1. Qurʾānic Command
Allah ﷻ says:
﴿ وَتَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْبِرِّ وَالتَّقْوَى ﴾
“Cooperate with one another in righteousness and piety.”
(Sūrat al-Māʾidah, 5:2)
Saving the life of a helpless person is among the greatest forms of righteousness (birr) and piety (taqwā), while neglecting it is a grave sin and act of rebellion.
2. Brotherhood in Islam
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“A Muslim is the brother of another Muslim; he does not wrong him nor abandon him.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, 2442; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, 2580; Sunan Abī Dāwūd, 4893; Jāmiʿ al-Tirmidhī, 1462)
What could be a greater wrong than seeing a Muslim dying of hunger while one has enough wealth to help but refuses to spend on him?
3. The Standard of Faith
Anas رضي الله عنه narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“By Him in Whose Hand is my soul, none of you truly believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, 13; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, 45; Musnad Aḥmad, 3/176; Sunan Ibn Mājah, 66; Jāmiʿ al-Tirmidhī, 2515; Sunan al-Nasāʾī, 8/125; Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Ḥibbān, 1/470)
Certainly, no one would wish to be left to die of hunger; therefore, one should not leave another Muslim in that condition.
Conclusion:
It is a religious duty to spend wealth to save the life of a Muslim in need. Neglecting this is both a violation of Islamic brotherhood and a failure in faith.
