Symbols of Compassion & Generosity
Muslim Sportsmen:
The True Role Models
And Ambassadors
(M. Javed Naseem)
***********************************
All Blacks (New Zealand)
rugby team’s
centre Sonny Bill
Williams (a Muslim)
has given away his
World Cup winner's
medal to a young
fan in a heartwarming
show of generosity
and compassion!
***********************************
Sharing is caring! We are commanded to share good things in
life with the less fortunate and the needy. This is an obligation but it does
not require you to sacrifice an arm or a leg. Just share whatever amount you
can afford to bring smiles on the sad and gloomy faces of mankind. And that
sharing is not limited to money alone; it goes for anything that eases up the
hardships of others. That’s the human spirit – care and share!
لِيُنفِقْ ذُو سَعَةٍ
مِّن سَعَتِهِ وَمَن قُدِرَ عَلَيْهِ رِزْقُهُ
فَلْيُنفِقْ مِمَّآ
آتَاهُ ٱللَّهُ لاَ يُكَلِّفُ ٱللَّهُ نَفْساً
إِلاَّ مَآ آتَاهَا
سَيَجْعَلُ ٱللَّهُ بَعْدَ عُسْرٍ يُسْراً
“Let the man of means spend according to
“Let the man of means spend according to
his means; and the
man whose resources are
restricted, let him
spend according to what
Allah has given him.
Allah puts no burden
on any person beyond
what He has given him.
After a difficulty,
Allah will soon grant relief.
(al-Quran 65:7)
New Zealand’s Rugby Hero:
Sonny Bill Williams is a New Zealand rugby legend. And he is
a Muslim. Recently, New Zealand
defeated Australia
in the final of Rugby World Cup by 34-17. The mainstream Western media never
mentioned his religion! He was in the news for giving away his World Cup medal
to a 14-years old youngster out of compassion. The media never gave any
reference to his faith – Islam. Why? Because it was a positive and constructive
thing and it would bring only good/positive feedback about Muslims and Islam.
They don’t want that! They have a mindset; they have an agenda and they are
implementing an international plan that calls for Muslim-bashing (or promotes
Islamophobia). So much for the Western ‘free speech’, ‘objective reporting’ and
professional honesty!
According to 5-Pillars, UK,
in an amazing example of compassion and generosity, New Zealand’s famous Muslim rugby
star, Sonny Bill Williams gave away his World Cup winner’s medal to a young
fan.
14-year-old All Blacks fan Charlie Lines is now the proud
owner of a Rugby World Cup winner’s gold medal.
Williams acted after seeing a security guard rugby-tackle
the boy, who had run on the pitch during the All Blacks lap of honor following
their 34-17 Rugby World Cup final victory over Australia.
Dilly’s Desk adds:
When a Muslim does something praiseworthy, there's no
mention of their religion.
However, when an individual does wrong and it has absolutely
nothing to do with Islam, rest assured that "Muslim" will be
mentioned at every given opportunity.
Sonny Bill Williams is a legend.
See the short video:
A couple of years ago, while visiting Pakistan, I saw a strange thing on TV. A money-making commercial TV channel (???) was telecasting live the event of Henna ("Mehndi ki Rasm") of a cricketer's bride. This was a cheap and mean show of wealth, a mockery of Islam, mockery of journalism and an insult to the TV Live Broadcasts! Money buys all rules, regulations, principles, ethics and codes. The easy money, coming from match-fixing and by selling the honor of the motherland, could be spent so carelessly without feeling any pain? It was hurting to see the whole scene ('Tamasha'). This money could have been spent on the wedding of some poor girl who could not get married because of poverty. This money could have been spent on orphans, the needy, the poor, the victims of floods and earthquakes! This money could have been spent to get medical aid, medicines and hospital treatment for hundreds of poor patients. This was really a shameless exhibition of Jahaalat that continued for hours on TV. That was business with Shaitan!
There is a saying (it has also been attributed to the Prophet’s
companion Ali ibn Abi Talib) that goes like this:
“When every business (or commerce) fails, then do business
(commerce) with Allah!”
And what is the best way of doing any business or commerce
with Allah? Let’s see what Allah, the Almighty, says about it in the Quran:
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ
يَتْلُونَ كِتَابَ ٱللَّهِ وَأَقَامُواْ ٱلصَّلواَةَ
وَأَنفَقُواْ مِمَّا
رَزَقْنَاهُمْ سِرّاً وَعَلاَنِيَةً
يَرْجُونَ تِجَارَةً
لَّن تَبُورَ
“Those who rehearse the Book of Allah,
“Those who rehearse the Book of Allah,
establish regular
prayer, and spend (in charity)
out of what We have
provided for them,
secretly and openly,
hope for a commerce
that will never
fail.”
(al-Quran 35:29)
That’s the warranty from Allah: “A commerce that will never fail”. Is there any warranty better than that? No, absolutely not! So, for best rewards and gains, share!
Algeria’s World Cup Football Team:
Remember the FIFA World Cup Football in Brazil last
year? Algeria’s
Muslim team made history to reach the final 16 and then donating the bonus
money to the Palestinians! Subhan-Allah! What a beautiful and heart-warming
gesture!
In 2014, according to quotes attributed to Algeria’s star
striker Islam Slimani, the Algerian national football team had announced to
give up (donating it to the Gaza/Palestine victims) all of the estimated $9 million
bonus money they received as valiant losers in the round of 16, in Brazil.
Yet speaking at a reception in Algiers, where the team had returned to a
hero's welcome, Slimani apparently said: “They need it more than us.”
Now, that’s some gesture of compassion and generosity! Those
players were the real winners!
German Muslim footballer Ozil’s charity
epitomizes the spirit
of Ramadan
By: Amaar Abdul-Nasir, Ummah Sports, July 21, 2015
In the final days of this year’s Ramadan, Germany’s
soccer star Mesut Ozil performed an act of charity of so grand that it made
international headlines. Ozil, a 26-year-old midfielder who plays for Arsenal
in England’s Premier League
and for Germany’s national
team, personally paid for 11 children hospitalized in Brazil to receive potentially
life-saving surgery.
It was a gesture Ozil first made last summer, when he and the German national team were in Brazil winning the FIFA World Cup championship. In addition to promising to donate his World Cup bonus paycheck to charity, Ozil paid for 23 Brazilian kids to receive needed surgery — equal to the number of players on the German national team. This year, he did the same for 11 children in need — equal to the number of players in a soccer team’s starting lineup — at a hospital in the city of Maranhao (Brazil).
Beyond the rewards he may receive from the Most High
(Allah), and the praise he has received from the rest of us on this planet,
Ozil’s act epitomizes the spirit of Ramadan.
Ozil could have paid for 23 Brazilian kids to have surgery
last year while he was in that spotlight and in that moment, left Brazil and
never thought of that country again, and he’d still be considered a hero. To
repeat his act of charity for 11 more Brazilian kids this year, when it was
unexpected and out of the spotlight (until the media caught on and the
spotlight came to him), Ozil is proving truly mindful of not only his privilege
but the plights of others, and genuinely caring for the sick and needy.
Tyson, Shaq and Kareem:
Taking
Islam seriously
By: Amaar Abdul-Nasir
While some celebrities like boxing legend Muhammad
Ali and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame musician Yusuf Islam leave no
doubt about their religion, there are others (Janet Jackson, Ice
Cube and Casey Kasem among them) who have been rightly or wrongly associated
with Islam through nothing more than rumors, hearsay and assumptions.
In a recent article for the Nigerian publication ‘Pulse’,
author Oge Okonkwo lists six celebrities who are, as far as we know,
Muslims who take their faith seriously via acts of charity and philanthropy.
Three of the celebrities listed are athletes: former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson,
NBA all-time leading scorer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and three-time NBA Finals MVP Shaquille
O’Neal.
Mike Tyson:
Former boxer Mike Tyson rediscovered himself while serving
time behind bars. During this time, he found the Muslim religion and a new
purpose for life. Shortly after his release, Tyson founded “Giving Kids a
Fighting Chance.” The organization provides innovative centers that support
comprehensive needs of kids from broken homes. The foundation’s representative
said, “These needs may include health care assistance, shelter, school
assistance, mentoring, job placement assistance and such other needs as
determined by the center for the overall well being of the child.”
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar:
Hall of fame NBA star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar supports a number
of charities centered around implementing sports and education into the lives
of under privileged children. Abdul-Jabbar has also supported organizations
like “Stand Up To Cancer” and “American Association of Retired Persons.”
Shaquille O’Neal:
Shaquille O’Neal is known for his unbelievably successful
NBA career, his success as a sports broadcaster and graduating with his doctorate.
Many may not know that O’Neal works very closely with two charities –
O’Positive Foundation and Green My Parents (GMP). The O’Positive Foundation
focus on the needs of children and helps impoverished families get the
education and necessities that they need to make it. While Green My Parents is
an organization developed around the environmental economic movement. GMP
focuses on the importance of a healthy environment, energy consumption and how
to engage children and parents into making eco-responsible changes within their
homes and lifestyles.
British Muslim Athletes
Why British Muslim Sports Stars Are Important?
By Ayaz Sumra, ‘Artefact’
Magazine
Amir Khan, Mo
Farah and Moeen Ali all have one thing in common beyond the fact they are all
successful sportsmen at the highest level – their Muslim faith.
At a time when negative perceptions of the
religion are rife, fuelled by media coverage of ISIS and acts of terror carried
out in the name of Islam, this talented trio are role models for a tolerant,
multicultural Britain.
Welterweight boxer Amir Khan does much for charity and has
also established his own foundation to help disadvantaged young people around
the world as well as supporting emergency aid following natural disasters.
When the Bolton boxer of Pakistani heritage fought and beat
Devon Alexander in Las Vegas
last December, he wore 24-carat gold-embroidered boxing shorts worth £30,000.
He had recently visited the school in Peshawar, Pakistan,
where Taliban extremists killed 145 people, including 132 pupils, and after his
fight with Alexander donated the valuable shorts to raise funds for those
affected.
He also visited a hospital where two injured students were
still recovering, and told The Daily Star: “With what terrorists are doing
to the image of Islam and to the image of Muslims, there is a time to stand up
and speak out.
“I’ve got a daughter myself now. I went [to Peshawar] because I wanted to tell those kids
they need to overcome fear and get back to school. That’s how you make
something of your life. You can’t let terrorists win.”
England cricketer Moeen Ali:
England
cricketer Moeen sparked headlines last summer when, during a Test match, he
wore wristbands in support of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip at a time when
hundreds were being killed in the conflict between Hezbollah and Israeli
forces.
 |
| (Moeen Ali of England) |
Moeen told The Huffington Post that being a Muslim
is “everything to me. It means so much to me, my relationship with the Creator,
following the Prophet.”
The cricketer has been named an ambassador for the charity British
Asian Trust’s work in Pakistan.
 |
| (Hashim Amla of South Africa) |
Like Khan, Olympic 5,000m and 10,000m champion Mo Farah has
also established a charitable foundation that bears his name.
The Somali-born athlete told The Independent: “You’ve
got to believe in God. Everything happens for a reason, so you shouldn’t get
wound up. I think the way I am, the way I’m chilled out, has a lot to do with
being Muslim and having faith.
“It also says in the Quran that you must work hard in
whatever you do, so I work hard in training and that’s got a lot to do with
being successful.”
Sports fans have become used to the sight of Muslim athletes
praying, and many clearly feel spiritual strength plays a role in their
success.
Qais Ashfaq:
“With a personality such as Amir Khan, others look towards
him and say ‘He is he a Muslim, we want to be like him, he’s a good
representative of the religion’. That also puts a lot of pressure on the likes
of Khan to be good representatives.”
Hoping to follow in Khan’s footsteps, both in the ring and
as a Muslim role model, is England’s
2014 Commonwealth Games boxing silver medallist Qais Ashfaq.
“Before and after every fight,
I pray – it makes me feel so much
better, it helps my nerves”.
-- Boxer Qais Ashfaq
-- Boxer Qais Ashfaq
The Leeds fighter
told Artefact: “First and foremost, we have to thank Allah (God). To be
honest, Islam has done a lot for me, especially in terms of boxing because it
has always made me believe in myself.
“Before and after every fight, I pray – it makes me feel so
much better, it helps my nerves. It make me mentally confident and physically
confident. Little things in that belief in God it makes a difference and makes
the world a better place.”
Ashfaq has already got his eyes on more success in the ring
and hopes to represent Great
Britain at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games before
turning professional and taking the path of Khan, Farah and Moeen.
***********
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.