If you haven’t heard it by now, I am truly sorry to have to tell you that Abdul Sattar Edhi passed away due to natural causes yesterday. As of this moment we all as a nation are still dumbfounded and in a state of shock for the person who passed away wasn’t just a human being, he was a savior, a messiah whose actions always resounded more than his words. In a time when racial and xenophobic tensions are at an all-time high in our country, he was a man who loved everyone regardless of their beliefs and descent.  I’m sure no matter what point of view you may hold about us or me, you would most definitely agree in taking a moment of silence (or if you believe in any deity, join me in praying) to commemorate the passing of a man whose last words were to wish to donate all of his working organs and possessions amongst those who might need them. Of course, that is the least we could do for a person who dedicated his life to helping the needy without an agenda. However, if for some reason you feel that this is not enough and you just want to do more to carry on his ideology, I highly recommend you consider one of the following options rather than uploading or sharing a status on your social media to express your sorrow.

Consider Becoming an Organ or Blood Donor:

I honestly can’t think of a better way to follow in his footsteps than by becoming an organ donor. Of course if your religious or personal beliefs stop you from doing that, you can always consider donating your blood. Just go out and donate a bottle of blood without any cause or reason and dedicate it to him secretly.

Consider Donating to the Edhi Trust:

In this time of sorrow, another thing any one of us can do is to donate some money to the Edhi trust so that they can continue the good will of Abdul Sattar Edhi. No, I’m not implying that people don’t donate; they do but just for this moment, try arranging a collection from your friends and family just to donate it anonymously to an Edhi center. It’s not the amount that matters, it’s the sentiment. Remember in a country where people are willing to kill just for a meal, no amount is too small. After all, this is to commemorate a man who had nothing of his own yet still managed to create one of the biggest charity networks in the world. Even if you can’t donate your money, your time is another valuable asset you can donate.

Edhi Website Link: https://edhi.org just go there and donate via whatever means suit you!

Consider Being Kind to Those in Need:

One thing that Edhi taught us by example was to love one another regardless of their faith and beliefs. So, just for the sake of this man, try to put away your hatred for those in need and just help without expecting the other person to become sympathetic to your faith. Respect them as you would expect to be respected yourself.

Tweet or Facebook Responsibly and with a Purpose:

Even though I am personally against the notion of putting tweets or statuses to announce to the world my grief at this humongous loss, I do understand the need to vent out and share their loss with friends and family or to inform anyone who hasn’t heard. The power in our voice and words is truly something that shouldn’t be doubted. That is why, I would suggest that you at least check your posts to ensure you aren’t pushing any agenda or thought other than that of love, sorrow and mourning at this time of darkness. Remember there are a lot of people using hashtags which are exclusive to the Black Lives Matter movement or the all lives matter movement going on in the US at the moment, just avoid those. Also more importantly if you can, just link to Edhi’s official website (https://edhi.org) in an attempt to get more people to donate.

Lead By Example:

At the very last, I would suggest that you lead by example, which is why I personally have acted upon all of my suggestions before asking others to follow suit. I know most of you may be skeptical about my claims but I have nothing to gain by lying to you as well as these are just some steps that go to ensure that  you can at least look at yourself in the mirror while saying I am grieved by the loss of Abdul Sattar Edhi but I did everything in my power to keep his ideology alive instead of sitting ideally and saying wish we had more people like Edhi…