When American billionaire Bill Gates announced his resignation from his position as chairman of Microsoft Corporation, I was surprised. He had founded this corporation and built it into the largest IT and software company in the world. And he did it all to dedicate his time to his charitable activities and projects which operate around the world.
Gates is one of those best known for his humanitarian giving. But the list also includes people like Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, who donated the bulk of his wealth to found the Nobel Prizes that are awarded annually to people who have benefited humanity. There is the Chinese billionaire Yu Pengnian who has donated his fortune of $ 2 billion to the poor. Included in this illustrious list is Sheikh Sulaiman bin Abdulaziz Al Rajhi, the owner of a palm plantation in Saudi Arabia, which represents the largest charitable endowment (Waqf) on the planet. He decided to give up half of his wealth to charities. Like these eminent men there are many others.
I pity those who have bought into the conspiracy theory that Bill Gates is actually involved in creating the coronavirus! They say that his predictions about the emergence of a virus like this, is evidence enough to suggest that he is behind it. The rumour-mill suggests that he invested in a deliberate scheme in order to subsequently invest in the creation of a vaccine in order to earn billions more.
To donate money is an excellent and very important thing. But, for a person to donate everything he owns, with the money he earned for decades, as a result of hard work, good management, and wise thinking, this is something that deserves praise and admiration.
Donating money, time and effort are very positive and important things to do. But the highest level of humanity is to give up the enjoyment of the pleasures of this world and to live and fully engage in the service of humanity. That he has extended a helping hand to people at the ends of the earth who have no connections to him whatsoever, other than the link of being human.
It must be admitted that what Gates did isn’t easy at all. To abandon the path of a practical and professional life in which a man has been involved for decades; something he had managed to build through hard-earned successful businesses and institutions, to have reached the pinnacle of glory and wealth, and then suddenly he decides to give up all of this and dedicate himself to something else.
It must be acknowledged that the supreme value of a person in this life is what he gives, not what he takes. Giving is happiness. It is a broad concept that is not confined to providing money to the needy, but rather providing them with a job opportunity, or giving a person a smile in front of a brother or employee a gesture that conveys dignity, one could even leave a parking space for someone else! A peace initiative is also giving. So each of us has opportunities to give.
I cannot conclude my article without referring to some more distinguished people, who sold everything and dedicated their wealth to their countries and their people. Among these are His Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed. These leaders managed, during the height of the coronavirus, to show the rest of us the most outstanding examples through their service to their people this is an essential part of any media glory. Men show what they are made of in adversity, so they have all earned a salute of respect and appreciation.
akram@fp7.com
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