One side of Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan that few people knew about was the way he valued work. Speaking to Gulf News, Mohammad Nakhira Al Daheri, Minister of Justice, Islamic Affairs and Awqaf, said history will never forget Shaikh Zayed.
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Mohammad Nakhira Al Daheri, Minister of Justice, Islamic Affairs and Awqaf. |
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"We still remember great leaders who died centuries ago. Then how can we forget a man who built a nation from scratch? Shaikh Zayed has left everything behind for us and it is up to us, the generation of Shaikh Zayed, to take his legacies forward and develop the inheritance."
Mohammad Al Bowardi, Secretary-General of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, says Shaikh Zayed would always keep working. "He valued work more than anything else. He used to sleep only four hours a day," Al Bowardi says.
"The media used to cheat people into thinking that Shaikh Zayed was always relaxed and sitting most of the time in the majlis surrounded by people, but that was not an accurate image. While Shaikh Zayed was in the majlis, he was working. He was always working …
"In the majlis, he had all his close aides around him and he used to consult them and listen to their ideas. He worked around the clock and no office could restrict him. He was everywhere at the same time. One moment he would be in one area of the emirates and in the next he would be at the other end of the country."
The first anniversary of Shaikh Zayed's death is a painful memory for all. "I can't hide the sadness and sorrow that overwhelms me when I remember Shaikh Zayed," Al Bowardi says.
"The most overwhelming asset of Shaikh Zayed's memory", he says, "is the size of the responsibility he left us to continue his achievements. He left us with the responsibility to continue on the same path of progress.
"The legacy of Shaikh Zayed is gigantic. He had all the qualities of a tribal Shaikh; wisdom, generosity and strength. He won the people's trust and emerged as a strong leader during the unification of the emirates."
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Mohammad Al Bowardi, Secretary-General of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council. |
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Al Bowardi says the people of the UAE were destined for unification because the ruling family is wise and farsighted.
Shaikh Zayed's Religious Consultant, Shaikh Ali Al Hashmi, remembers the late president's kindness during Ramadan. "When we used to show him the list of prisoners who had committed petty crimes that amounted to a sum of around Dh10,000, Shaikh Zayed would order us to release all the prisoners, even if the crime amounted to hundreds of thousands of dirhams.
He would tell us that these prisoners deserve to be with their families during Ramadan. He used to say it doesn't matter if it is Dh10,000 or Dh100,000, they have repented and they should be sent home and be among their families. Money was in Shaikh Zayed's hands but never in his heart. He was never concerned about money or wealth; he feared God and was concerned about being a good Muslim."
Al Hashmi also spoke of the late president's attention and dedication to spreading Islam in the UAE and abroad.
"If you look back at all the accomplishments of Shaikh Zayed, you will see that he is a man who cannot be forgotten. He did not just build the nation, he was concerned about its residents, both UAE nationals and expatriates. He built a nation that today competes with the most advanced countries in the world."
Shaikh Zayed also developed numerous Quran memorisation centres, both in the UAE and abroad. In addition to these centres he established mosques in the UAE and in several western countries. "Shaikh Zayed always catered to Muslims in the West."
Khalifa Al Suwaidi, Secretary-General of the Red Crescent Authority, says one should always seize the opportunity to pray for the late president. "No one can forget Shaikh Zayed. He is in every house, in every street and in every stone. He is in our hearts. There is no one and there will be no one like Shaikh Zayed.
"He made everyone feel equal. He did not differentiate between rich and poor and he treated everyone like a brother or a son. He loved people and was always concerned about their welfare. He was always thinking of ways to make life better for them."
Nasser Al Budour, Assistant Undersecretary in the Ministry of Health, says the upcoming Emirates Health Award will never be the same without Shaikh Zayed.
"This global award was first started by him. It is held in Geneva and attended by the world's health ministers," he explains. "Shaikh Zayed has left behind a great legacy which will make him immortal ... He always gave assistance to those in need."
