Every day I have to pick up my kids go and come home from school with my driver. Saudi Arabia does not allow women to drive any vehicle. Consequently, women who will go somewhere must ride a vehicle provided by housing/compound, private car, or by taxi. The distance from our house to the children’s school is far enough.
From the car window I look out the road and on one side is a lot of vacant and wide land. While on the other side there are many constructions or renovations of apartment buildings that make the streets become uncomfortable because there are materials and unmade mound. Moreover, the hot of the summer has been felt, although still not entering the month of August. The heat can reach temperature of 50°C and make my cloth wet. As if my head is really close to the sun!
There is an interesting thing that I watch along the way we pass every day. In front of a few houses there is a safe drinking water dispenser. Usually when the dispenser box is not attached to the wall fence, chain belt will be given by the owner so as not taken by anybody. Some are built as a kind of tap water for washing hands attached to the wall in the house facing the street.
I saw in early morning there was a middle-aged man carrying an empty bottle of ‘Asir’ (juice) and took water from one water tap. The water is supplied for free by the homeowner. Although it is only water, but very useful for those who pass in front of the house. Especially in the summer as it is today. Certainly a lot of thirst people drop by. If it is not for drinking, the water is at least able to wet the top of their heads or wash their faces or perform ablutions.
So many forms of charity we can be given to others. Abu Huroiroh RA preached, Muhammad Rasulullah SAW said, “no one who give charity (sodaqoh) his halal possessions where Allah takes it in His own right (well), although it is only one piece of date. Then the palm will grow in the hands of Allah the Merciful, so that it becomes bigger than a mountain. So Allah preserves of charity as well as you care for kid goats and child camel (which is growing bigger). “(Hadith narrated by Muslim).
I just imagine how many people who pass through it in a day. If fifty people who walk past that street and ten of them take alms of water from one of the houses, how many people are already saved from thirst in one week, one month, or even one year? How many alms that have been issued by the occupants of the house unnoticed every day? Alms water has become commonplace for the Saudis. They are not afraid of running out of water even though during summer.
Unlike in Saudi, Indonesia many more people give alms in the form of food (other than money) like rice wrap/box. Many street children are forced to work after school in order to make ends meet. Half a day’s they work as a musician, car accessories sellers, hawking newspapers, toys. Or beggars who ask for mercy from any driver or passenger who stops at a red light to get money of at least Rp 10,000 to Rp 20,000 a day or around US$1- $2!
Abu Huroiroh RA said, there was a man asked the Prophet, “What type of alms which are great in reward?” Rasulullah SAW said, “You give alms when healthy, when you’re stingy, fear of poverty, or when you’re hoping will be a wealthy. So at the moments like that, do not be negligent, give charity. And do not be suspended, so that your life has been up in the throat, then you give away your alms: this is for so and so, this is for so and so. Remember it is the real treasure for so and so. “(Narrated by Bukhari).
Let us take part in charity whatever we have, even just a smile. Because a smile is also a charity.
Wallahu a’lam
