and flood ourselves
with positive thoughts, while developing a positive attitude and approach to
people and life in general.
It is not
necessary that the person actually registers in an organization (although this
is very helpful). If you are busy studying, working or are engaged in any other
important pursuit, you can keep the ‘volunteer’ spirit alive by doing good and
reaching out to the people around you everyday. If you manage to do this, when
your circumstances change (as they inevitably do), you will instantly get
involved in bigger and better projects because this spirit is alive in your
heart.
Question Three:
How can participating in volunteer work enrich my
personality?
Answer:
Salam
alaikum, many thanks for your question. We are making impacts on our
personality all the time. We are either developing ourselves or declining –
there is never a state of stagnation. If we really understand this, we will do
all that it takes to grow, and to better ourselves.
When we do
volunteer work, ideally, we are doing something for someone else without any
thought of self. If we can reach this level of giving, we will develop the most
important qualities that form a good character. What are some of those
qualities? A generous heart, kindness, empathy, thoughtfulness, selflessness,
and much more.
In doing
good to others, you will also draw circles of love around yourself and others.
People will love and respect you because human nature (in its pure form)
appreciates such qualities. Indeed, one of the best ways to develop yourself is
to do things for others with a spirit of love and generosity. Such efforts are
never wasted and even if there are people who may not appreciate your efforts,
the Creator certainly does and it is Him after all, that gives you your rizk
(livelihood and resources in life).
Also,
giving to others softens the heart and eliminates negativity and any feelings
of grudge, bitterness or pain. In fact, it is hard to say who actually benefits
more: the one who gives, or the one who receives.
Question Four:
What are the volunteering fields, that can help me to enrich my
character?
Answer:
Salam
alaikum, many thanks for your question.
We enrich
our character by any good thing we do with a good intention. One of the best
ways is to give back to the world and help others who need our help. There are
levels of this. There are huge organizations that travel the world helping
those in need like, Doctors without Borders, and Islamic Relief. Then there are
local charities and organizations that work in areas like the environment,
helping displaced people, or the needy in our area.
But we
shouldn’t limit volunteer work to organizations, as ‘giving back’ can be done
at school, university, in the work place or even in the home. People often
place more value on volunteer work that is done for people who live far from
us, but this is not right, because the people who most deserve our good
treatment are our families and neighbors.
Even if a
person is himself poor or in difficult circumstances, he can still be a part of
‘volunteer work’ by helping those around him, having a positive attitude, a
smile and a kind word. Making such things part of our everyday life, keeps the
spirit of volunteer work alive and so when our situation changes or improves,
we will automatically move on to bigger and better ways of giving.
Question Five:
salam alakom, there is not much volunteer work going on where i
live. what are some of the projects you know about? Is it possible to get
involved?
Answer:
Salam
alaikum, many thanks for your question. There is a lot of great work going on
but of course, there could always be more.
One of the
best projects I’ve heard about is being done by Aisha Wangari in
Right now,
there are no other Muslim organizations working with these people. So as you
can see, there is much to do. You can contact Aisha on this email aishakam@hotmail.com
Also, in the
The
So, the work is going on and will
continue to do so, the question is whether or not we will be part of it!
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