Muslim Laundry Owner - Best of Britain - share this to promote understanding

We want to make our world better; the people in our world to be better together.

How do we personify an idea?

If it is an idea that we want people to aspire to, then who will we use to characterise that? What qualities do we admire in people and when and how will we recognise these qualities and celebrate them? Where will we find this 'type' of person to emulate?

Everywhere, every minute of the day, most people you speak to

I went to see Imran this morning who runs the laundry service I use for some tricky urgent cleaning of work clothes. He's a lovely quiet Muslim family man who I think genuinely shows the qualities and values of the very best our country has to show.

Work ethic

He works like a farm horse. I've always had a very positive sense of this guy. We made a connection very quickly and I had a direct opportunity to see that he seems to be a genuine and good person. He only has one day off a week and is always on the edge of exhaustion, but he's always been so good natured, and committed to do good work and help. Every day when it gets to 7pm and I see the guy is at near heat exhaustion. He looked so fresh this morning when I passed just after 7am returning from my gym as he opened the store yet again. I asked how he was and he explained what it gets like for him in there, but that each morning he's fresh happy and loves it. Fantastic guy really. 

Self-sacrifice

I asked about how he copes through Ramadan fasting in the heat and workload, and he said he never has opportunity to fast. That's terrible for a Muslim. But he compensates for forgiveness by making charity donations, as is customary. He NEVER has time to relax between work, and rarely has more than a day off, when he stays at home with his family. I thought to myself that he deserves something nice, and it would be nice for him to experience a Turkish hammam treatment with massage and sauna, and to take his wife with him for a couples treatment and for a nice evening out one Sunday off work.

Humility

He's never experienced that before, and when I offered to pay for it as a gift he lit up with real joy and he was so thankful. I realise now that the joy he showed was not because he would have a hammam. He can't have a hammam, because of his modesty being such that he would never feel comfortable being seen in shorts or touched by another woman. And he would never embarrass his wife by being in the room while she is being massaged. But his joy was about the fact I had recognised his situation and had offered to give generosity without any reason other than the fact he is a good guy. He was so reluctant to say 'no thank you' that he was willing to take my gift and just so he could have the sauna and shower, but would graciously decline to be massaged.

Gentlemanly

I made sure then to ask him about his wife's modesty (a deeply sincere muslim trait), at the suggestion of being massaged by two women, and whether he would go in there separately or together with her. Eventually he opened up that he is terribly shy and modest about his body, but that he's happier that way. He doesn't even feel comfortable walking through our village in SW London wearing shorts, let alone being massaged by a woman while wearing shorts. He had never been touched by another woman before his wife and never since; could never possibly imagine being massaged by a woman or even wearing shorts in front of any other people. He just doesn't feel good about it.

Brotherhood

Now Imran is sensing that I understand him, and that he and I have shared values. He has always been faithful and he could never ever imagine how revolted he would be if he did have sex with another woman; with a prostitute sickens him. He is totally happy, and he believes his soul is full and he has true joy because of his chastity and purity in life. These were his words to me - a Muslim laundry owner talking to a previously-devout catholic fellow human over his shop counter. Totally open and honest, at a totally human level. We talked about our respective experiences in life, mine as a religious catholic growing up in Liverpool, and discussed many moral similarities.

Spiritual wellness

He then said he cannot understand how badly peoples minds must get broken when they go around in life and have sex with more and more people. He was really feeling this subject and he wanted to express the strength of his concern for other people who lose this part of themselves through promiscuity. He said "they think it is fun but in reality they don't realise it is so bad for them; breaking their minds little by little every time they do it". He and I explored the subject a little more and agreed that the effect of that behaviour, it's not taking their soul and not killing their soul, but it's bruising their soul so badly that they will never have true, honest and pure happiness".

Connectedness

I swear to God I did not bring up anything that caused this man to open up so intimately about himself or these opinions. All I did was show kindness and ask him about himself. It was awesome to get this little glimpse into the mind of a good man with a pure soul. He is now my friend. I like Imran of the Laundry in my Village in a corner of London. 

Recognition

Surname and village name removed for Imran's privacy. Inbox me or enter a comment on this article, either with a pledge if you would like to contribute something, or to suggest an idea, to recognise Imran and his family for their work ethic, humility and human values, or to recognise other people who you see showing the most admirable qualities that we should try to emulate; regardless of nationality, race, colour, creed. 

See related article about motivation and understanding individuals. Link to BGM

PC Disclaimer - Please don't be offended I mentioned he's muslim, I only did so to illustrate we are a diverse society filled with people of many faiths who show the qualities that we all admire, regardless of nationality, race, colour, creed.