As
part of my work, I recently visited the local branch of the charity the Samritan’s. The plan was to visit, find out more about what
they do, and get to know the volunteers.
The volunteers took the time to explain what they did and tell me about the
training required to run their services.
Then they took me on a tour of their offices.
The
two volunteers were two of the nicest people I have ever met. I had not expected the amount of training and
work that goes into volunteering for the Samaritans and how much they do.
It
made me think about what I contribute to my community and to society. I remember a talk once by a Muslim scholar
and he posed the question: If all of the Muslims left your country, would the
people of that country notice? Would
they be sad? He explained it was our role
to serve others, to benefit others and to show so much kindness and compassion
that if we left tomorrow people would miss us.
This little piece of nasiha, or advice, has always stayed in my mind.
Someone
at work recently asked staff how many of us volunteer, I felt a little
embarrassed at not putting my hand up. But
then I got to thinking of all of the other sisters in my community who don’t
formally volunteer but serve in so many other ways:
My
Aunty who used to send meals to her English neighbour who was having treatment
for Cancer
My
neigbour who teaches children Quran and then donates the fees to charity
My
lovely friend Z who used to visit her elderly neighbour and carried on visiting
her when she moved into a nursing home
The
sisters who cook for the masjid, send meals to new mothers who don’t have any
family here and send food to neighbours
Shutterbug
Sister who will take any opportunity to give directions or find some small deed
that will help others
My
mum, who sent meals to a newly widowed neighbour and sent us sisters one by one
to sit with her so she wouldn’t be alone
So
many other instances, the advice givers, the form fillers, the interpreters for
people who don’t have the confidence to talk to housing or benefit agencies.
I
hope that those small deeds are what we are remembered for. I hope they are enough to define us and not
the negative rhetoric that abounds around us right now.
