Allah sometimes allows some people to suffer to test others, how they react to them. When you see a person who is sick, poor and needy, then you are tested by Allah. Allah is there with that suffering person to test your charity and your faith. In a very moving Hadith the Prophet, peace be upon him, said:

“Allah will say on the Day of Judgment, ‘O son of Adam, I was sick and you did not visit Me.’ He will say, ‘O my Lord, how could I visit You, when you are the Lord of the Worlds.’ Allah will say, ‘Did you not know that My servant so-and-so was sick and you did not visit him? Did you not know that if you had visited him, you would have found Me there?’ Allah will say, ‘O son of Adam, I asked you for food and you fed Me not.’ He shall say, ‘O my Lord, how could I feed you and you are the Lord of the Worlds?’ And Allah will say, ‘Did you not know that My servant so-and-so was in need of food and you did not feed him? Did you not know that if you had fed him, you would have found that to have been for Me?’ ‘O son of Adam, I asked you for water and you did not give Me to drink.’ The man shall say, ‘O my Lord, how could I give You water, when You are the Lord of the Worlds?’ Allah will say, ‘My servant so-and-so asked you for water and you did not give him to drink water. Did you not know that if you had given him to drink, you would have found that to have been for Me.’

HOW TO HELP TSUNAMI SURVIVORS

The following organizations have announced that they will take part in relief efforts to assist the victims of the earthquake:

ISLAMIC RELIEF WORLDWIDE RESPONSE launched an effort to get medical supplies, tents and sanitations facilities for the victims of the earthquake. To donate, send checks to Islamic Relief, 1919 W Magnolia Blvd, Burbank, CA 91506, call

(888) 479-4968, or visit: www.irw.org

ASIA RELIEF, a Maryland based nonprofit organization, is accepting donations of nonperishable food items, clothing and toys for victims of the tsunami in Sri Lanka.  Cash donations are also being accepted.  To contribute, drop off donations anytime at 19409 Olive Tree Way, Gaithersburg, MD, 20879.  Contact Seyed Rizwan Mowlana at 301-672-9355 for more information.

ISLAMIC CIRCLE OF NORTH AMERICA (ICNA) Relief has established an Indonesia, India & Seri Lanka Relief Fund to provide food, medicine, clothes, tents & other urgently needed supplies. To donate, visit www.ReliefOnLine.org or send checks to 166-26 89th Ave Jamaica, NY 11432, Tel.718-68-7028.

The INTERNATIONAL RED CROSS AND RED CRESCENT societies in south Asia have begun to mobilize staff and volunteers to affected areas to assist with the immediate needs. Emergency assessment and first-aid teams have already reached some of the affected areas.

Call 1-800-435-7669. Contributions to the International Response Fund may be sent to your local American Red Cross chapter or to the American Red Cross International Response Fund, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013. Internet users can make a secure online contribution by visiting www.redcross.org.

CARE Australia teams from Sri Lanka, Indonesia, India and Thailand are traveling to affected areas to gauge the impact of the disaster. Donations can be made through the CARE Australia website (www.careaustralia.org.au) or by phoning 1-800-020-046.