“O mankind! You (are) those in need of God, while God, He (is) Free of need the Praiseworthy”. (Quran 35 : 15)

God loves those who sacrifice for Him. But God is the free of need. He does not need anything. We cannot even return to God the favour of a single breath or a drop of water we consume. But we have to offer God because He has commanded us to sacrifice for Him. If a person is offering Salah, it is because God has commanded him to sacrifice his time for Him. God has therefore mentioned various ways to offer him sacrifices and gifts. But how? By sacrificing our time, life and wealth for His other slaves, for the needy, for the poor.

The sacrifice we make on Eid by slaughtering meat does not reach God, though it is for Him. But it reaches the hungry, the needy and the poor who do not enjoy as much food as us, so He has commanded us to sacrifice an animal and then, distribute the meat to the poor, hungry or needy. That flowers which you wish to offer God, He will love it. If we take one step of love towards Him, He hastens to make 10 steps towards us, if we walk towards Him, He comes running to love us. Instead, we can offer those flowers to some person who is sad or ill or requires a smile, and make that being happy as an offer to God.

“God had once forgiven a prostitute. She passed by a dog panting near a well. Seeing that thirst had nearly killed him, she took off her shoe, tied it to her scarf, and drew up some water. God forgave her for that.”(Muslim)

Helping or caring for animal is equal to offering God a sacrifice for His creation. Even the smallest act of mercy spared in the world is accepted in the sight of God as a great sacrifice and offering to Him. Whatever you can do for God, do it for the creatures around you. That is the offering which God loves to accept after the obligatory commands. Of that feeding, clothing or providing shelter for a needy is the highest kind of offering you can make to Him.

All God wants us is to serve Him, by serving the beings around you, be it any creation of His. Remember God has commanded to help and feed the hungry. He did not mention believer or disbeliever, animal or bird. It could be any, if it is in need for help, you are the one who represents the help God for that moment. You are offering and submitting yourself to the doings of God. Serve His creations by love, that is you sacrifice to God, and He will accept your service as served for Him. The prophet said that on the judgement day Allah will ask “When I was ill, you did not come to visit me”. A man shall say “Oh God, how can you be ill?”, He will say “When so and so had fallen ill, why did you not visit him?”. He is waiting to accept your flowers by you sparing them for someone who can be happy by receiving them. And then God will haste to return your offering, by loving you and providing you with his bounty. By enabling you to see the light of God in other beings. Then He will reach out to you and grant you compassion from his beings. Do you think if you help someone, that he will not love you back for it?

God wants to see the minds, hearts and actions of His slaves submitting to Him and deeply connecting with Him as He orders and instructs. This is the true belief in Him. God wants piety, in that He wants His creations to lead righteous life being concious of His mercy towards us. Everything needs Him, He has given us “life” for this human experience of ours, but He is need of nothing. He wants to gift you His image, and for that he needs your sacarfices, through serving His created beings.

May God grant us with His love and understanding. And may we have the faith and strength in Him, to serve mankind as much as able, for all are His creations.