Abu Dhabi: The UAE's founding father Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan was a leader who personified humanitarian benevolence and generosity throughout his life, said Dr. Yousuf Juma Salama, the Imam of Al Aqsa Mosque and First Deputy Chairman of the Supreme Islamic Council.
"His death in the month of Ramadan indicates that God favoured the departed leader by calling him back in the holy month, the month of endless divine mercy, forgiveness and compassion," the Imam added.
In a homage paid on the occasion of the death anniversary of Shaikh Zayed, Dr. Salama also spoke of his memories of the departed leader's qualities.
"He was so generous, and the quality of generosity is a blessing from God. The prophetic tradition has taught us that a generous person is close to heaven and stays far from hellfire," he said.
The Imam said Shaikh Zayed rendered great services in the cause of propagating Islam, setting up many mosques and religious schools, printing hundreds of thousands of copies of the Holy Quran, supporting science and learning, helping the poor and needy, and building dams, houses, hospitals and healthcare centres across the world.
He also recalled the support given by Shaikh Zayed to the Red Crescent Society, which enabled its distinguished track record of providing relief to people affected by natural disasters and by wars in Palestine, Bosnia, Kosovo, Sudan, Somalia and other parts of the world.
Shaikh Zayed's support to humanitarian efforts across the world to alleviate human suffering was unparalleled, he added.
Dr. Salama also recalled the great services Shaikh Zayed rendered in helping Palestine and its people throughout his life. Shaikh Zayed's charity works in Palestine will go down in history as he helped to rebuild mosques as well as churches in Bethlehem after they were pulled down or damaged in Israeli shelling.
