{"id":7053,"date":"2016-08-05T13:15:33","date_gmt":"2016-08-05T17:15:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/altmuslim\/?p=7053"},"modified":"2016-08-05T13:31:24","modified_gmt":"2016-08-05T17:31:24","slug":"abdul-sattar-edhi-the-greatest-thing-islam-teaches-is-humanity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/altmuslim\/2016\/08\/abdul-sattar-edhi-the-greatest-thing-islam-teaches-is-humanity\/","title":{"rendered":"Abdul Sattar Edhi: &#8216;The greatest thing Islam teaches is humanity&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\">\n<html><head><meta http-equiv=\"content-type\" content=\"text\/html; charset=utf-8\"><meta http-equiv=\"content-type\" content=\"text\/html; charset=utf-8\"><\/head><body><div class=\"getty embed image\" style=\"background-color: #fff; display: inline-block; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; color: #a7a7a7; font-size: 11px; width: 100%; max-width: 594px;\">\n<div style=\"padding: 0; margin: 0; text-align: left;\"><a style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none; display: inline-block;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/108081472\" target=\"_blank\" class=\" decorated-link\" rel=\"nofollow\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/div>\n<div style=\"overflow: hidden; position: relative; height: 0; padding: 67.845118% 0 0 0; width: 100%;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"display: inline-block; position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; margin: 0;\" src=\"\/\/embed.gettyimages.com\/embed\/108081472?et=iDU-NOyTRbB4I2WgA8YQhA&amp;viewMoreLink=off&amp;sig=m6OT4GwPgCNgLMJqKC-6w0zOZJDP6Am9tdlCZlbThYU=&amp;caption=true\" width=\"594\" height=\"403\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p style=\"margin: 0;\">\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><strong>By Salman Hasan Ali<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Adul Sattar Edhi, arguably the world\u2019s greatest and perhaps least known humanitarian, passed away last month; he was 88 years old. <em>Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji\u2019un<\/em>\u00a0(\u201cWe surely belong to Allah and to Him we shall return\u201d).\u00a0Some people called Edhi a saint, others called him\u00a0<em>maulana<\/em>\u00a0(Islamic scholar); but the children he cared for \u2013 the thousands of abandoned, orphaned, destitute children in Edhi centers around Pakistan \u2014 simply called him <em>Abbuji<\/em> (respected father). The loss feels so heavy, the shoes seem impossible to fill. But Edhi\u2019s inspiration provides each of us with a challenge \u2014 to live more kindly, to do more to lift each other up, to care more deeply, for each being, regardless.<\/p>\n<p>Please click continue to learn more about the immense humanitarian efforts and accomplishments Edhi achieved in his life time.<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<div class=\"getty embed image\" style=\"background-color: #fff; display: inline-block; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; color: #a7a7a7; font-size: 11px; width: 100%; max-width: 594px;\">\n<div style=\"padding: 0; margin: 0; text-align: left;\"><a style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none; display: inline-block;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/547094460\" target=\"_blank\" class=\" decorated-link\" rel=\"nofollow\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/div>\n<div style=\"overflow: hidden; position: relative; height: 0; padding: 74.915825% 0 0 0; width: 100%;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"display: inline-block; position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; margin: 0;\" src=\"\/\/embed.gettyimages.com\/embed\/547094460?et=rHS_OWryS7Fzkfqouadqyg&amp;viewMoreLink=off&amp;sig=WLEygPL_jFMiN9a8mLk5eN-jCcAIz5mPg32h0saoaTk=&amp;caption=true\" width=\"594\" height=\"445\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p style=\"margin: 0;\">\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><strong>A Builder of a Nationwide Health and Welfare Organization<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Edhi took care of Pakistan\u2019s desperate young and old for over 60 years. He and his wife Bilquis built a nationwide health and welfare organization consisting of ambulances, clinics, orphanages, homes for the physically handicapped, shelters for runaway children, blood banks, mortuaries, adoption agencies, animal shelters, drug addiction programs and much more. In a country that lacks adequate facilities for the welfare of its most vulnerable citizens, Pakistanis depended on Edhi to fill the void.<\/p>\n<p>It all started with one small shop.<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<div class=\"getty embed image\" style=\"background-color: #fff; display: inline-block; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; color: #a7a7a7; font-size: 11px; width: 100%; max-width: 594px;\">\n<div style=\"padding: 0; margin: 0; text-align: left;\"><a style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none; display: inline-block;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/547094462\" target=\"_blank\" class=\" decorated-link\" rel=\"nofollow\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/div>\n<div style=\"overflow: hidden; position: relative; height: 0; padding: 74.915825% 0 0 0; width: 100%;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"display: inline-block; position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; margin: 0;\" src=\"\/\/embed.gettyimages.com\/embed\/547094462?et=ZmZeSFyOSu1gmp4XIrt9iw&amp;viewMoreLink=off&amp;sig=BtfFfgxyDH-0VPkTD5DKYgAhXETiaCnEvwiB-ShZMRM=&amp;caption=true\" width=\"594\" height=\"445\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p style=\"margin: 0;\">\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><strong>Humble Beginnings<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In 1951, Edhi, then 23, used some of his savings to buy an eight foot square run down shop in the poor neighborhood of Mithadar in Karachi. He set up a dispensary open to everyone, rich or poor, Muslim or not. He slept on a cement bench outside so he could be available at all times. A sign outside read, \u201cThose who give charity are blessed, those who do not are also blessed.\u201d His goal was to change people\u2019s attitudes toward the poor and marginalized; \u201cto get rid of man\u2019s disgust towards human suffering,\u201d as he put it in his autobiography \u201cMirror to the Blind\u201d. He realized that he had to start with himself and show people through his own example. \u201cFrom this day onwards, there is no difference in what I am, and what the people see. There will be no expenses on my person and therefore, no contradiction. My home will be open, my life will be the life of the people,\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n<p>And one of his biggest role models was his own mother.<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<div class=\"getty embed image\" style=\"background-color: #fff; display: inline-block; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; color: #a7a7a7; font-size: 11px; width: 100%; max-width: 594px;\">\n<div style=\"padding: 0; margin: 0; text-align: left;\"><a style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none; display: inline-block;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/547094800\" target=\"_blank\" class=\" decorated-link\" rel=\"nofollow\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/div>\n<div style=\"overflow: hidden; position: relative; height: 0; padding: 66.329966% 0 0 0; width: 100%;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"display: inline-block; position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; margin: 0;\" src=\"\/\/embed.gettyimages.com\/embed\/547094800?et=BcfGPLMXSvNRoRu1UTffXQ&amp;viewMoreLink=off&amp;sig=OjgVg2v6C9qFDUKdGEPbcO7LLH5XT61_SnlEpzqSP_0=&amp;caption=true\" width=\"594\" height=\"394\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p style=\"margin: 0;\">\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><strong>A Mother\u2019s Influence<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Edhi attributed his sense of compassion to his mother. Each day before school, his mother would give him two <em>paisas<\/em> and tell him to spend one on himself and the other on someone in need. When he returned home, the first thing she would ask is how he had spent the money; and scold him if he hadn\u2019t found anyone to help. His mother became paralyzed with diabetes; Edhi took care of her, feeding and bathing her emaciated body. In caring for his mother, he likely imbibed the lessons that guided his life\u2019s work: to value life no matter how frail; to give people dignity in life and in death; to care for those whom society has disregarded. The night his mother died, Edhi committed his life to serving humanity.<\/p>\n<p>He began by providing ambulances.<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<div class=\"getty embed image\" style=\"background-color: #fff; display: inline-block; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; color: #a7a7a7; font-size: 11px; width: 100%; max-width: 594px;\">\n<div style=\"padding: 0; margin: 0; text-align: left;\"><a style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none; display: inline-block;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/523114120\" target=\"_blank\" class=\" decorated-link\" rel=\"nofollow\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/div>\n<div style=\"overflow: hidden; position: relative; height: 0; padding: 65.151515% 0 0 0; width: 100%;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"display: inline-block; position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; margin: 0;\" src=\"\/\/embed.gettyimages.com\/embed\/523114120?et=PunzR_rUT99AFmM50I8OOg&amp;viewMoreLink=off&amp;sig=FhFNToYFyq-fap15uZHc40OmuAWfToiA-nqUMUGxpR8=&amp;caption=true\" width=\"594\" height=\"387\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p style=\"margin: 0;\">\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><strong>Edhi\u2019s Network of Ambulances<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Edhi\u2019s first ambulance was a dented blue car bought in 1957 from donations by a local businessman, on which he painted \u201cPoor Man\u2019s Van.\u201d He drove it himself night and day, taking the injured to the hospital and unclaimed bodies for washing and burial. \u201cI brought back bloated, drowned bodies from the sea. Black bodies that crumbled with one touch. I picked them up from rivers, from inside wells, from roadsides, accident sites and hospitals. I picked them up from manholes and gutters, from under bridges, from railway bogies, from tracks, water sheds and drains. I brought them home, to my work force, spreading the stench in the air forever. Then I bathed and cared for each and every victim of circumstance, just like I had done for my mother,\u201d he wrote in his autobiography.<\/p>\n<p>Today, there are more than 2,000 ambulances; it\u2019s considered the largest volunteer ambulance fleet in the world.<\/p>\n<p>Soon I got my first opportunity to meet this extraordinary man.<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7054\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7054\" style=\"width: 1000px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/27\/2016\/08\/abdus-sattar-edhi-with-salma-hasan-ali-1000-pix-1679.jpg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-7054\" class=\" decorated-link\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-7054\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/27\/2016\/08\/abdus-sattar-edhi-with-salma-hasan-ali-1000-pix-1679.jpg\" alt=\"Author with Abdul Sattar Edhi, Image source: Author\" width=\"1000\" height=\"667\"><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7054\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Author with Abdul Sattar Edhi, Image source: Author<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>My Interview with Edhi<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I first traveled to Pakistan to interview Edhi in March 2009. When I arrived in Karachi, I called Anwer Kazmi, Edhi\u2019s right hand man for 40 years, to ask the address of the center; he said just tell the driver \u201cEdhi\u201d and he\u2019ll know where to bring you. Everyone in Pakistan knows Edhi.\u00a0I was dropped off at a dilapidated, small, corner, white-washed ground floor office buzzing with activity. Several ambulances were parked outside. I immediately noticed the cradle in front, with the words \u201cDo Not Kill.\u201d There is a cradle outside each of the Edhi centers where people can drop off babies that they cannot take care of. Hundreds of babies, mostly girls, are left in these cradles each year; they\u2019re cared for in Edhi orphanages.<\/p>\n<p>A few men were standing behind a wooden counter fielding phone calls; others sat behind donated desks signing off on bills, ordering medicines, or taking donations. Anwer Kazmi was at the center desk, feet on his chair, arms crossed and tucked across his chest, chewing beetlenut, and talking to a reporter. He ordered chai, and we talked about the monumental work that the Edhi Foundation does every day \u2014 800 people are fed at the free soup kitchen in Karachi; 8,500 rotis are cooked daily; 25,000 people are fed at the various centers; 6,000 calls are received for the ambulance service each day. \u201cThis is the work of one man,\u201d said Kazmi. \u201cHe motivated the people by his commitment, by his vision.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Edhi was in Islamabad the day I arrived; it was the day of the \u2018long march\u2019 of the lawyers\u2019 movement from Lahore to Islamabad; he went to ask for calm, but feared there might be commotion. He returned to Karachi the next day and I was able to interview him then.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe greatest thing Islam teaches is <em>insanyat<\/em> (humanity),\u201d Edhi told me. \u201cAt the basis of all religions is humanity.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The more I spoke with him, the more I learned about the simplicity of life.<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<div class=\"getty embed image\" style=\"background-color: #fff; display: inline-block; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; color: #a7a7a7; font-size: 11px; width: 100%; max-width: 594px;\">\n<div style=\"padding: 0; margin: 0; text-align: left;\"><a style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none; display: inline-block;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/547094490\" target=\"_blank\" class=\" decorated-link\" rel=\"nofollow\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/div>\n<div style=\"overflow: hidden; position: relative; height: 0; padding: 65.319865% 0 0 0; width: 100%;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"display: inline-block; position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; margin: 0;\" src=\"\/\/embed.gettyimages.com\/embed\/547094490?et=Om4Y0lOjT1xNiqpPRV1lrA&amp;viewMoreLink=off&amp;sig=560k8MiJA42QTZV4FL-QwmpKF3eFh643JRAelsbWmA4=&amp;caption=true\" width=\"594\" height=\"388\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p style=\"margin: 0;\">\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><strong>Simple, Charitable\u00a0Living<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Edhi lived simply; he slept on a traditional bed covered by a thin mattress, in a room behind his office. He slept only a few hours, ate roti and chai, and spent most of his\u00a0day on call, available to anyone in need at any time. His manner was straightforward, at times even brusque, as he had no patience for\u00a0unimportant things; and anything that kept him from caring for someone, tending to someone\u2019s problem or ailment, was unimportant.<\/p>\n<p>To really know Edhi, you had to visit his centers and meet the people he cared for. I spent a day riding in an Edhi ambulance to several centers, meeting the young boy who had run away because he was being beaten and who found refuge and an education; the man with HIV\/AIDS who found treatment and a safe haven; the widow abandoned by her family who found shelter and learned a skill; the elderly woman neglected by her children who found solace and dignity. Edhi is captured in each of these stories, and thousands of others like them.<\/p>\n<p>One thing was for certain \u2013 there was no one else like him.<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<div class=\"getty embed image\" style=\"background-color: #fff; display: inline-block; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; color: #a7a7a7; font-size: 11px; width: 100%; max-width: 594px;\">\n<div style=\"padding: 0; margin: 0; text-align: left;\"><a style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none; display: inline-block;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/547094470\" target=\"_blank\" class=\" decorated-link\" rel=\"nofollow\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/div>\n<div style=\"overflow: hidden; position: relative; height: 0; padding: 74.915825% 0 0 0; width: 100%;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"display: inline-block; position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; margin: 0;\" src=\"\/\/embed.gettyimages.com\/embed\/547094470?et=OFmKehWwROFlq9gDDOf7pA&amp;viewMoreLink=off&amp;sig=sUtKvAF9hHWd6BD8X90NILvGb6Hv-6K2EOHcTtsgSS4=&amp;caption=true\" width=\"594\" height=\"445\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p style=\"margin: 0;\">\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><strong>He was Not Father Teresa. He was Simply Edhi<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>These past few days I\u2019ve been going through photos and notes from my trips and reading Edhi\u2019s book that he signed for me. I miss him deeply, along with the millions who cherished him too; I miss what he means for humanity. I feel for the thousands of people for whom he was the one person who cared, the one person who did something to make their life a little easier. One life, each life. There are many who can speak about Edhi much better than I can. But there is one thing I know for sure. He was not Mother Teresa, he was not Father Teresa. He was Edhi. And there will never be another like him.<\/p>\n<p><em>Salma Hasan Ali is a writer, blogger and storyteller,\u00a0focusing on personal essays, cross-cultural reflections, and profiles about inspiring people. Her blog,<\/em><em>\u00a0<\/em><em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.30days30deeds.com.\/\" class=\" decorated-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">30 days, 30 deeds<\/a>, includes other stories of inspiring Muslims. A version of this article <a href=\"http:\/\/The%20world%20moves%20to%20fast,%20and%20many%20are%20still%20feeling%20the%20loss%20of%20humanitarian%20Abdul%20Sattar%20Edhi.%20Learn%20his%20life%20story%20and%20how%20%20%22Edhi%E2%80%99s%20inspiration%20provides%20each%20of%20us%20with%20a%20challenge%20%E2%80%94%20to%20live%20more%20kindly,%20to%20do%20more%20to%20lift%20each%20other%20up,%20to%20care%20more%20deeply,%20for%20each%20being,%20regardless.%22%20%20By%20Salma%20Hasan%20Ali%20%20https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/altmuslim\/2016\/08\/abdul-sattar-edhi-the-greatest-thing-islam-teaches-is-humanity\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\" decorated-link\">originally appeared<\/a> on Altmuslimah.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Embed from Getty Images By Salman Hasan Ali Adul Sattar Edhi, arguably the world\u2019s greatest and perhaps least known humanitarian, passed away last month; he was 88 years old. Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji\u2019un\u00a0(\u201cWe surely belong to Allah and to Him we shall return\u201d).\u00a0Some people called Edhi a saint, others called him\u00a0maulana\u00a0(Islamic scholar); but [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":590,"featured_media":7054,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[1775,767,305,1478,1796,26,1776,1795,52,88,1793,1794],"class_list":["post-7053","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-commentary","tag-abdul-sattar-edhi","tag-charity","tag-health","tag-humanity","tag-humble","tag-islam","tag-life-lessons","tag-mother-teresa","tag-muslims","tag-pakistan","tag-salma-hasan-ali","tag-welfare"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Abdul Sattar Edhi: &#039;The greatest thing Islam teaches is humanity&#039;<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Embed from Getty Images By Salman Hasan Ali Adul Sattar Edhi, arguably the world\u2019s greatest and perhaps least known humanitarian, passed away last month;\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/altmuslim\/2016\/08\/abdul-sattar-edhi-the-greatest-thing-islam-teaches-is-humanity\/\" \/>\n<link rel=\"next\" href=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/altmuslim\/2016\/08\/abdul-sattar-edhi-the-greatest-thing-islam-teaches-is-humanity\/2\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Abdul Sattar Edhi: &#039;The greatest thing Islam teaches is humanity&#039;\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Embed from Getty Images By Salman Hasan Ali Adul Sattar Edhi, arguably the world\u2019s greatest and perhaps least known humanitarian, passed away last month;\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/altmuslim\/2016\/08\/abdul-sattar-edhi-the-greatest-thing-islam-teaches-is-humanity\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"altmuslim\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2016-08-05T17:15:33+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2016-08-05T17:31:24+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/27\/2016\/08\/abdus-sattar-edhi-with-salma-hasan-ali-1000-pix-1679.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"768\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"512\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Guest Contributor\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Guest Contributor\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/altmuslim\/2016\/08\/abdul-sattar-edhi-the-greatest-thing-islam-teaches-is-humanity\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/altmuslim\/2016\/08\/abdul-sattar-edhi-the-greatest-thing-islam-teaches-is-humanity\/\",\"name\":\"Abdul Sattar Edhi: 'The greatest thing Islam teaches is humanity'\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/altmuslim\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2016-08-05T17:15:33+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2016-08-05T17:31:24+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/altmuslim\/#\/schema\/person\/2d865aff786b53f8ec13c56a6f5518ec\"},\"description\":\"Embed from Getty Images By Salman Hasan Ali Adul Sattar Edhi, arguably the world\u2019s greatest and perhaps least known humanitarian, passed away last month;\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/altmuslim\/2016\/08\/abdul-sattar-edhi-the-greatest-thing-islam-teaches-is-humanity\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/altmuslim\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/altmuslim\/\",\"name\":\"altmuslim\",\"description\":\"Global perspectives on Muslim life, politics &amp; 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