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Abdul Sattar Edhi:The Angel of Mercy
7-12-2016
On July 8th, 2016 the government of Pakistan buried its most honoured son, a beggar, with all the pomp and pageantry with the state funeral, attended by Top military generals, politicians, and business leaders. His name was Abdul Sattar Edhi.
Past week the Muslim Ummah, especially Pakistan, lost one of its greatest son. His name was Abdul Sattar Edhi, the world's richest poor man. A philanthropist, a social worker. A father to thousands of orphans, unwanted and abandoned children. A brother to thousands of poor and destitute individuals who had no one in the world to care for. A son to hundreds and thousands of elderly parents whom had no place to live, because their own children won't look after them. In an insane world he took it upon himself, as an obligation to deliver sanity to millions of people, without expecting anything in return. He alone established a social welfare network in Pakistan, The Edhi Foundation, delivering medical and social services to every corner of the country. Something which even the country has not been able to achieve to this day. He achieved, what the Government of Pakistan has not been able to achieve in its sixty nine year history.
He single handedly gave reasons to thousands of women to choose life over abortion, held out hand to thousands for whom suicide was the only option, collected dead bodies and buried them – those whom had no one to perform even the final rites for them. He had no formal education yet he taught the world that it is not the education that makes us human, "people have become educated but have not become human." He was not a religious scholar, yet he, through his actions and words, left the most important lesson we could ever get, "No religion is higher than humanity," and "My religion is humanitarianism, which is the basis of every religion in the world."
Abdul Sattar Edhi, A humanitarian to the nation, who dedicated his entire life, eighty eight years, to serving humans, regardless of their race, religion, colour, class, or status. He is accredited for establishing the largest social welfare foundation in Asia from absolutely zero resources and no income. His biggest achievement is in the area of ambulance services, establishing the largest network of free ambulances in the world. He once said, "So many years later, there are still those who complained and questioned, why must you pick up Christian and Hindus in your ambulance? And I was still saying, because the ambulance is more Muslim than you."
Edhi was born in British India, in province of Gujrat. After the India Pakistan partition, he moved to Pakistan, six days after the creation of Pakistan on world map at the approximate age of twenty. He found himself in a young infant country with no institutions, no social welfare network, no support services for the poor, afflicted, and the destitute. So he took it upon himself where clearly the government was lacking. He started with a small dispensary (pharmacy) in 1951, providing free medicine for the poor and needy.
His family had arranged his marriage but his fiancé dumped him after he told her what he wishes to do and to inquire if she would assist him in his endeavour, saying something along the lines, "this begger wont be able to meet my needs, or provide a healthy life."
He then met (arranged) his wife, his partner, and his best friend, Ms. Bilquis Edhi, who assured him that she was willing to assist him in his endeavour of helping others, live the life of a begger, and together they started with nothing and built an empire of social welfare services in Pakistan.
Although his foundation has an annual budget of twenty million dollars U.S. He never spent money on himself. He wore donated clothes all his life. Yet, he left behind a legacy for which the people of Pakistan will forever be indebted to him. He created the Edhi Foundation that have saved thousands of lives, provided shelters to thousands of people, buried thousands of unclaimed dead bodies.
In a country where corruption is an acceptable norm, his name was always associated with trust.
Throughout Pakistan, over past six decades Edhi foundation has established three hundred and thirty five centers, that stay open twenty four seven to handle emergencies and offer assistance to anyone that might require assistance.
In addition there are seventeen Edhi Shelters, home to thousands of disabled people, orphans, abused women, abandoned children.
However, the most visible aspect of his legacy is worlds largest ambulance service with 1800 ambulances around the country providing services to millions of people every day for nominal fee for those who could afford it.
Abdul Sattar Edhi gave people of Pakistan, young and old, rich and poor, equally what they needed the most – Hope. The poor found hope in him that humanity is still alive. The rich found peace that there is someone whom they could trust to give their charity knowing it would be spend on those who needed the most.
With Abdul Sattar edhi now no longer among us we all feel we have lost some hope in humanity.
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