Prophet Muhammad said: “None of you truly believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.” (Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim) This phase  encourages empathy and selflessness among each other.

Christianity promotes a similar ethos with the “Golden Rule”: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” (Matthew 7:12), emphasising mutual respect and care.

In my mind, this type of thinking or philosophy dictates that we have a duty of care to others. The demise of society comes from being totally indifferent of what others in our community or even the global community are going through. Being selfish and uncaring benefits no one.

We are all in this together. We are all one world, one family. Ideally we should strive to live in fairness and goodness for all humanity. In essence, we are our brother’s keeper. A phrase that means to me that we have a moral or ethical obligation to care for and protect each other, particularly those in need.

In Islam we are encouraged to look out for one another. This question raises the issue of human responsibility for one another.

Yesterday I went grocery shopping, at the cashier’s I was struck with the fact that I did not have enough money to get all that I wanted, so I asked that the items be returned to the shelves. I proceeded to pay and leave.

Outside as I awaited for my transportation, a handsome young man tapped me on the shoulders and held out a bag filled with the items that I could not afford. I was speechless and overwhelmed by this Angel's act of kindness. He had purchased the items that I had to leave.

Blessings to the young man. He really restored my faith in humanity. This is the epitome of caring for one another. A total stranger, yet he did not hesitate to assist and convey an act of kindness to me.

This young man's kindness reminded me of what Allah says in the Holy Koran:

“And (as for) the believing men and the believing women, they are guardians of each other; they enjoin good and forbid evil, and keep up prayer and pay the poor-rate, and obey Allah and His Messenger; (as for) these, Allah will show mercy to them; surely Allah is Mighty, Wise.” (9:71)

We should be striving to make life easier for each other, wherever and whenever we can.

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said: “He who alleviates the suffering of a brother out of the sufferings of the world, Allah would alleviate his suffering from the sufferings of the Day of Resurrection, and he who finds relief for one who is hard-pressed, Allah would make things easy for him in the Hereafter …” (Muslim)

There are numerous Hadiths and Koranic verses that encourage us emphatically to be concerned about our fellow men.

Allah says in Surah Ali-Imran, verse 103: “And hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together and do not become divided. And remember the favour of Allah upon you – when you were enemies and He brought your hearts together and you became, by His favour, brothers.”

Bermuda let's look out for one another and support each other in any way we can.

Let us continue to demand immediate ceasefire, enough is enough. This week we observed International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People (November 29), acknowledging their struggle for self-determination, human rights, and peace amid ongoing international challenges.

Solidarity means not just standing with the Palestinian people but also promoting dialogue and action that is effective in achieving an amicable resolution.

We must continue to use our voices for this genocide to stop immediately. Don’t stop until the bombing stops.

As salaam alaikum (peace be unto you)

• Linda Walia Ming is a member of the Bermuda Hijab Dawah Team, a group of Muslim women who reside in Bermuda and have a goal of educating the community about the religion of Islam