Carrying bodies to cremation ghats since15 years: Story of a Muslim devout

Prayagraj: In the current Covid times, when people are struggling to find a vehicle to carry the bodies of their relatives to the ghats for cremation, a 52-year-old Muslim devout, Faizul Ahmad, is a ‘one-man army’ who is always available to help out others.
Faizul has been involved in carrying the bodies to the cremation ghat free of cost for the past 15 years. He reaches the house or the hospital, helps the family in keeping the body in his vehicle, and ferries it to the cremation ghat. Many a time, when there are not enough people to carry the body to the pyre, Faizul even lends his shoulder.
Faizul has been doing this selfless work for the past 15 years. Earlier, he used to carry the bodies on his rickshaw-trolly. It was around ten years ago when he purchased a second-hand vehicle from his savings and donations from the people he knew in the city. He then converted this vehicle into a ‘shav-vahan’ (vehicle to carry the bodies).
Since then, this samaritan of the Sangam city has been helping the public, police, district administration, hospitals, etc, in carrying the bodies to the ghats and graveyards free of cost.
“I don’t charge anything for my service. Whatever contribution is made by the people I help adds to my savings, from which the salary of the vehicle’s driver and diesel are met out. I don’t keep anything for myself,” says Faizul, who lives with his mother. His father had died many years ago.
Because of his 24*7 engagement, Faizul is not able to keep Roza.
Faizul says, “It is not that I don’t pray to Allah, but I do apologize to Him. I believe doing good to people is nothing less than a prayer. Owing to my round-the-clock duty towards humankind, I am unable to keep Roza.”
In order to be able to continue social service, Faizul decided not to marry. He says, “If I got married, I might not be able to do enough for the people. My family responsibilities would hinder my social obligations and my work. This is why, I haven’t married till date.”
“This noble work of Faizul is the need of the hour and is being recognised more these days when the relatives of many Covid victims turn their back towards them, and do not come forward to take the bodies. In such a crisis, this selfless man comes to the rescue, who not only takes the bodies to the cremation ghat, but also lends his shoulder to the body till the pyre,” says Dr Santosh Singh, who has been treating Covid patients at SRN hospital.