You are aware what status Islam has given to social service. So long as my knowledge goes, no other religion has stressed so much on social service as Islam has. I have not come across any testimony that regards social service so high and lauds a human concern so much as this religion. It has been narrated in a Hadith, "Better among you is the one who helps others and provides any benefit to people." And, "Any one who removes an adversity of his fellow, would be devoid of an adversity in Hereafter."

‘Social service’ has received a ceaseless and overriding applaud from Islam, it has constantly been inculcated and propagated and invited towards. However, an explicit emphasis has been laid on the removal of any suffering of men, specially the one causing observable grief and pain, which can not be removed without an external intervention. This has been given a very high position in the Qur’an and Hadith. This is regarded a great virtue in the Faith that one removes the source of grief to a man or removes a stone coming in the way of people or fill the glass of a thirsty person, or warn people of any imminent danger. That is why, we see and you would have studied in the history, such exemplary instances of social service and establishment of centres and institutions of human service by the Ummah, which have no parallels elsewhere and once upon a time this sort of work was done while considering it a worship of immense significance and a virtuous accomplishment. Especially, the inclusion of expectation of reward from God on the prowess of a physician, and attainment of His pleasure and grace in this regard has received much acclaim of the Islamic society, having no match at all in any other persuasion. It is there that to remove pain of a person, give him medicine and treat him is an appreciable work but there is no assurance of the divine reward, neither its declaration nor the acceptance of such an intention.

I could not find, in whatever my limited study of religions, which you can also observe yourself, that such physicians and servants of God have passed who deemed it a worship of God to remove grief and pain of people and to make them safe from any harm and injury and with out any discrimination among them on whatever basis. And, they have often preferred this that a man might get cured at their hands as compared to the nonobligatory religious acts with a hope that God would be so much pleased with them to the extent that He would not be pleased by involving in those nonobligatory acts. History is fraught with such instances.

Gentlemen!

When we undertake a study of the Islamic medicine, wisdom of the Muslim physicians, and their methods of treatment and knowledge diseases and also have a peep into their lives; then we would surely have an idea about the importance given to this sort of service by prophets, saints, reverend ones and great men. There are such events which reveal how much sacrifices they have made for alleviation of suffering from human life. They have faced difficulties, remained awake in nights, and put their self in trouble for the sake of others. They are true stories, which may be easily found in the books of history and biographies.

You can see that man keeps dear every thing, which he makes or creates. Even one brick of this organisation is dear what to speak of the whole organisation. Why God should not keep dear the creatures, which He Himself has created? The matter of religions is some thing else because their objective is the salvation in Hereafter and it would be settled on the Day of Judgement. However, God declares Himself, the Lord of all the worlds. There is no mention (of Himself) as the Lord of only the Muslims. And, the word ‘Rab’ in Arabic is used in such a vast context that no word in Urdu (or any other language) would be able to convey its meaning in entirety and comprehension, that is the One Who cares for all needs of His creatures. Hence, I consider it not only a great service but a form of worship of God the Merciful that this centre (Hayat Hospital) is going to be established and express my pleasure on this occasion. Let me express my feelings that the Muslim community is devoid of this sort of work and there is need that such sort of activities and work should be undertaken in various towns and cities by the Muslims for catering needs of all communities with care, feeling and treatment which is absent in many commercial ventures. It is essential because here the people are seen from the angle of mankind, that all people are the sons and daughters of the same parents (Adam and Eve), they belong to the same country and they are of the same biological kind. Therefore, under this realisation, the patients are not simply seen from the professional relationship but some other relations are also operative therein. Hence, such hospitals are required to be established under Muslim managements, where the importance could be given to the aspect of social service as a part of divine worship, apart from it being a worldly necessity. Those which may come into existence and function as a consequence of faith and belief in the divine reward, which sprout from a concern for mankind and human beings are considered a member of the same family of Adam.

It is a moment of pleasure and rejoicing that in this historic, educating and traditional city of Lucknow such a wish could materialise on the part of we Muslims. We anticipate that at this hospital people would be treated keeping all the Islamic and human values in view and it would remain free from the contemporary evils in similar institutions. With out commenting and criticising any other conventional hospital, I would like to say that this is a consequence of that Islamic teaching which exhorts man to love a fellow man for the sake of God and to have a feeling for the pain and suffering of others. And, there are not hundreds but thousands of instances in the Islamic history.

I congratulate my these affectionate ones and brothers who has taken this onus and laid a foundation of a virtuous deed and taking the mission to that extent which would surely make this centre prominent among other similar ones, Insha Allah. I pray for the success and good name of this hospital and that it should become an attraction for all the concerned. Amin!