We once had neighbors with two delightful young daughters. Their family held a deep affection for ours, and the sentiment was mutual. Tragically, the father of the girls passed away, leaving them—one a teenager and the other still a child—without paternal support. Their financial circumstances was clearly not easy.
One day, I resolved to pay them a visit and offer a small monetary gift as a gesture of support. I spent some time at their home, engaging in warm conversation and heartfelt exchange. As I was departing and had reached the courtyard near their entrance, I discreetly placed the money in the mother’s hand and kindly asked her to use it to buy something for her daughters.
At that very moment, I noticed that their close relative member who lived in the same courtyard with them, emerged from another room and witnessed the exchange. I was overcome with a sense of discomfort and regret. I deeply wished she had not seen the act, as it felt it might compromise the dignity of the gesture.
It is important to remember that when offering help to someone, it is best done in privacy. Every human being possesses a sense of honor and self-respect. When one hand gives, the other should remain unaware. Acts of kindness, whenever possible, should be performed discreetly—ultimately, they are matters between the individual and God. The recipient of help must never be made to feel embarrassed or exposed.
This incident lingered in my thoughts for several days, burdening me with a sense of guilt. In time, however, I chose to forgive myself and made a sincere commitment to approach such matters with greater discretion and sensitivity in the future.
Noorin Khwaja Eshaan 