In an interview with Henri Weill, Editor-in-Chief of the French magazine La Cohorte, Mawlana Hazar Imam quoted, “We are indeed trying to get involved wherever we can play a positive role, and not just for Ismailis.”
There is a world of meaning in this sentence. Our Imam and his institutions work not only for the Ismaili community but also for humanity at large. Therefore, can we Ismailis contribute a small drop in the ocean of our Imam’s endeavours for positive growth?
These words of Hazar Imam directly connect with the recent incident in Mumbai, where Mr. Samir Firasta saved the life of a renowned architect. During his morning walk, the Bandra resident noticed a man lying on the ground. Whether other walkers did not notice him or just did not care, we do not know. But we do know that this Ismaili, seeing that he was not breathing, immediately started giving him cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) to revive the heartbeat.
Mr. Firasta had the presence of mind to instruct a bystander to fetch an automated external defibrillator (AED) from the Otters Club nearby. AED is a portable electronic device that automatically diagnoses the life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias of ventricular fibrillation and pulse-less ventricular tachycardia, and is able to treat them through defibrillation, the application of electricity which stops the arrhythmia, allowing the heart to re-establish an effective rhythm.
Within minutes the machine reached the spot of the incident and Mr. Firasta gave the patient the first shock. It failed to revive him! He decided to give a second one, but under apprehension. And this turned out to be successful; the patient’s heart started a feeble beat. Soon the patient was transported to the nearby Holy Family Hospital and was reported ‘out of danger.’
This incident makes us proud of being an Ismaili. The ‘tone at the top’ cascades down to the very grass root level. The Quran says “.... and if anyone saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of the whole people.....” (Surah Al-Maidah: 32). This is exactly what Mr. Farista has done.
This act of Mr.Firasta was not highlighted on big hoardings nor was it elaborately publicized. It was simply an act of humanity which did not bring him any material fame but did bring him content to have saved a person’s life. Here we remember the words of Hazar Imam in the same interview, “There is no reason for me to be in the news. When there are problems I try to solve them discreetly. I don’t always manage, but in general, discretion has served me well.”
There are no doubt hundreds of Ismailis like our Mr. Firasta, who help people in their everyday lives. This spirit of pluralism comes from our understanding of Hazar Imam’s guidance through his farmans and speeches. These not only make us better Ismailis, but positive human beings as well.
