 Ladies and gentlemen, salamun alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh. Yara'u as-salam was for you guys, watching me at home, watching me on Facebook and all the good stuff that's coming out these days. You know, hashtag LNT with episode 7, with your favorite man and favorite host, Ahmad Ali. Or was that episode 8? Yara'u as-salam was episode 8 with your favorite man and favorite host, Ahmad Ali. Now, we are coming to you live from the holy city of Karbala and you know, we got to kick it off with a nice start. See what's trending in the world today and where else to kick, but on hashtag LNT. So go check it out. So a high-profile delegation from Saudi Arabia consisting of crown prince Muhammad Ibn Salman and other government officials, the Saudi ministers, visited Iraq or will visit Iraq soon to create initiatives and cooperations, economic and strategic cooperations with Iraq. So crown prince plans to attend the opening ceremony of the new border that's supposed to open between Iraq and Saudi Arabia, Ar-ar, my eye was too hard, Ar-ar. So for you guys, he also plans to open the Saudi embassy in Baghdad in the consulate. Guess where the consulate is? You're the holy shrine of Imam Ali, in Najaf, you know? So he's trying to open the consulate in Najaf and the embassy in Baghdad. I mean, what's going on? Let's see how that goes down. But if you guys were following the news, at least 49 were killed today when a plane crashed landing the opposite way, like the wrong way on a landing on a runway. Now, unfortunately, there were 71 passengers on board and sadly there were only 49 killed and 22 are receiving treatment, 22 survived. Now, the new recently elected prime minister visited the crash site to check out or to check up on the people who were injured and check up on the occasion incident and the situation of the people. Man, a lot of airplanes are going down and they're breaking down, you know, just to hint out there's another airplane crash we don't want to mention where, who was on board. But you guys can go check that out. But let's go and check out what today's topic is because honestly it's going to change your life. Let's go. Today's topic is very special. One second. As-salamu alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh. Today's topic is a very special one. Helping others in general with anything, you know, has that comforting vibe, has the comforting feeling to it, we humans and even animals sometimes. We have the urge to help others even when we're not even expected to. This positive energy that hits us directly from minor things, you know, giving up your seat on the bus for the elderly, sparing some extra change for the homeless man living on the street. You know, we go even simpler than that. You know, opening the door for someone when you're walking into the mall, when you're going into university or a class or anywhere else, opening the door for someone can actually change their mood according to psychology. And we go even simpler than that. A simple smile, you know, towards someone even if you don't know them, you know, give them that smile, you know, that beautiful smile. You know, I got that killer smile right now, you know. So even that simple smile, you know, I just changed millions of feelings around the world, you know what I mean? But, you know, even that simple smile can change someone's life. Now that small thing that you're doing, as I mentioned, getting off the bus or not getting off the bus but, you know, giving your seat up for an elderly person on the bus or, you know, being a gentleman and there's a lady standing in it, you know, you got to get up even if, you know, you open the door for her because, you know, maybe she's your future wife but, you know, we want to, you know, but, you know, anyway. So it's these simple things that add up and make someone happy and all that. But this is not confined to any faith or any religion or ethnicity. God, Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala, the Almighty, he's instilled, he has instilled this priceless trait in the hearts of mankind and the hearts of creatures. It goes back to them. He or she and how far they take that and how far they please. Now, this falls under the category of kindness and generosity. But what happens if we take it just a step higher, a small step higher? What happens then? Then it's not just helping out the other person right there and then by giving up your seat and by other things. No, you're giving up where you're sacrificing something of your own for the other person without anything in return. This is called altruism. You know, let's say you're on a beautiful sunny day on Miami Beach. No, I'm not saying that I've never been there. But, you know, Miami Beach, we don't want to say that. But, you know, every BNC with, you know, Muslim women and Burkini's who, you know, and on that beach, someone is drowning. It's okay for someone to say, you know what? Let me just go call someone or, you know, the lifeguards that are on the beach. No, go call them and tell them to go save this man. But no, some people take it to a different extent. You just did the right thing right there. You did something good. You called the authority to come and help them out. But if you take it a step higher and you going into the water, sometimes we don't know how to swim, not saying that I don't. But, you know, people don't know how to swim. So they jump in and try to save that person. That person right there and my fresh string, I don't want to give that away. I'm not that altruistic. But, you know, jumping into the water and saving that person is called altruism because you're putting yourself on the line for the other person. So you're sacrificing something of your own for the other person. Now this brings us tonight's question tonight's topic. How altruistic are you? Are you willing to give up the only meal you have to a poor person and sleep the night hungry? Or are you willing to give up the only blanket you have during the winter to your neighbor who has no blanket, maybe poor, living on the street and sleep in the winter nights cold? Are you willing to sacrifice your life for a stranger that you don't know in a situation where you feel like should I or should I not? Now take a moment to contemplate on these acts and do call in the number shown right now on your screen and let us know on hashtag LNC what you think about tonight's question. Is or how altruistic are you? We are live on Facebook and on YouTube as well. You can check those links out. You can call us right now and answer the question. How altruistic are you at plus 964-774-067-1836? To let us know what you think. You can also send us a written message at the same number via WhatsApp and let us know what you think as well. We also have voice notes that will be coming in. Insha'Allah to let us know what people think. What is your opinion? How altruistic are you? Is it necessarily for you to put your life on the line to sacrifice for someone or should you wait for others? Let us know what you think and let the world know what you think about today's topic. Let's go into a very short break and we'll be back very, very shortly. Welcome back to hashtag al-anti with me, your favorite host, Ahmad Ali. It's a coincidence that T and Ali, they rhyme. We're not trying to rap, but we're trying to have a good night tonight. Being altruistic, giving up and sacrificing for others. For example, this iPhone 7, I see someone with a Nokia Tabooge as they call it in Iraq, the old Nokia. It's a phone at work, you don't have to give them your phone. But we're talking about someone who doesn't have any means or doesn't have, for example, I'll give you an example. As I mentioned earlier, someone doesn't have food. He's hungry or she's hungry. Are you willing, are you willing to sacrifice that meal? You right there. Yeah, I'm talking to the cameraman right there and the camera right there. Are you the camera? Are you willing to zoom in on me to tell you that are you willing to sacrifice your meal? Are you willing to sacrifice, no? No? Whoa. I don't, I don't, ah, okay, yes, okay. I gave him that, you know, that red eye, that dirty look where, you know, he has to say yes on my show. He can't say no to me. But are you willing to sacrifice that only meal for someone that does not have that meal? One time in high school, Mr. Bell's, you know, shout out to her. Grade 11 high school teacher, chemistry teacher. Now, she told us a story one day. This actually just came through my head. One day she was, you know, walking down the street and she saw someone who was actually very hungry. He asked her for money and she says, what are you gonna use the money for? And he says, well, you know, I haven't eaten for two days. I've only eaten like crumbs of bread and water. So she's like, instead of giving you money, are you willing to come with me? And, you know, I'll go buy you Subway. Well, I'm missing Subway. But are you willing to come with me? And I'll buy you Subway. Now I wouldn't put a stranger in my car, but, you know, she was altruistic enough to put this man in her car and take her, take him to Subway and she bought him a full meal. After that, he thanked her so much. And, you know, he promised to never beg again. Because honestly, we do have a WhatsApp, but before we get to the WhatsApp message, you know, a lot of people sometimes, you know, they give up on life. Other people, they go and commit suicide. God forbid, we don't want that. But why are you guys throwing the WhatsApp messages away? Come on, man, I'm talking. I mean, yeah. But, you know, a lot of people, they give up on life. They look at life in a very down-sided way. So these kind of incidents bring them back to life where they, it's like a moment of epiphany where they realize what they're doing is actually wrong. At the same time, they don't have anything else to do but beg. Anyways, let's hope that a lot of people around the world through hashtag LNT, the late night talk, can, you know, help start helping other people out. But we do have a WhatsApp message. So let's check that out. So, Sikina from India. Altruism is not obligatory in the religion of Islam and I don't think one should have to put his or her life in danger for a stranger. Everyone lives their own life. Wow, Sikina from India. Wow. Yeah, I mean, if you think that, then why not? But saying it's not a part of the religion of Islam, I believe it is because one of the things that we'll get the touch upon today, you know, Islam talks about humanity and within humanity, altruism is needed because honestly, if I'm not gonna sacrifice to the person that doesn't have anything, then that's not generosity. If I go up to someone, you know, I'm from rich and I go up to someone and give them a present, that's generous, that's okay, but that doesn't count. That may make someone feel good, but what's truly amazing is if I have something and giving that only thing to someone that really needs it. You know, for example, if someone's thirsty and you're thirsty, are you willing to let them drink before you? Or are you like a germaphobe where you eat people's germs and stuff? That's a different story. But let's remind people to call and let us know what they think about today's topic. Now, going into scientific research and stuff, because you know me, I'm a scientist, I'm everything, you know what I mean? I'm Ahmed Ali. So, going into scientific research and stuff, let's check out what they say. Now, altruistic behavior is sometimes a desire to improve the prosperity of another person and not having the expectation of getting something or a reward in return. So, what basically a lot of people are trying to do is you know, I'll do you this favor. So they've already put something right there. They're doing you a favor. See, being altruistic is not that. It's not about doing people a favor. It's the acts of actually doing something and not looking for something in return, you know? And that sometimes, you know, when you're looking for something in return, that just increases the level of egotism. We don't need that. Now, studies in altruistic behavior, they found that older children's behavior or actions are based on social approval and then the adolescent behavior due to the fact that it makes them feel good about themselves. Now, altruism can be breaking down into two, biological altruism and reciprocal altruism. What are the difference between these two? We'll take a very, very, very short break and we'll be back very, very shortly to show you guys the number as well as what today's question is. So quick break, back very short. Now, welcome back, I hope inshallah took that short break into taking that short break to your advantage and, you know, joining the number down of tonight's episode or tonight's show. Tonight's question is how altruistic are you? This is the number, plus nine, six, four, seven, seven, four, oh, six, seven, 18, 36. Now, going back to the discussion, let's leave that number up for a bit so people can get a good look at it right there. But before we were going into that break, I was talking about the two main types of altruistic behavior or altruism and how it can be broken down into two parts or two types. You have biological altruism and then you have reciprocal altruism. Now, first, if we would talk about the biological altruism, then that's the idea that it's within your nature, it's within your genes that you help out your relatives. Basically what it means, you're helping out those who are close to you. You know, and that's where we get the famous charity begins from your home, begins at home. Now, the reason for this due to the genetic relatives that we have, a lot of people within these days, they only help out their relatives, especially when you look at politics. I mean, especially in Eastern politics, you see one man is rich, the whole family is rich, or you see one man's in power and then all of his cousins and his brothers and his family members, all of them in power. I know this guy's the international affairs guy and this guy is the minister of this department or this ministry. But let's check out what we got just now on WhatsApp. Who are we from? Ali from the USA. I personally find myself altruistic, alhamdulillah. Okay, that's great. And I consider this to be a special blessing from Allah. Obviously, I mean, if you feel that you are altruistic, then we thank Allah, for giving you that blessing. Now, there's another type of altruism. Now, we said there's a biological altruism and there's a reciprocal altruism. Now, what this basically means is what goes around comes around. So basically, it's a two-ended way, it's a two-way altruism. So you're doing something for something in return. So for example, you're giving someone something they really need in return, you're like maybe in the future, I'm trying to find or I'm trying to get that thing back or the favor returned. Now, if we were to look at some of the examples within altruism or biological or reciprocal, the reason why they're so different is the fact that because each individual reacts only once in their lifetime. So for example, interacts only once in their lifetime. You know, when you open a door for someone in the mall, you might not meet them anymore. So sometimes that can be reciprocal, but it all goes back to your intention. So if you are willing to open the door when knowing that you might not see that person again, do it for the sake of being good. You don't have to do it for the sake of, you know what? Maybe that person is trying to get me back the favor. But we have a lot of people who are trying to call in today. Let's hope the lines are free to get their interaction. So we do have brothers Zechariah from India. Salamun alaykum. Welcome to hashtag and see you in today's question. Alaykum salam brother Ahmad. Tonight's question, how you doing my brother? Tonight's question is how altruistic are you? Oh yeah, so this is a very interesting topic. So coming from a land of India. Okay. The father of our nation Mahatma Gandhi has rightly quoted the best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others. Well, let me tell you, this is the personality who has credited the India's independence to Imam Hussein. You know, the greatest visionary and the greatest freedom fighter of the 20th century has got inspired by Imam Hussein and that talks a lot about our faith. So we belong to the Islamic faith. Yes. The principles of al-Ulbaid, their selfless stand on the land of Karbala and all that. So we need to understand we have religion and the holy scriptures in one side. But how we use our religious faith to get into practicality and serve the mankind. When I say service of mankind, I don't concentrate on one particular faith. Okay. It's service to humanity. Of course. And I'm a doctor myself. Okay, nice. So my profession teaches me to serve humanity. So I would like to share my experience in the land of Iraq. Yeah, I was. When I visited the school for orphans, I came across a few children who were suffering from continental heart defects. Wow. This was exactly two years back. And believe me that thought made me so sad, you know, because I wasn't even earning two years back. And I said to myself, how do I serve these people? Should I wait for 10 years when I'm actually earning and having a good bank balance? Or should I do now? So that with this thought, I shared my experience with my friends in London. So we have this organization called Who Is Hussain. And my friend who are doctors there in London, we came up with a campaign called Give Life. So we mobilize support and funds all over the world. And we have successfully completed 13 free heart surgeries to the Iraqi orphans and needy. Wow. Mashallah. So this particular incident in my life has changed the way I perceive life. We all can be a change today. We all, you know, we have this mindset that, okay, you know what in our 20s, we just have fun. And it's our elders who have to take care of the world. Yeah. Right? So now we need to understand that today we all get together. And if we serve mankind irrespective of being biased towards only our faith, no, let us join hands and take the principles of Imam Hussain and serve humanity. Yes. So inshallah, I'm very happy to announce that we're coming up with a way. How are we gonna serve the children of Iraq? So my next project under the name The Little Angels of Iraq. Nice. Is going to be out soon. And I hope everyone supports our cause and we reach out to the needy. Thank you very much. I mean, it's actually an honor to know that we have young individuals and such altruistic individuals like you. And we do thank you very much for joining us tonight on hashtag LNC. It's actually wonderful to know that. Wonderful to know how a lot of people are actually willing. It's a good point that he mentioned and I have to mention a lot of people think that right now I don't have a lot of income coming in. So I can't really help the other people. Let me just earn a good living, work in a nice company or a firm and then I can go out and help others. But individuals like Zacharia took it ready, took it immediately and helped out. But let's go back to our main topic and that is how altruistic are you? The main question. How altruistic are you? A lot of people would say, I am? If you are, let me know. And if you're not, let me know too. So we do remind callers to call in. The lines are open throughout the show. Insha'Allah we do have a couple of minutes left. I think 10 minutes left to the end of the show. So do let us know what you guys think about tonight's topic. Now going back to the scientific research and the good old scientific stuff, don't forget to call. I'm talking to you right there. Don't forget to call. I have a lot of friends who does that. I have a lot of friends, I have friends in China but I just had to say that. Now this has nothing to do with today's show. I just remembered a video that I was watching today I've done on Trump. But going back to today's topic and how altruistic are you guys, the author of social evolution by Robert Trevor's, he describes a very good example of this. Although it's not related to humans but it really shows us the same meaning of reciprocal altruism. He gives the example of the small fish living in a tropical called reef. Within these coral reefs there are small fish that go in to the mouth of larger fish and they clean that mouth. And even if we actually have a video of that, let's see that video. Let's full screen that so we can all see what that means. Now, so look how the small fish goes into the mouth of the big fish and cleans it out. It cleans the mouth of that fish and now Subhanallah, so it's basically telling that fish, clean me I protect you because when the predator comes to eat that small fish, it leans away, it protects it, it protects the small fish from the predator. So basically Subhanallah, so clean me I protect you, not clean me I protect you but the fish is saying if I was a fish, I'll probably be mesgouf but you know, I do, what do you say? I'm sorry, I'm sorry. He's just telling me to say I'm a big fish but you know, but you know, wow. Anyways, anyways, we don't need to, good thing you don't have a mic on. People won't know what you're saying but they're throwing out jokes about me being a fish and what type of fish. I don't want to mention that but it's also worth mentioning that we do have altruistic individuals in history. If we were to look at history, we have Martin Luther King Jr., this guy, he put himself on the line and made the world recognized the need of basic civil rights for all people whether black or white and he placed himself on the line and he was ultimately killed for trying to improve the lives of other people like him. We have brothers who mention who also put himself on the line for others. We have other individuals like mother Teresa who also initiated this campaign of helping others whether in charity and it was mainly charity but helping others in various different ways whether schools, food shelters, home shelters and other things as well. Now if we were to look at it from a view of religious or religion if I should say. Now we also, in the previous episodes we have placed the third segment, this last few moments of tonight show the last few minutes to talk about how the Ahl al-Bayt and how they could affect our lives or how they can benefit us as examples and role models for our lives to talk about and to learn from them about altruism. Now there's a story in history and in the Quranic verses and there's a Quranic verse that was revealed about this incident. Imam Ayyub Al-Qadab used to work at a farm and whatever he used to get, he would buy bread with it so they can fast. This was not in Ramadan, so they can break their fast. Now this was not in Ramadan, so it wasn't like a mandatory fast but Ma'min Hassan and Hussain were sick and Fatim Zahra A.S. made a vow to Allah, if her two sons are cured, she's gonna fast, the whole family's gonna fast for three consecutive days. Now the first day they fasted, as they put the bread and the yogurt, some people should say the yogurt and salt, a very simple breaking fast, not like now like butter chicken and the biryani and the fish and the kabab and the shawarma and the falafel and the qawzi in Iraq, they do this and the pacha, I don't know who eats goat heads but we don't do that. But what I'm trying to say was a very simple, it's a very simple way that they broke their fast. Now as they were sitting to eat the fast, the door was knocked. Ma'min thought it goes up to go open the door, he sees a miskeem, as the Quranic verse says, wa yate'umoon at-ta'am'a la'hubbihi miskeem wa itiman wa asira. Don't ask me about the Quran, I know it from cover to cover, trust me. Salawat ala Muhammad knock on wood, I don't want to get no Alzheimer's or something. But you know, so wa yate'umoon at-ta'am'a la'hubbihi miskeem wa itiman wa asira. So basically this verse was revealed about ahl baytah alayhim as-salam. So the door was knocked, Ma'min thought it goes and opens the door, he sees a miskeem, a poor person. And he says, do you have food? So he picks up that meal, gives it to that person. The entire meal picks it up, gives it to that person. They broke their fast, it was just simple water. The next day, the same thing. They prepared the same meal, bread, yogurt, very simple salt and all the simple stuff. The door gets knocked. As soon as they sit down to eat food, the door was knocked. Ma'min thought it goes and opens the door, he sees an orphan. Now he says, I'm hungry, can you feed me some food? Ma'min thought it goes to Islam. Again, picks up the entire meal, gives it to the orphan. But let's keep one thing in mind. It's Imam Ali, it's not Ahmad Ali. It's Imam Ali giving that food. For me, I like to eat with a big meal. But Imam Ali thought it was that simple food, that simple meal, he picked it up and he gave it. And what's the only meal? Now look how altruistic they were. And you tell me that altruism wasn't part of Islam. Yeah, so anyways, so the third day, they fasted. They broke their fast with a very simple glass of water. The third day, they fasted because it was a vow. They fasted. As soon as they were about to break their fast, the door gets knocked for the third time. Three consecutive days, the door gets knocked. It's a captive, a prisoner. So when the door, when Imam Ali goes and opens the door, he sees that captive and he says, do you have a bit of food? I'm hungry. So Imam Ali picks up that food and gives it to him. As soon as this was done, they broke their fast with simple water. As soon as this was done, this verse was revealed to Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, and he says, go check up on your daughter, on your son-in-law, and your grandsons. Because it's been three days they haven't eaten anything, broken their fast with only simple water, because they've given their food to a Yatini, to a Meskeen, a poor person, an orphan, and a captive. And Jubra'i brought down a full meal for them to eat. Now at the end of the day, we do thank everyone for tuning in tonight. We did get a few phone calls, due to the reception we weren't able to get them through. Don't think we don't have any calls, just throw that out. But we do thank Allah, for giving us the opportunity to talk about this topic and making others inspired through the Ahl-e-Bait, peace be upon him, and how altruistic are you? That's for you to decide after this show, and continue serving the Ahl-e-Bait and continue sacrificing to others. Thank you very much. Peace be upon you. Rahmatullahi wabarakatuh.