Imtiaz Sooliman – Gift of the Givers founder
AI: Summary ©
The host of a spiritual teachings emphasizes the importance of serving people in life, not just by their appearance. He uses a combination of Arabic and English to describe the teachings and encourage listeners to be the best they can be. He also emphasizes the importance of not pushing people down and not giving them too much.
AI: Summary ©
When what I'm going to say, we will learn the principles and
values of life. This Chancellor's Medal is not because of me. It's
because of the teams that work with me. It's because of my family
sacrifice, and it's because of a great teacher. It was the sixth of
August, 1992
I was in Turkey in Istanbul. I met a spiritual teacher, a Sufi
master, in a Muslim holy place. What was amazing about that holy
place is that what there were people of all cultures, all
religions, Christians, Jews, Hindus, Muslims and even people
who said, We don't believe but they were not judged. They were
welcomed with open arms, and everyone was shown love and
compassion. It was something very amazing. I fell in love with the
teacher the moment I saw him. It was a spiritual connection that
same night, at 10pm
after a religious ceremony in the Sufi tradition, we called it Zikr.
Zikr is the recitation of God's names in a certain combination. We
have the names in Arabic, but in English, you would say the
eternal, Absolute One and only preserve a loving, kind,
compassion, merciful, or God's names mentioned in the Arabic, in
Arabic in a certain combination.
After that ceremony, the teacher looks across the room at me whilst
he's connecting with my eyes and my soul, he's connecting upwards
also. So I can see that. Why is it? Look at me. He's somewhere
else. At the same time,
he tells me in FLUENT Turkish, and I don't understand a word of
Turkish, but I understood every single word that he said, and
he said, My son,
I'm not asking you,
I'm instructing you to form an organization in Arabic. The name
will be walkful Waka fin translated, it means gift of the
givers. You will serve all people of all races, of all religions, of
all colors, of all cultures, of all classes, of any geographical
location and of any political affiliation. But you will serve
them unconditionally. You will not expect anything in return, not
even a thank you. In fact, in what you're going to be doing for the
rest of your life, expect to get a kick up your back. If you don't
get a kick up your back, regard that as a bonus. You said self
people got love, kindness, compassion, mercy, and remember
the dignity of men is foremost. So if someone is down in the ground,
don't push him down further. Hold him and lift him up. Wipe the tear
of a grieving child. Say words of good counsel to a widow or caress
the head of an orphan. It's free. It doesn't cost anything. Provide
food to the hungry and water to the thirsty,
and in everything that you do be the best at what you do, not
because of ego, but because you're dealing with human life, human
suffering and human emotions. How would you like somebody to respond
to you if you on the other side, in that position, if you can
honestly answer that question, then you would know how to serve
people. He went on to say, hyrunas May and for unas, translated
meaning, best among people are those who benefit mankind. And He
repeated it three times. He said, My emphasis is on the word
mankind, not Muslim, not Arab, not Indian. You serve all of creation
unconditionally. And then he went on to say, my son, remember the
most important thing in all this. Remember that whatever you do is
done through you and not by you.
And everything in life you achieve is only by the grace of God
Almighty, and not by our sheer genius. Because even that is given
by him, we cannot manufacture that. That's the most important
lesson you need to learn in life, brothers and sisters. And then he
went on to say, now go back to your country. This is an
instruction for you for the rest of your life, and that's how it
started.