Muslims reiterate in their every prayer to Allah: [إِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ (You alone we ask for help & support) {Surah 1: Verse 5}]. They realize that Allah is the one Whose support should be sought [وَاللَّهُ الْمُسْتَعَانُ {Surah 12: Verse 18}][رَبُّنَا الرَّحْمَٰنُ الْمُسْتَعَانُ {Surah 21: Verse 112}]. At the same time, Allah has ordained Muslims to establish a system of mutual support to one another in this worldly life. Allah has directed Muslims to mutually support one another in deeds of righteousness (Al-birr) and integrity (at-taqwa)

وَتَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْبِرِّ وَالتَّقْوَىٰ وَلَا تَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْإِثْمِ وَالْعُدْوَانِ

[Surah 5: Verse 2]

The deeds of righteousness and integrity have been elaborated as: (1) giving out of one’s wealth, in spite of love for it, to: – family and relatives; orphans; widows; those left helpless in the society; those whose hard-earned income fails to meet their basic needs; those whose running businesses have stalled; the ones who have lost their jobs; whose life has stalled for any reason; the disabled; the needy wayfarer, son of the street, the homeless, the one who comes for assistance; those who ask for help, and – those whose necks are burdened with any kind of bondage, oppression, crushing debts and extreme hardship of labour. (‘Yatim’, ‘Miskin’, ‘Ibnis Sabeel’, ‘Fir-Riqab’ carry all the meanings given above); (2) establishing as-salat, and setting up the Just Economic Order of zakat; (3) remaining steadfast in physical or emotional distress and in times of peril [Surah 2: Verse 177]; (4) spending on others out of what one cherishes himself [3:92].

لَّيْسَ الْبِرَّ أَن تُوَلُّوا وُجُوهَكُمْ قِبَلَ الْمَشْرِقِ وَالْمَغْرِبِ وَلَٰكِنَّ الْبِرَّ مَنْ آمَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ وَالْمَلَائِكَةِ وَالْكِتَابِ وَالنَّبِيِّينَ وَآتَى الْمَالَ عَلَىٰ حُبِّهِ ذَوِي الْقُرْبَىٰ وَالْيَتَامَىٰ وَالْمَسَاكِينَ وَابْنَ السَّبِيلِ وَالسَّائِلِينَ وَفِي الرِّقَابِ وَأَقَامَ الصَّلَاةَ وَآتَى الزَّكَاةَ وَالْمُوفُونَ بِعَهْدِهِمْ إِذَا عَاهَدُوا وَالصَّابِرِينَ فِي الْبَأْسَاءِ وَالضَّرَّاءِ وَحِينَ الْبَأْسِ أُولَٰئِكَ الَّذِينَ صَدَقُوا وَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْمُتَّقُونَ

[Surah 2: Verse 177]

لَن تَنَالُوا الْبِرَّ حَتَّىٰ تُنفِقُوا مِمَّا تُحِبُّونَ وَمَا تُنفِقُوا مِن شَيْءٍ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ بِهِ عَلِيمٌ

[Surah 3: Verse 92]

Further, Allah has also guided the believers to seek support through sabr and as-salat.

وَاسْتَعِينُوا بِالصَّبْرِ وَالصَّلَاةِ

[Surah 2: Verse 45; Surah 2: Verse 153]

Sabr means showing patience, endurance, equanimity and adherence to the Laws of Allah in harm, injury, mischief, damage, poverty, bodily affliction, distress, lack of means of subsistence, misfortune, calamity, a state of pressing want [Surah 2: Verse 177], in fear, hunger, in case of loss of money, loss of life or loss of fruits of labour [Surah 2: Verse 155], in the face of rejection [Surah 6: Verse 34), in wartime [Surah 2: Verse 250] or in any other calamity [Surah 22: Verse 35].

As-salat is a complete Islamic social order wherein, in addition to prayer congregations, al-musalleen closely follow the Divine Laws in all walks of their life, and give from their wealth to those whose resources cannot meet their needs or those who became incapacitated and are unable to earn, thus being deprived of the necessities of life. They do this considering it an established right of the deprived one [Surah 70: Verses 22-25]. Their resources remain open and available, like ever-flowing springs, for all needy people [Surah 107: Verses 1-7].