MADINAH – A heartwarming photo showing a Saudi security officer carrying a child while his father performs prayer in the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah has gone viral, garnering lots of praise on social media.

“He carried the child on behalf of his father, until he concluded prayer, and this is no stranger to security men who take care of the comfort of the worshipers, and the safety of citizens and residents everywhere,” Juman Al Assiri, head of public relations, information and communication at Al Masjid Al Nabbawi, said in comments to Al Arabiya English.

The picture, taken at the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah, showed the security man whilst holding the child, allowing the father to carry his prayers comfortably.

The heartwarming gesture has won the hearts of hundreds on social media.

“If I were in their place, I’d only trust a security man with my child,” one wrote on Twitter.

“These men are the pride of our nation,” another added.

Earlier this year, a video capturing a Saudi security man carrying an elderly pilgrim through the crowds in Makkah’s holy mosque during hajj season also went viral online.

At the time, the footage moved thousands who hailed the man for his kind gesture.

Earlier in 2017, another video showed a heartwarming moment when a stranger came to help a wheelchair-bound man who was performing tawaf on his own in the Grand Mosque in Makkah.

This actually is one of the shinning teachings of Islam reflected in this officer’s beautiful gesture, for the religion lays more emphasis on showing compassion and mercy to whomever is in need of it, regardless of whether the person is a relative or not.

Compassion can be seen in so many forms. It can be as simple as a smile from a wife to a husband; a “thank you” from a daughter to a mother; a family activity that ends with a heart-warming meal at the end of a Monday fast. Sending flowers to the poorly or visiting a neighbor who is going through a rough patch in her life spread the rays of compassion further and further beyond the boundaries of our little homes, that are sometimes fraught with selfishness and prejudice. Opening up one’s heart to learn the language of compassion opens up relationships with others, shaping up the importance of kind and loving ummah.