11/05/2022
It took 36 years for me to understand the meaningful purpose of life. Not more, not less-something really straight, giving answers to all questions soon after my Grandmother / Nani Zubeda Ahmed Selod passed away day before yesterday in Karachi, Pakistan leaving hundreds and thousands of followers, sons and daughters, like me and my family mourning her death caused due to cancer. My Father told me yesterday, there are only two selfless people he had observed and admired in his life span of 70 years: One was Abdul Sattar Edhi and the other was my grand mother Zubeda Ahmed Selod, and this was the answer for my understanding and the meaning of Life. “To Give” Whatever you have, whatever you can; the rest will all eventually turn into vapors. The only sustainable object will be your efforts for others.
At the age of 41, she became a single parent of four and focused on their prime education and valuable up bringing. She earned her living by working from home and started stitching and altering clothes for a garment factory and planting vegetable in the backyard to feed her family. Through all these tough times and hardships, she never accepted any donation or a financial aid from anyone (in or out of family). The only thing she knew was to give and not to take. She wanted to raise her kids with pride and dignity, to teach them to struggle in life so that they can value the invaluable, and make sure their feet remain on the ground. Teaching children with others example is easy and making oneself an example is not.
My Grandmother, as a philanthropist, is now being remembered by hundreds of young boys and girls who were being educated in her free school and hundreds of others studying and memorising Quran (hafiz e Quran) in madarsas. Among her many commendable deeds were:
• Partnering and contributing in building mosques so many can perform prayers peacefully
• Getting many girls married, as their families were so poor that they couldn’t afford the marriage expenses.
• Having many (kachi matti) clay and sand houses /dwellings rebuilt with concrete as they couldn’t survive in the rain water.
• Collecting Sadqa & Zakat every month, which was used to feed hundreds of families with new born and old age poor people.
• Last year she collected PKR. 1 Million from local and international donors to give out basic necessities to poor people in the month of Ramadhan, which included (wheat, rice, flour, etc.)
• Slaughtering of separate animals on Eid ul Azha, especially for the poor and needy people who rarely get to eat meat in a year.
She performed more than 4 Hajjs and countless Umras in her life span while continuing to pray to do more for people. She also donated and gave loans to others (including myself) to perform Umra and Hajj.
With such a huge heart and blessed soul, she was able to raise two generations, her children and her children’s children including my siblings & me.
Today on her death, hundreds of eyes shed tears; my family could not even count and recognize people turning up at my Nani’s House, Namaz e Janaaza and ‘Tadfeen’ at the graveyard, mourning her death and talking about the countless ways she affected their lives.
Unbelievable! This is the kind of life at least I would want, and it all happened to be by practicing the selfless art of giving. A smile, happiness, educating someone, forgiving their mistakes, providing shelter, food, clothing, financial aid etc. along with fulfilling the principles of deen such as Namaz, Roza, Zakat, Hajj & Tauheed.
My reason for this write up is to spread awareness of ‘Giving’ so that we can be remembered the same way as she is today and live in other peoples’ hearts and mind. We should educate our relatives, cousins & children to do something special for others in this limited time span we have. Please recite Surah Fatiha for the departed soul.
