Graduation Day: Lesson of Self Reliance and Equality for High School Graduates
Thank you so much Honorable Founder and Principle, Dr. Ghazala Siddiqui, Honorable Teachers, Students of Generations School (Karachi) and their Parents for inviting me to this memorable and auspicious day of your life. This day, emanates real optimism and zeal for it marks the end of a phase of your life, and beginning of a new one of immense possibility. I congratulate the graduating class for your persistent effort and commitment for making it this far.
We should pause to thank and acknowledge all those who have helped you achieve this milestone. This includes your parents, your teachers, but also the workers who keep your classes clean, the people who bring you to school, and those who keep you safe in this premises. Every school has a version of the Baba, the Chowkidaar, or the PT instructor whose silent but watchful contribution has allowed you to succeed. Always pay heed to such silent contributors as you move through life. My successes too, no matter how individualistic, is because of others whose shoulders I have stood upon. So a round of applause for such supporters those who have contributed to your success.
I was in your position in 1996. I went to a British missionary school. When I joined in Kindergarten we had a fee of Rs. 50/month and when I did my O levels, my fee was Rs. 600. It was a reflection of simpler times, but an educational institution’s impact cannot be measured in Rs or dollars, but the lifelong values and lessons it instills on the minds and consciousness of its students.
In my case, my education was instrumental in crafting me into BECOMINNG WHO I AM. They have taken me to great educational institutions, be it the London School of Economics or the Harvard University, and compete against the top talent at Goldman Sachs, one of the leading investment banks of the world. Those values, lessons and experiences developed in me passion for public service, which brought me back to Pakistan after 19 years. As the CEO of Aman Foundation, an organization of committed members, serving to transform lives in this great city of Karachi.
As my education prepared me for life, so will yours. Therefore I will share with you three lessons from my school days that I learnt when I was in your position, sitting in your seat, and hope that like me those lessons will help you handle failure, disappointment and contribute to your success and that of your families and ultimately of Pakistan.
LESSON 1 is of Self Reliance: When I was in O levels, preparing for the pre final exams, I was studying very hard and putting in the effort but not getting the grades or the results — the 1A that is the wish of any Senior Cambridge student.
One evening, I was studying in my room and I distinctly remember like it was yesterday that my father came in, pulled a chair and sat right next to me. The bulb lit over my head, my father asked, “What are you studying son?”. I was studying Add Maths — which you all know is one of the toughest courses in O levels. He borrowed an A4 size paper and began to draw a tree. I watched intently as he completed the Tree and then he turned to me and said: “Ahmad, you are like a growing Tree. One day you will stand tall, strong, and stretch your branches wide, all on your own.”
“We are there as your parents will do anything to nurture you and to propel you. Your success means more to me than my own success. But remember son, I cannot want your success more than you want it for yourself.”
My father passed away on 23rd January 2009, but I learnt the lesson that I may have a support system, or I may not, ultimately I have to yearn for my own success more than my parents, my well-wishers. There is only so much that other people can do for me. Ultimately I am responsible for the success of my life.
Like some of you, I used to be a mischievous lad at school and each time I would find a way to get out of it by blaming others. Until one day, Miss Flanagan, the student advisor, caught me and said “Ahmad, when you point a finger at others, three of your fingers are pointing towards you.” We have a choice to blame others but that won’t get us very far, sooner or later we need to take responsibility for our actions. Ultimately you and only you are responsible for your life.… which is an empowering message because regardless of your circumstances, regardless of support of family or loved ones, you are the cause of success of your life. We are saplings and are nourished by our teachers, caregivers and parents, but to stretch towards the heavens to reach higher, to be stronger and to stretch wider is within ourselves.
God has given ALL of us three great Wealths for Self-reliance and to realize our potential and destiny. Firstly, is your body, which is a great instrument of your physical strength. Second, is your mind, which is an instrument of your intellect and ideas and third is your soul, which is the least valued yet most powerful source of energy that can shape your life and destiny. You are the captain of your ship, the master of all of these three things, where your life goes, how it unfolds, it is in your hands.
LESSON 2 is Equality of Opportunity to All: Back then in 1980s and 1990s, my school comprised of students from different ethnicities, different economic strata — a much more diverse student body. One day the person sitting next to me is the son of the Senate Chairman, who came to school in the latest Prado Intercooler and the next month I was sitting next to someone who comes to school on a bicycle.
Thinking about the different modes of transportation, like most, I had a car and a chauffeur to drop me at school. I had two friends in my class, who travelled to school on their bicycle — either riding themselves or by their father, navigating the treacherous traffic and the dirt and humidity of the summer.
“Am I not the privileged one…. to have the benefit of a car, which takes me around without a hint of fatigue and not drained by the heat and the humidity before my classes?” I would think to myself.
Until…. I realized that I was mistaken.
It happened on a warm Sunday morning and as an all-boys school we had Sunday Sports in which all of us ferociously competed under the banner of Jinnah, Iqbal, Liaqaut and Byrne Houses. I had been practicing extensively and for long and was confidant of my prospects in the 1500 meter race.
The gun blared from the hands of the PT instructor and we shot off the mark. I ran the best race that I could, and puffing and panting completed it, but I could only take the 3rd spot. I was running against two friends, Arfan William and Andre Godhino, whom I only saw twice during the race — at the beginning as they speeded ahead and then after the finish line when they were briskly jaunting across, while I was almost rolling on the floor in fatigue.
Same fate awaited me in the 4.2km cross-country race — Arfan William (1st), Andre Godhino (2nd) and Ahmad Jalal (3rd) and despite coming third, they were far far ahead of me. I did not stand a chance.
These were the very same friends — Arfan and Andrew — who used to cycle to school every day while I travelled in the comfort of my car. All this time, I thought that I had the advantage, but when it came to sports, their circumstances gave them a unique edge that no matter how hard I tried — I could not overcome. There daily cycling routine pushed them to become better athletes than me. What I perceived as my strength — was my relative weakness.
Life deals you a hand of positive and negative circumstances and your unique circumstances bring along innate advantages that you must explore and leverage. This one Life, is nothing but a miracle of God, that you should not spend in lamenting your circumstances or bad fortune rather you should open your mind, heart and soul and find within it countless blessings — like the hidden advantage of going to school in a bicycle rather than a car — that will help you succeed in an aspect of your life.
So when you are in a car and look at someone on a bicycle, or vice versa do not judge yourself or judge others. Your God-given circumstances are best suited to your needs so that you may strive to achieve your potential and purpose as Ashraful Makhloqat. If you choose to see your own ups and down, through this lens, you will realise that God has bestowed upon All an opportunity to excel — it may be in different aspects of life — though nonetheless, this opportunity is accessible to ALL.
Lesson 3 is about the virtue of Meritocracy hidden in Taqwa: The word Taqwa or its derivatives are mentioned 250 times in Al-Quran — it is one of the most important principles for us to live our lives.
It is defined as “Doing Good, Self-restraint due to consciousness, piousness, fear, love of Allah “.
“Indeed, God is with those who fear Him and those who do good.” (Quran 16:128)
A Hadith referred to by Abu Dharr al-Ghifari, Muadh ibn Jabal
“Fear God wherever you are. Follow up a bad deed with a good deed and it will blot it out. And deal with people in a good manner.”
Taqwa inspires us humans to do good — to be on the righteous path in spite of urges and the wayward pulls of this material World — in fear of God, in Love of God and having consciousness of God. Those good deeds earn us “Allah Ki Raza”, to be on the side of and be closer to God.
In addition to its message of doing good, there is a deeper hidden meaning of Taqwa. Which is Equality of All in the Eyes of the Allah. Because your status — as per Taqwa — is not dependent upon your lineage, your fiqah, your family, your wealth…. It is only dependent on your deeds. All have an equal opportunity to earn “Allah Ki Raza”.
If that is the case, then it must also be true that, God willing, it is within us, our bestowed resources of body, mind and spirit, to do the good deeds to earn the pleasure of God. We are made self-reliant and not dependent on other worldly things for the chance to earn a higher Place.
Hence, your position in this life and hereafter is determined on Merit — which is equality of opportunity coupled with self reliance on your deeds.
When we progress through our career, the principles of our religion — e.g. Taqwa — in fact underpins the valuable lesson of Merit, Self Reliance and Equal Opportunity for All. This deeper meaning of Taqwa in fact illustrates that what gives us Higher place in our religious and spiritual lives is the same that gives us success in our professional spheres. The religious, the spiritual and the professional are in fact intertwined as one.
I hope that these lessons that I have shared stay with you so as you progress in life and contribute towards the journey and evolution of humanity — from one generation to generation — forever up and onwards — yesterday because of me, tomorrow because of you.
Aim to excel at whatever you do, whether you are using your mind to solve an Add Maths equation or running a 1500m race. Each of you is unique, and have a distinctive life and if you take responsibility and act with self-reliance, leverage your unqiue circumstances, then God will help you succeed.
I welcome you to embrace this life, as we have one life, we have one family, and we have one country. The biggest encouragement and compliment that I can give you is that although you may consider me successful, I would give anything to be in your position where you are now, to have that runway ahead of you, to have that freshness of the mind, to have the ability to take big risks, have the freedom to make mistakes, to learn and to recover from them.
God bless you, God bless your parents, your teachers, those who work to support you, and God bless Pakistan.