Ayman, Pharmacist

Location: Gaza City

Interests and Hobbies: I’m mainly interested in reading books on philosophy and the fundamentals of Islam. As a pharmacist, I find myself reading medical articles, latest new scientific discoveries and modern types of medicine.

My chosen Ayah or Hadith: The Hadith that always comes to my mind is when the Prophet (PBUH) said: “All creatures are sons of Allah, and the dearest to you to Allah are the ones who are the most beneficial to their sons”. This Hadith is an invitation for all human beings to work for humanity without any discrimination, or restrictions regardless of the sector the ideology and overlooking the minor differences that some extremists use to divide our Ummah.

I am a pharmacist and I have previously worked as a pharmaceutical salesperson. Due to my long experience, I could easily notice the degradation of the general economic situation and how it directly affected every aspect of life here in Gaza, particularly the medical sector. The siege negatively impacted our jobs, sales, etc.

However, when I recall the story of the prophet during the siege of Taif, and how he and his people were living in very bad conditions, yet with their faithful and patient; “So, verily, with every difficulty, there is a relief” (94:5). Since the prophet is my role model, I believe eventually, we will reach the light at the end of the tunnel.

The siege did not only affect our jobs but also affected our daily life directly to the point that the grief of losing souls became a daily basic affair. Shortage of necessary medical supplies, medical equipment, food supplies, and electrical power are some of the factors that contributed to our grief.

What motivates me to keep going on is my belief that everything happens for a reason, and if Allah put you through a difficulty, then it’s only because he knows you’re able to get through it inshAllah.