Somewhere
in India many years ago lived a little boy. His family was poor
and they struggled for their daily bread. If people from the
richer countries in the world looked at this little boy and
passed him on the street, they might think he was a nobody …
one of those … from that kind of place … he will never
amount to anything … he is not one of us … will never be. A
dark-skinned, poor boy—whatever could he do to change the
world? Read on and find out.
People
who can form such ideas about others, basing their ideas on the
apparent reality they see like skin color, economic level,
cultural background, and historical points, fail to realize a
universal truth: Life offers each of us a series of
opportunities: some handicaps, some advantages, a set of tools
for life, a mind, a pair of eyes, a culture, an insightful
spirit, and never-ending hope. And then we set off on our way,
tools in hand, and the test is to see what we'll make of all
that.
Unfortunately,
many people settle down into self-pity, apathy, hopelessness,
depression, making excuses all their lives that it is so
impossible to ever be a somebody that they remain content in
being a nobody. Often they listen to what the world says about
them: "Oh, a dark-skinned, poor, uneducated person who
doesn't know any influential people—forget it! He or she will
never be a somebody!" So they say.
However,
the other kind of people gather up all the opportunities and
abilities they have and forge a way for themselves in life. They
become a somebody; they don't bow down to the pressures of life;
they seek to please Allah in all they do, and through their
humility they become famous; through giving, they receive;
through divorcing this worldly life, the worldly life lies at
their feet.
This
particular little boy proved the cynics of the world wrong. He
was only 9 years old when poverty drove him to migrate to his
father in South Africa. His family was poor, but they loved and
supported each other. He rode out the storm of apartheid and
educated himself in the deen of Islam. From a young age
he dedicated himself to serving Allah the Almighty and calling
for the true message of Islam. All his life he lived humbly,
without ostentation—a warm, kind, friendly person filled with
wit, intelligence, and vitality.
He
never sought fame, wealth, or prestige. His message was a simple
one and his course was straight: Be the best Muslim you can be,
dedicate yourself to learning, and give the message of Allah to
every person you meet. He was Ahmed
Deedat.
We
live in a world that is full of information and ease.
Labor-saving devices fill many homes around the world and people
are more often than not left with a lot of free time. But what
do people usually do with that time? How much time do you
spend in front of the TV or playing computer games? What if you
put that time into learning? Ahmed Deedat did just that. He
learned and never stopped seeking knowledge. He didn't waste his
time. And he didn't stop there. He shared that knowledge to all
and sundry.
Why
do so many people in the world find it so hard to answer easy
questions and solve simple problems? Could it have something to
do with knowledge? With common sense? With the warmth and love
of families? With receiving guidance from Allah?
Ahmed
Deedat is a role model for many young people because he didn't
stay in the role the world expected of him. He made use of his
culture and background and made them work for him to make great
achievements in his life. He didn't make excuses for himself; he
didn't feel sorry for himself even when bedridden for many
years; he never allowed himself to sink into the mire of
hopelessness. He always reached up and out and beyond perceived
weaknesses and limitations to the point that he even invited the
pope to accept Islam. The answer wasn't important; the fact that
he reached out was.
Read
Also
**
Selma Cook is managing editor of the Youth Section and
Volunteer Youth Resource Network at IslamOnline.net. She has
written a number of books including Buried Treasure (an Islamic
novel for teenagers) and The Light of Submission (Islamic
poetry). She has also edited and revised many Islamic books. She
can be contacted at youth_campaign@iolteam.com.
