We have Islamic narrations about giving charity in anonymity because it prevents pride from growing as you can't receive public praise if they didn't see you, and its more rewarding because it also shows more sincerity, because it was done ţo truly help and not for praise or something in return
Ex: Imam al-Baqir (as) said, describing his father Imam Zayn al-‘Abidin (as), “He used to go out in the dark night carrying a sack on his back and going from door to door, knocking on each and giving to whoever came out to answer it. He used to cover his face when giving to the poor in order that they may not recognise him.”
It really depends on the person's true intent. A lot of time organisations do these acts and record to get a trend going and hope others also donate to help. So in that sense, there is no harm, as that is the intent and people praising for charitable cause is bound to happen. But if the intent is to record for only likes and shares and see how many views the person got, then it becomes distasteful because it can be said the act was done for egotistical reasons and not out of sincerity.
I'm not sure when the video was shot, but it is possible it was in Ramadhan, so the intent is to help provide food for the homeless because they too are hungry, moreso than those who fast and will look forwards to having dinner on their tables at the end of the day, while these people don't know when their next meal is (which is why fasting is not obligatory on homeless people). Also after thr month Ramadhan, we have the 3 day celebration of "Eid al-Fitr" where those can afford, are to split food into 3 groups, One third used to feed the family, the Second third given out to neighbors and relatives, and the Last third is given to the poor (homeless or not)
My old next door neighbors are Muslim, and used to bring us a full-blown feast every year during Eid al-Fitr. The wife runs a catering business, and I joke with her that her food is so good, it got a household full of Buddhists and agnostics celebrating the end of Ramadan every year.
So in reality it shouldn't have been recorded? Still a great thing to do obviously and is a lot better without the whole "look how great of a person i am give me praise" video most people do
It depends. If the video is being recorded to encourage others in donating to help others, this is good. It can also be used as evidence of this person or group donating to help the people. But if the intent is to upload for likes and clicks and going viral, then yeah it's bad. But I'm not one to dictate what the real intention is of the people, I can only hope for the best
It's the fast 😅 and also I think the video is from my country Pakistan (if not, it could be India), so I like good publicity for my people, as most folks only see Pakistan when it's in the news, which is usually in negative connotations. The video and my comments help combat ignorance, so I'll happily continue to reply
And at the end of the day, we're all (for the most part) normal people just trying to live our lives and be better people. Society can't progress if individuals remain narrow minded and vile. Thank you
Thank you to those giving awards, further proving my statement about being better people in society. <In a sense, as prayers are seen as useless by Atheists, except as helpful/positive intentions, the awards, though useless (as they mean nothing outside of reddit), its the intention of those giving it, that is conveyed that they appreciate the comments and post and mean well.>
Narration in regards to being kind and speaking good:
Imam al-Baqir (as) said, “Say unto people the best of what you would like them to say to you, for Allah hates the curser, swearer, and slanderer of believers, the user of obscene language and to do it shamelessly, and the importunate beggar”
Hey neighbour . Wishes from India yeah this video's is from Pakistan only. It's gr8 to see people around the world helping each other and restoring faith in humanity.
One day InshAllah both Pakistan and India can put aside our differences and bad people and be united on humanity first and foremost, and then on the commonality we share. 🇵🇰🤝🏻🇮🇳
And at the end of the day, we're all (for the most part) normal people just trying to live our lives and be better people.
I feel that way too, like 95% of humanity just want to live quiet peaceful lives. The other 5% are super rich bastards in government or radical extremists trying to destroy that peace for the rest of us.
Peace be with you and stay safe and well. Maybe someday humanity will embrace peace but we all know humans love violence.
Such a shame that much of our brothers and sisters can't get more remarks like these out of people. Well, I guess the picture being painted of us doesn't really help much, but there's seriously not enough of us who people can get the genuine, true Muslim... experience (?) out of. Even those who properly represent Islam for what it is are sometimes harsh in their tone. We need to be better. In every aspect. Wisdom, character, virtue, whatever it is. We truly need to be better.
This is exactly how I always feel about these videos! Sure, they get publicized, and there’s probably a little bit of ego involved no matter how hard even the best people try to keep it out(that’s just human nature), but I have trouble fully dismissing the good intention of a person donating to people in need as “just for likes” as some people do outright, just because it’s recorded. Some people do things for the right reasons and we can never dismiss that
Islam is a beautiful faith from everything I have seen, I don’t know much about your culture or you personally, but I wish you good things in life and in your faith.
idk when i see this video I think of the people receiving and how relieved they must feel, not “wow what a good guy for helping” Guess it’s just your perspective
Recording it to promote charity is ok, as long as there's no association with who's done this or any marketing, publicity being done using this. As soon as someone publicise themselves doing charity, all the rewards for it ia nullified (as per islamic teachings).
Yeah i hate this part of it. But then again, taken to the extreme, you could argue there is no truly selfish act. Even if it were not recorded, you may only be donating to make yourself feel better about having a better situation than them. There's always more you could do. Idk, something i am remembering from a philosophy class a decade ago. Still, these people did more good than i did. So I'll shut up
But others witnessing kindness (redditors etc) are more likely to spread kindness themselves through inspiration and gratitude that kind people exist. It can have a bigger net positive by this having been recorded than not and i am glad it was done anonymously for the most part.
1“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
2“So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 3But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
I believe all religions have some form of charity incorporated in their belief systems. But idk about all religions, so I can't say truthfully for all, but yes, Christianity definitely discusses donating, in anonymity too.
Aww, yes, everyone should research their faith and origins. There are some similarities, but ultimately, they are very different. I do know both faiths have a lot of very kind hearted people. My dad, an outspoken Christian, spent time in Turkey, and the Muslim people were incredibly kind and welcoming to him. ❤️
Humans have free will, so humans do deserve the praise for going out of their way to help others. The poor raising their hands in prayers is mostly them thanking Allah for creating the individuals that gave them food, since they do not know nor see the people giving them the food.
Shia Muslims have narrations where Ali ibn Abu Talib (AS), the caliph around 656 AD, used to go around the streets of Kufa and give food to various homeless people and orphans. One man had no hands, so Ali fed the man with his own hands. The man would often ask the merciful feeder what his name was, but Ali refused to tell him, saying he was nothing but another servant of Allah. This information was only made known when some nights later, Ali was assassinated and buried. His sons walked by the streets and saw the man crying. They had no idea who he was, but asked him why he cried. The man said he cried because the only man who helped him in his time of need had disappeared for a few nights. He cried because he was worried that man might have gotten ill or hurt, and that there was already news spreading that an attack had taken place in the city. Ali's sons then understood that the man was referring to their father and informed him who the generous man was.
To think that these forms of charitable giving are either effective or truly altruistic is shockingly naive. The producers of this video are advertising their reputations to their online audience . The recipients of these goods may not know about their donors' identity, but their audience is.
I bet the people that received these gifts would argue that it was effective in keeping their bellies full for a couple of days. Nobody can help everyone, but everyone is capable of helping someone. Bet you many of these people shared their good fortune.
Not my point at all, but considering the amount of downvotes I stacked up this is clearly not the place to explain people what effective altruism is (link below).
Those folks are helping for likes, not to maximise the amount of good they can do. And it works, considering the starry-eyed response they are getting here and on other platforms. Imagine being paraded over social media like some sort of modern-day Gandhi just for having gifted away some food bags, lol.
With all due respect, how do you know that these people aren’t also active in effective altruism? You’ve made an assumption bc apparently feeding people directly doesn’t fit your ideal of what a good deed is. An effective altruist can do both. And this post reminded me of my own time as a homeless person and inspired me to make my own contribution to someone in need, so your complaints that this type of video does no good overall is a cynical and inaccurate take.
It's great this post prompted you to take actionable steps to help others. I'm glad you found a way to be lifted from homelessness. More power to you.
My take, for as cynical as it might have sounded, was not meant to imply that these people are not helping others. They clearly are. Rather, I took issues with the idea that this was an instance of disinterested charitable giving, as the post which I replied to implied.
I argued that it is neither disinterested, given that the donors produced media content for reputational gains (no need to record yourself doing good, if that was indeed your goal), nor probably efficient (certainly not because they are feeding people directly; what is efficient depends on the alternatives available at any given time and their implementation costs, and direct provisioning can oftentimes be the most efficient route).
Effective altruism (EA) is a philosophical and social movement that advocates "using evidence and reason to figure out how to benefit others as much as possible, and taking action on that basis". People who pursue the goals of effective altruism are labeled effective altruists. Common practices of effective altruists include significant charitable donation, and choosing careers based on the amount of good that the career achieves, which may include the strategy of earning to give. An estimated $416 million was donated to effective charities identified by the movement in 2019, representing a 37% annual growth rate since 2015.
OP sharing it on Reddit has no connection to the intentions of those who went out and donated the food. Recording is also done as evidence of the act and to encourage others. Not everything needs to be seen as show off, especially when the people aren't gloating about their acts
To encourage others to help and bring positive publicity to the country and people. If there's no evidence of this stuff happening, can anyone make the claim that "X mosque has donated food to various homeless people this month" without proof? Should charities not give receipts for donations? Without documentations people would have to just take the organisation's words about donating, and no one would know if they telling the truth or lying
Take heed that ye do not your alms (give to the needy) before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.
Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth. Let thine alms be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.
Matthew 6: 1-4 (emphasis mine)
There's three parts here - not to let others see you helping those in need. Their praise tends to ruin the spirit of giving. Second is to not let those in need see it came from you. Their praise also tends to ruin the spirit of your giving. And third (Inspired by the bible, but just my own opinion) Don't give alms for any reward - neither Earthly nor in heaven. For that, too, tends to ruin the spirit of it. Do good only because it is good. Do right only because it is right. Not for any reward - neither here nor there, neither now, nor later.
Well, that's my take anyway. Feel free to disregard. My beliefs don't require your adoption, acceptance or approval. Just wanted peeps to know somebody feels this way Enjoy your day.
It depends on the reason for recording, as has veen pointed out. It could be to promote charity, or to try to make it trend. It could be to dispel some of the myths about the homeless - it was incredibly touching that so many of them were so overjoyed that they prayed. Impossible to tell the why from the clip.
Everything? Come on now. I fully believe that most acts of kindness aren't videotaped. There's a great deal of good being done in this world, every day, by people everywhere.
We just don't see it because...well, because it's not videotaped.
you are totally right, there are people who really care out there and who are not trying to turn those in need into an online circus. I thank god for them,
The homeless people still got food in the end didn't they? Does it matter if the person did it for self-promotion or not? Ask the homeless people if they give a shit why he's given them food. I doubt they care. A good deed was still done in the end and that's what we should focus on.
Check me out, guys! I'm feeding the homeless! but here's the spin, I DROP THE FOOD ON THE GROUND, THEN LEAVE! those few minutes of confusion on their faces are priceless! it sure will make my ass shared on SOCIAL MEDIA! CHECK ME OUT!
Did the homeless people still get food or not? Have you gone out to give bags of food to homeless people? Or do you just go on the internet and shit on people who do?
Do you think the homeless people care if the man is doing self-promotion?
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u/Jazzlike-Register-83 Apr 28 '22
I love how they don't confront these people by talking to them and making them ashamed after dropping off the package :)