1. As far as possible, assist people in need. If you cannot personally assist the person, try to arrange for others to help him.
2. If a person is uncomfortable with accepting one’s service and assistance, then one should not force his service and assistance onto this person.
3. By assisting orphans, one will be blessed with the companionship of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) in Jannah.
4. Those who assist widows and needy relatives obtain the reward of jihaad.
5. If one is able to assist a person who is oppressed, it will be necessary to do so.
6. Providing people with water to drink is an act of great reward, even in areas where water is freely available. However, the reward is even greater when water is scarce.
7. Even assisting people with seemingly insignificant items brings great reward e.g. if a person is cooking and requires salt, then by giving the salt, one will earn great reward.
8. It is not permissible to assist or serve a person in anything that is impermissible.
9. If one failed to serve his parents and secure their happiness during their lifetime, he should make du‘aa for them and seek forgiveness on their behalf. It is hoped that through these actions, Allah Ta‘ala will cause his parents to be pleased with him.
10. Service to neighbours is very emphasized in Islam.
11. When serving or assisting anyone, ensure that it is done solely for the pleasure of Allah Ta‘ala, not to gain favour with the person and extract favours later on.
12. If one is asked to carry out some service, he should ensure that he informs the person when the service is completed. Similarly, if he was unable to complete the service, he should inform the person. Failure to do so will leave the person in a state of apprehension and uncertainty which will cause him inconvenience.