Abdul Sattar Edhi: Pakistan’s Guardian Angel Who Lived to Serve Humanity

The Man Who Lived Only to Serve: The Extraordinary Life of Abdul Sattar Edhi

BY: Khan

There are people in this world who rise above the ordinary—people whose purpose in life is defined not by wealth, fame, or power, but by a burning desire to ease the suffering of others. Such people erase the boundaries of language, caste, tribe, culture, and religion. Their compassion becomes a beacon of hope, a guiding star for entire nations. One such remarkable figure from Pakistan is Abdul Sattar Edhi, a name that has become synonymous with humanity itself.

Humble Beginnings

Abdul Sattar Edhi was born in 1928 in Bantva, a small village in the Indian state of Gujarat. His father, Abdul Shakoor Edhi, ran a modest cloth business and barely earned enough to feed the family. Poverty shaped Edhi’s childhood, but it also shaped something far more powerful—his empathy.

Every day, young Edhi received just two paisas as pocket money. One paisa he would spend on himself, and the other he would give to someone in need. This simple childhood habit would eventually grow into the biggest humanitarian movement in Pakistan’s history.

When Edhi was just nineteen, his beloved mother passed away—an event that left a lifelong scar, but also a burning mission inside him. He had witnessed illness, suffering, and helplessness at close range. He would later say that the pain of losing his mother became the spark that ignited his life’s purpose.

A New Country, A New Mission

After the creation of Pakistan in 1947, Edhi migrated with his family on 4 September 1947 and settled in Karachi. The city was crowded with refugees, poverty, and suffering. Instead of turning away, Edhi stepped forward.

In 1948, driven solely by a desire to help others, he began working at the Bantva Memon Dispensary in Mithadar. He had no medical degree. He had no powerful connections. He simply had a heart that could not bear to see someone in pain.

But this small beginning was only the foundation of what was to come.

Answering Every Call for Help

In 1972, when a devastating earthquake struck the northern region of Bisham, Edhi did not wait for government aid. He took an ambulance—one of the very few at that time—and drove all the way from Karachi to the disaster zone. He personally participated in rescue operations, lifting debris, treating the injured, and comforting the grieving.

This was the Edhi way:
No hesitation.
No fear.
Just service.

Over time, he built the largest volunteer-based social welfare network in Pakistan—a system of ambulances, shelters, hospitals, orphanages, morgues, rescue teams, and charity centers that helped millions without discrimination.

A Life of Utter Simplicity

Despite leading the biggest humanitarian organization in the country, Edhi lived a life of astonishing simplicity. He wore the same style of clothing for decades: a kurta-pajama made of coarse khaddar, a Jinnah cap, and simple sponge slippers. He owned only three sets of clothes. He never built a personal house. He never sought luxury, comfort, or fame.

His favorite meal?
Just lentils and rice.

He often slept on the floor of his small office so that he could respond instantly to any call for help.

Honors That Found Him

Edhi never sought awards, yet the world could not ignore his greatness. Among the many recognitions he received, a few stand out:

UNESCO’s “Humanity Service Award” (2009)

Government of Sindh’s “Social Worker of Pakistan Award” (1992)

Honorary Doctorate from the University of Karachi

Pakistan’s highest civil award, the “Nishan-e-Imtiaz”

In 1997, Edhi Foundation’s ambulance service was listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest volunteer ambulance network in the world


But if you asked Edhi about these honors, he would shrug and say, “My work is my reward.”

The Final Farewell

On 8 July 2016, this great servant of humanity departed from the world he served all his life. His death brought an entire nation to tears. The government announced official mourning, and people from every walk of life—rich and poor, Muslim and non-Muslim—paid tribute to the man who had devoted his entire existence to them.

According to his own will, he was laid to rest in the Edhi Village, the very shelter home he had built for abandoned and homeless people. Even in his final moments, he asked for his body parts to be donated—another gesture of generosity, though due to health conditions, doctors were only able to donate his corneas.

His last act was to give the gift of sight.

A Legacy Written in Love

Edhi’s life is a reminder that greatness does not come from power or wealth—it comes from service. He created a system that continues to save lives every single day. His ambulances still race through the streets. His shelters still protect the abandoned. His volunteers still carry his mission forward.

Abdul Sattar Edhi was not just a man.
He was a movement.
He was a symbol of unconditional love.
He was the shining star that showed his nation—and the world—what it truly means to be human.

His story teaches us a simple yet profound truth:
When you dedicate your life to serving others, your name becomes eternal.