14 DAY TRIAL // An anonymous Muslim man from British Columbia made headlines after he took off his shoes and gave them to a homeless man who was riding the bus with him.
The scene was witnessed by bus driver Surjit Singh Virk on the No. 341 route. He was off-duty on Saturday and returning from Surrey’s Vaisakhi parade when he saw a man wearing plastic hairnets instead of shoes being given a stranger's socks and shoes, the Huffington Post informs.
“It made my heart melt. He just took his shoes and socks off and said, ‘You can take these, don’t worry about me – I live close by and can walk,’” the driver recalls.
Virk also says the Good Samaritan got off the bus before the needy man could say thanks, and he walked home barefoot. The unknown man's gesture is even more impressive given that it was a cold and rainy day.
When contacted by phone by QMI Agency, the generous 27-year-old man asked to remain anonymous, mentioning that the Islamic faith says acts of charity should be done anonymously.
However, he did explain his kind gesture, saying, “I felt bad for the guy. He was wearing plastic hairnets on his feet. I was only about a two-minute walk from home, so I thought I could give him my shoes.”
Apparently, he was coming home from a local mosque when he encountered the homeless man on the bus. He was sitting in the front and didn't even have a jacket to ward off the cold. The Muslim man was the only passenger who felt compassionate about the needy traveler. He sat next to the lonely stranger, took off his socks and shoes and slid them quietly on the floor, as if he didn't want his gesture to be noticed.
“People usually don't care or even look at other people on the bus, they didn't even want to sit beside this guy because of how he was dressed,” the bus driver, who captured photos of the scene, added.
Virk says the recipient was shocked by the unexpected gift and remarked, “What a nice guy... Did that really happen?”
In Islam, charity is an expression of sympathy and benevolence towards God's creation, putting into actual practice the lessons people learn in prayer. Helping someone in any way, showing the way to a stranger, giving useful advice, or imparting knowledge to someone are all considered acts of charity in Islam.