“And that there is not for man except that [good] for which he strives.” (Surah al-Najm, 53:39).

Life is nothing but another name of continuous struggle. The rise and fall is part of this struggle. The winners are those who stand firmly and are determined to achieve what they have set for themselves. But this journey can be dismaying, utterly frustrating or tiring at many points. There are always moments when you are down, tired, almost done and find no motivation to restart it. If you are passing through this phase of life, let me assure you that you are not alone. Many are in the queue.

I am neither a motivational speaker nor a professor who can offer you a detailed lecture on how to be determined or passionate to achieve your goals in your life. I am an entrepreneur who had nothing until 2011 and now he has visited more than ten counties and owns a well-established business. How it happened? I narrate my case and if my story inspires anyone of you I shall be thankful to Almighty who has chosen me for this noble cause.

At the outset, I would like to admit that hard work, faith and a selfless mentor have the power to change the destiny of your life. The only difficult thing in life is to find them out at the right time. I am lucky who believed in his capabilities, have faith in Allah and found a mentor the moment I was desperate to find one.

I was born in “Rohi” a small town in Bahawalpur. My hometown is quite backward since there are no roads, buildings, educational institutions or hospitals. Imagine for a while that there is still no electricity and other basic facilities in “Rohi”. It is not easy to be born in a poor family, in a poor social setting and in a poor country. It needs a lot of courage and determination to stand up and start fighting to earn dignity. But you do it right away when you have no other option before you. I chose to fight.

Father is an Imam Masjid (prayer leader in a mosque) of a public sector university. I was burden with a social responsibility of being the eldest child and that too a son. I was expected to be right hand of my poor father.

Poverty does not let you enjoy the taste of education. Generally, the poor students do not read a book for pleasure but to get some information and get a good job as soon as possible. I was one of them who completed his study and started thinking about job, money, a better house…

I decided to leave Pakistan for some time. I went to the United Kingdom where I found a job. I used to work at a store for 18 hours per day. For a poor son of a poor father time did not matter but money did. I had only one goal in my life; stay in the UK, earn money and give a better life style to my parents and siblings at my home. I was poor but my intelligence was of Plato’s reason’s class therefore after one year, in 2012, I started my business on Amazon in the UK and by the grace of Allah it clicked within weeks to an extent that I left my job and focused full time on my business with a friend on partnership basis. My circumstances and living standards changed within couple of months. Everything was fine till February 2017.

Suddenly, my brothers like friend and business partner deceived me by getting all business transferred to his name and changed all passwords etc. At that time our sale was more than £100K per month with £20k to £25k monthly profits when suddenly I came on zero. That was painful. I mean it. It was not easy. There were many sleepless nights, hopeless days and meaningless life. Life wanted me to stay silent and concede. I did not. I raised again. Yes, I did.

I had to start from zero yet again. But being at bottom does not frighten me. I was confident that the one Who created me would help me too. I attended a seminar on Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) in Lahore where I met a man who was in trouser shirt, had a decent smile on his face and was urging his students to think beyond the box. I listened to him. I looked at him and decided to see him. Sunny Ali, CEO and Founder of Extreme Commerce, initially became my teacher, then a good friend and ultimately we became business partners. All these roles can be described in a single word; mentor. Now I am earning more than what I had in the UK, I have more money, a large business and interactions in more than five countries.

Sunny Ali is someone who empowered me though sharing his knowledge with me; I became aware of Amazon, its changing trends and new requirements to earn money. Making someone capable of earning money is one thing but empowering them through latest information and in-depth knowledge is another one. I believe in the later.

My sincerest advice to the youth in the current situation when economy is failing and political instability is dominating is to think beyond the box and broaden your imagination. Allah has promised to bless us with what we strive for. Always remember to believe in yourself, have faith in Almighty and seek guidance from a selfless mentor who could help you plan your life. The life is not for the losers, friends!