This world is made up of 7 billion people, most of whom live their lives in their own memorable way. They leave the most impact on their family and friends, which is not insignificant, mind you. However, there are a select few whose names and legacies live on in the hearts and minds of the masses, On July 8, 2016 Pakistan lost one such individual, a man who was considered to be one of its crown jewels, Abdul Sattar Edhi. From a young age, Edhi Sahab was proof for me that not all heroes come in capes or tailor-made suits with years of education and experience that they were privileged enough to receive–– some come in simple clothing, with little education, and with little more than a goal in their sights.
It is entirely possible that those outside of Pakistan and other South Asian nations have heard little to nothing about Edhi Sahab. If you ask me, there are several reasons for this: 1) I know it gets old, but unfortunately, Edhi and his foundation don’t necessarily fit the stereotype of Pakistan that the media has created. For those of you who disagree, that is a separate debate for another day. And 2) Edhi Sahab himself was one of the humblest and modest human beings in today’s day and age. He was never after fame and recognition–– all he ever wanted was to help people. So for those of you don’t know much about Edhi Sahab’s life and work, allow me to enlighten you: A man from extremely humble beginnings, Abdul Sattar Edhi was born on January 1, 1928 in the state of Gujrat in British India. After the partition in 1947, he came to Pakistan at the age of 19, where he founded the Edhi Foundation in 1951, which is currently the largest welfare organization in Pakistan. For the past 65 years he ran the Edhi Foundation, an organization which is renowned for its social work, which includes ambulances (his foundation has the world’s largest ambulance service, owning and operating over 1500 of them), clinics, nursing homes, food kitchens, mental health care, rehabilitation for drug addicts, and much more. Along with his wife, Bilquis, Edhi Sahab and his foundation became an integral part of helping those in need. To date they have rescued over 20,000 abandoned infants, rehabilitated over 50,000 orphans, and trained over 40,000 nurses, along with over 330 welfare centers in both urban and rural areas of Pakistan. He was the recipient of numerous awards, both national and international. He passed away on July 8th, 2016 after suffering from kidney failure for several years. Perhaps the greatest humanitarian who ever lived, Edhi Sahab was not just the pride of Pakistan, but the pride of society and mankind.
Growing up, I used to hear about the amazing things that Edhi did, his selflessness, his sacrifices for society. If you hear him speak, he always talked about how he wanted there to be a place for those in need to seek help, regardless of caste, creed or religion. Humanity was the core of his endeavors. He lived an extremely ascetic and modest lifestyle, owning no more than two pairs of clothes and living in a small apartment next to the foundation, because he knew that simplicity was the best way to live life and continue to help others. He took great pride in working for the suffering of the common man, something he dedicated his entire life to. He was known as “the richest poor man” because of his simplistic style of living and for the wealth he had accumulated in good deeds. As I got older and I learned more about him, I wondered more and more how it was humanly possible for someone to not only be so selfless and caring, but for someone to do so in such a quiet manner. Edhi never wanted glory or recognition, so he was never one to shout from the rooftops about his accomplishments, asserting that monuments be made to him, that he be world famous. These things become of little importance when one has a goal in mind.
As I was scrolling through social media I came across a phrase that basically sums up my feelings about Edhi Sahab’s tragic demise: “Jis ne itne yateemon ko sar par chat di, aaj woh pura mulk yateem kar gaya.” (The man who saved so many orphans has now orphaned the nation). My one regret is that despite passing away at the age of 88, he still went too soon for us, because we as a society still haven’t learned enough from him to help Pakistan (and the world) improve. He was too good for this earth...and yet out of the 88 years he spent on this earth, more than 60 of them were spent teaching us about humility and humanity. With Pakistan and the rest of the Muslim world constantly getting caught up in Sunni-Shia riots, when everyone is so busy bickering with one another, it is the people who are truly in need who get thrown to the side. And it is only because of Edhi Sahab and his foundation that any of them ever got picked up. His foundation is still strong, I hope that his values and principles will remain so as well. My only solace in his death is that finally at long last Edhi Sahab is no longer suffering and is no longer in pain. After all that he has done for us, it is the least that he deserves.
The reason I say all this is because now it is up to us to make sure that Edhi Sahab didn’t die in vain. His values, his ideology, his selflessness must be carried on by all of us. All the good he has done will be of little value if we cannot continue to take the message forward and do what we can to make a difference. We must continue his work and make him proud. Many people considered Edhi the last hope for Pakistan–– we must prove them wrong. It is true that Edhi has left us but his memory, his spirit, and his work will always live on, and we must make sure that it continues to flourish even if its founder is no longer with us. The future of the world is in our hands and it is my sincere hope that if we work together we can successfully carry on the great eternal legacy that Edhi Sahab left behind for us.