Being of service to others leads to happiness. In an authentic hadith, the prophet (Blessings and Peace be upon him) said: “Verily, Allah will say to His slave as He is taking account of him on the day of judgement, ‘O’ son of Adam, I was hungry and you did not feed me. He will answer. ‘How can I feed You and You are the Lord of the worlds!’ He will say, ‘Did you not know that My slave so and so who is the son of so and so felt hunger, and you did not feed him. Alas! Had you fed him you would have found that (i.e reward) with me. O’ son of Adam, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink. ‘He will say, ‘How can I give You drink, and You are the Lord of the worlds!’ He will say, ‘Did you not know that My slave so and so, the son of so and so felt thirsty and you did not give him drink. Alas! If you had given him, you would have found that (i.e. reward) with Me. O’ son of Adam, I became sick and you did not visit Me.’ He will say, ‘How can I visit You and You are the Lord of the worlds! Did you not know that My slave so and so who is the son of so and so became sick and you did not visit him. Alas! Had you visited him, you would have found Me with him.”
Here is an interesting point: in the last third of the hadith are the worlds: “….you would have found Me with him.”
This is unlike the first two parts of the hadith: “You would have found that (I.e. the reward for feeding and giving drink) with Me.”
The reason for the difference is that God, the All-Merciful, is with those whose heart are troubled, as is the case with the person who is sick. And in another hadith, the prophet (bpuh) said:
“There is reward in each moist liver (i.e. to do service to any living creature will be rewarded).”
Also, know that God admitted the prostitute from the children of Israel into paradise because she gave a drink to a dog that was thirsty. So what will be the case for the one who feeds other humans, giving them drink and removing from them hardships!
