Abdul Sattar Edhi — an Essay
“My Favorite Personality: Abdul Sattar Edhi”
My Favourite Personality — Abdul Sattar Edhi
A hero is no braver than an ordinary man, but he is brave five minutes longer.
-Ralph Waldo
Hero is a man of outstanding character and matchless genius. Every person has a favourite personality which he thinks of as a hero. He must be a man of unique qualities. The hero figure of my life is none other than Abdul Sattar Edhi.
My religion is humanity which is the basis of every religion in the world.
Abdul Sattar Edhi was born in 1928 in a small village of Bantva in British India. The seeds of compassion for the suffering humanity were sown in his soul by his mother. He narrates himself,
My mother used to give me two paisas. One for myself and the other to give to a needy.
When Edhi was at the tender age of 11, his mother became paralyzed and later got mentally ill. He devoted a considerable part of his time caring for his mother. His studies were also seriously affected and he could not complete his high school level. For him, the world of suffering became his tutor and source of wisdom.
He once said,
I do not have any formal education. What use is education when we do not become human being? My school is the welfare of humanity.
His mother died when he was nineteen but the experience embedded in him sensitivity and empathy for sick, mentally ill and challenged people.
In 1947, he migrated to Pakistan. Although he was nearly broke, he immediately began helping others and was devoted to assisting the poor. With the support of some members of his community, he established a free dispensary and got involved in charity work. Soon his personal vision of a growing and developing system of multifarious services made him decide to establish a welfare trust. Thus, Edhi Foundation was founded in 1951 the range and scope of work of Edhi Foundation expanded with remarkable speed and the driving spirit of the man behind it. Today the social services of Edhi Foundation include nursing homes, orphanages, soup kitchens, maternity wards, rehabilitation centres as well as the largest voluntary ambulance fleet in the world.
Edhi constantly represented the definition of a hero through his selfless actions by delivering a strong message of compassion and generosity. He gave all he possessed to assist our civilization. He was often seen curing for orphans, washing and burying the deceased, globally fundraising as well as driving ambulances as a part of his work with Edhi Foundation, because according to him:-
Empty words and long praises do not impress God. Show him your faith by your deeds.
His humility is another quality that inspires me a lot. Despite his enormous fame and the vast sums of money that passed through his hands, he adhered to a very simple and modest lifestyle. He was a recipient of numerous international honours but he preferred to stay away from the limelight. He owned only two pairs of clothes and lived in a two-room apartment adjacent to the premises of the foundation’s office. He once said,
Appearance is a distraction, surrendering it develops truth and humility in abundance.
The path followed by Abdul Sattar Edhi was not an easy one. He exhibited his devotion as he continued to serve others despite the numerous personal threats and invasions he received. Regardless of numerous personal attacks, he stayed persistent with his work for the needy. Many people complained and questioned him that Why must you pick up Non-Muslims in your ambulance? and he replied:
because the ambulance is more Muslim than you.
Edhi represented the true teachings of Islam as Islam is a religion of peace and love, and not of hate and war. Abdul Sattar Edhi passed away on 8 July, 2016 leaving the people of Pakistan with tears in their eyes. His life reminds us not to get caught up in the insignificant materialistic aspects of life and to emphasize our human characteristics for the interest of mankind.
Acknowledgements
This essay is not written by me, it has been compiled from different internet sources, which I must acknowledge. I am very thankful to the authors of all these articles.
- A major part of this essay is written by Noor from San Diego in his article on myhero.com (https://myhero.com/A_Edhi_dnhs_kt_US_2017)
- A big part of the essay is taken from the founder’s page in Edhi Foundation’s official website (https://edhi.org/founder-profile/)
- Some part of the essay has been taken from a page on thefamouspeople.com about the life of Abdul Sattar Edhi (https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/abdul-sattar-edhi-11995.php)
- Quotes are cited from an article on Tribune (https://tribune.com.pk/story/1138171/10-abdul-sattar-edhi-quotes-will-leave-inspired-life)
