The idea of asking for help from other than Allah is quite often perceived as taboo. In this article, we will address the concept of asking for help in the context of the cost-of-living crisis and identify if asking for help correlates with Islam.

    To begin with, let’s briefly identify what’s taking place from what we’ve seen at NZF throughout the cost-of-living crisis. I want you to imagine the following three real-life examples that are happening in our backyard;

    A devoted single mother was deciphering whether to pay rent or to send her innocent child to school hungry.

    A husband is trying to put fresh food on the table for his family and unexpectedly must stop working due to a family member being blessed with cancer. No government benefits can be obtained due to his family’s VISA status.

    A battered mother was abandoned abruptly by her husband with their two children and now doesn’t have the financial capacity to pay rent, bills, or groceries.

    With the infested rat race that we live in and the many things we take for granted, unconsciously and unintentionally we forget about those who are doing it tough.

    If you were to ask the individuals in the examples mentioned above, do you think they would have thought they would be in that situation when their life beforehand was going relatively okay?

    The reality is that we can’t be oblivious or fast asleep to the fact that any of the examples above could happen to someone you know or even your own self. Now, the question beckons, who is going to help our brothers and sisters in need? And where does the help come from?

    This isn’t just as simple as saying they can receive help from Centrelink. This simply doesn’t cut it and demonstrates a decay of ignorance. So where does their help come from then?

    It’s paramount to understand the significance of Tawhid. What this means is all help is provided only by Allah alone, and Allah utilises his servants as instruments to administer help.

    Similarly, this applies to the context of the cost-of-living crisis and asking for help. At NZF, the staff at the forefront are only the instruments administering the help that Allah has bestowed upon those in need.

    This demonstrates the importance of understanding Tawhid and how this correlates with asking for help from others. In addition, and to conclude, it’s important to recognise that anything that was destined to occur will always occur and anything that was not destined to occur will always be missed.

    If you or someone you know needs some help, please reach out to NZF. All applications are diligently assessed to ensure eligibility for receiving Zakat.

    You can apply for help by the following link: nzf.org.au/apply/

     In next month’s article we’re going to look at the NZF’s Back To School Program.