Be inclusive
In Sura Mujadilah (58:11), it says: O ye who believe! When ye are told to make room in the assemblies (spread out and) make room: (Ample) room will Allah provide for you.
When the Holy Prophet (saw) used to conduct assemblies, his followers would throng around him in their eagerness to get close and hear better what he had to say. This meant that the weaker or more reticent of the people may have been crowded out and inconvenienced due to the enthusiasm of the others.
This simple command contains such a powerful message: that we need to be mindful of others in public spaces and provide equitable opportunities for access.
Scholars explain that the wider meaning of this verse applies to the totality of our social life and "making room for one another" implies the mutual providing of opportunities for a decent life to all - and especially to the needy or handicapped - members of the community.
It is amazing how Allah (swt) encourages us by providing us with the ultimate motivation to do what is fair and kind.
Sometimes we fall prey to the mentality which leads us to believe that if we provide someone with opportunity or access, it will be at the cost of this for ourselves. Here we are reminded that His laws and the Universe operates on the principle of abundance, not lack. If we make room for others, in our public spaces, our lives and our hearts, we are all enriched by this inclusion AND He will make room for us.
Plenty motivation to move over and let an acquaintance or a stranger sit next to us, no?
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