DAILYREFLECTION
So he (went down the well), filled his shoe with water, caught hold of it with his teeth and climbed up and watered the dog. Allah thanked him for his (good) deed and forgave him.
A man was walking along a road, so thirsty that when he finally found a well, he climbed down into it to drink.
When he came back up, there was a dog, panting and eating mud from thirst. He looked at it and saw himself as he'd been a few minutes earlier.
So he went back down. He filled his shoe with water, held it in his teeth, climbed out again, and let the dog drink.
The dog couldn't thank him. Allah did. The Prophet ﷺ said Allah thanked him for it and forgave him, and when the Companions asked whether there's reward even in kindness to animals, he ﷺ said there is reward in serving any living being.
The man at the well probably didn't think he'd done anything special. It was a shoe full of water. He saw his own thirst in someone else and went back down for them.
Most of the good we'll ever do looks like that. A glass of water, a seat given up, a door held, a hand for someone on the floor. Nobody films it, and Allah sees all of it.
First step: the next time you get yourself a drink today, bring one for someone near you too.
Reflect on this: What small kindness did I skip this week because it felt too small to count?