Every morning at 6.00am, I see Abdallah passing by the house to pick-up trash, with a smile on his face and greetings to people, he disseminates sparks of positivity with his activity that reflects acceptance and satisfaction. He always intrigued me as a man who has peace with himself and likes his job regardless of how people look at him within Egyptian society.
One day, I decided to go to a cafe within the neighbourhood at night for a coffee and watching a match, to my surprise I found Abdallah serving the people and running the cafe with the same politeness and positivity I see him always, latter and along the coming weeks I have seen the cafe growing with more and more people coming and going, with Abdallah as usual running around servicing everybody as usual.
Around the after noon, I passed by the Cafe, and I have noted that they have rented a new shop next door serving traditional food and sandwiches, and to my surprise I see Abdallah running the kitchen, Cashier and staff, as a professional, trying the food out, I was astonished by the quality and prices, which in weeks became a busy restaurant with all clients from around the neighborhood passing by and picking-up their orders.
Around noon last week, I stopped a taxi heading to a client’s meeting, and I saw Abdallah again driving the taxi, so I took the ride with him and we started talking. I asked Abdallah the most obvious question what is it exactly that you do, he laughed and with a simple voice he replied that he is just seeks livelyhood and sustenance whereverpossible, and to my surprise I learned that he is the owner of the cafe, restaurant and taxi, then, I had to ask a couple of questions, it seems you are well off Abdallah with all these jobs, but how come you have time to run all these jobs within a day, he said that working is partially praying, and this is how he views it, accordingly doing a job to the best he can do it, is part of what God asked us to do “If somebody does a Job he has to do it with complete professionalism”, and keeping a smile on your face and treating people politely is also what God asked us to do “Smiling in the face of people is a Sadka”, on the other hand, time serves me, as in the early morning, I make my round for trash collection, by noon, I take a round with the taxi till latter in the day when I retire for a couple of hours then head for the Cafe and restaurant and whenever I feel tired or sleepy I take a small nap in the taxi, till I go home at night and sleep that’s basically my schedule.
So, I promptly asked him, then it seems you are well off with all these revenue sources, why do you continue to do the trash pick-up in the morning, he then looked back at me with his shy smile, and said, I have never seen my morning job as most people in Egypt look at it, I understand that people regard trash collectors as a low job, but I regard it differently, this is my first job and my main gate of revenue that God granted me and although I can afford to leave it, I will not leave a gate God granted me for “Rizk” and it pays me back in a way as well, as I have to wake-up early everyday fajr prayer and starting my rounds, so I feel my day is blessed and this gives me the drive and will to continue along the day with the determination and content I feel.
We reached our destination, and I was actually happy and content with the positive vibe and entrepreneurship I have seen in a person who regardless of being illiterate, regards and lives life in a manner that reflects complete success and satisfaction, being able to reach peace within himself and develops an aroma of positivity around him through a vision I rarely see. Accordingly, I regard Abdallah’s story as a success story of a true Egyptian Muslim, who applies his religion’s principles in living a successful life.
