In this day and age, every screen you look at is inundated with bad news, fake news, sad news, scary news, and the list goes on. Rarely is there any good news it seems and, if there is, it probably gets drowned out. Not today, though, and the story of Ali Banat is proof.
If You Were Told You Only Had Months to Live, What Would You Do?
It’s probably safe to say that most people would spend time with friends and family, liquidate their assets, and start crossing items off their bucket list they only ever dreamed of. In 2015, a Muslim millionaire from Sydney, Australia named Ali Banat was faced with that exact question.
Life was good; life was comfortable. Banat was a successful business owner living a lavish life filled with luxury cars, designer clothes and accessories, and access to almost any material good you could ask for. But in July of that year, Banat’s life changed when doctors diagnosed him with stage 4 testicular cancer (adenoid cystic carcinoma). That’s when everything changed. (Watch Banat’s short yet inspiring interview below:)
Given just seven months to live, Banat had a choice to make. Will I continue living this lavish lifestyle, or will I help enrich others’ lives the best way I know? Making the right decision is always easier said than done in situations like this one, but he did that exactly.
“When you find out you’re sick or you don’t have much time to live, this is the last thing you want to chase. And that’s how we should live our lives every day.�
Proof That Money Is Not Everything
Before doing anything, Banat immediately sold his business and booked a ticket to a country where over 50 percent of population lives below the poverty line: Togo, Africa. Upon taking that trip, Banat felt led to found Muslims Around the World (MATW).
“I got rid of my cars, I got rid of my watches, even my clothes I took them overseas and gave them to a lot of people out there… I wanted to try and leave with world without anything.�
After fundraising through GoFundMe, MATW’s initial goals were to build a school to house 600 orphans, villages for 200+ widows, a mosque, a mini hospital, and businesses that would support local communities. Although funding for MATW’s project, people raised a total of $1,642,840 (excluding other outside funds from donors).
Banat’s amazing and life-changing choice to help other underprivileged Muslims shows that there’s so much more to life than money. Sometimes, life has an unexpected way to teach people this priceless lesson. For Banat, this lesson came through a disease you would never wish on anyone – cancer.
Rest in Peace, Ali Banat
“I have been gifted by [God] with cancer throughout my body and I have changed my whole life to helping people,� said Banat. “It is a gift because [God] has given me a chance to change.�
Despite doctor’s giving Banat no more than seven months to live in July 2015, he lived for almost three more selfless years before passing away on May 29, 2018. Although he’s gone, Banat’s philanthropic projects remain a testament to the fact that there’s so much more to life than material riches.
-
Ali Banat Wiki, Age, Bio, Wife, Net worth, Height, Weight, Family, Ethnicity. (2018, June 12). Retrieved from https://www.dreshare.com/ali-banat-wiki-age-bio-wife-net-worth/
-
Bakar, F. (2018, June 01). Muslim millionaire turned humanitarian Ali Banat dies from ‘gift’ of cancer. Retrieved from https://metro.co.uk/2018/05/30/muslim-millionaire-turned-humanitarian-ali-banat-dies-from-gift-of-cancer-7589893/
-
Click here to support MATW Africa Project with Ali Banat organized by Ali Banat. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.gofundme.com/matwproject
-
Gifted With Cancer. (2016, June 16). Retrieved from https://onepathnetwork.com/gifted-with-cancer/
-
Hall, J. (2018, May 31). A Muslim millionaire who gave all his money to charity just passed away from cancer. Retrieved from https://www.indy100.com/article/ali-banat-dead-muslim-millionaire-share-wealth-cancer-australia-8377716
-
Muslim Millionaire Who Gave All His Money To Charity Dies Of Cancer. (2018, June 01). Retrieved from https://www.unilad.co.uk/life/muslim-millionaire-who-gave-all-his-money-to-charity-dies-of-cancer/
The post Muslim Millionaire, Ali Banat, Who Gave All His Money to Charity Dies appeared first on The Hearty Soul.