Widowed Father Of Five Receives Life-Changing Help From Hooded Emirati Stranger

2026-02-25 04:29:48

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) For a year and a half, Ezzedein Ali, a Sudanese refugee who left his country to seek safety and stability, found himself a single father trying to fill the shoes of both mother and father to his five daughters, with the youngest just seven months old, after the death of his wife.

Alone in displacement, with his family trapped in Sudan, Ezzedein endured loneliness, a lack of emotional support, and the weight of trying to provide for his daughters in a strange country.

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“It was hard, it has been hard,” he said.“I have been playing the role of the mother, while trying to put food on the table for my daughters.”

Ezzedein appeared in the first episode of the show Qalby Etmaan, now in its ninth season, with the message An Obligation from Allah. The show stars Ghaith, an Emirati hooded figure who has taken it upon himself as a mission to travel across countries helping people in need. Running for eight years now, the programme has built a strong audience that resonates with it, especially as it makes an appearance every Ramadan. Ghaith has remained anonymous.

For Ezzedein, living away from his family, who remain in Sudan, the emotional strain was as heavy as the financial pressure. For two years, he had not seen his own mother, while trying to keep life stable for his daughters in a new country.

Then, during what seemed like an ordinary day, a hooded man approached him. It was Ghaith, the anonymous figure.

What began as a conversation soon turned into a turning point. Ghaith asked him how he ended up here, where his family was, and even prayed for Sudan, which has been in conflict since 2023.

According to the International Organisation for Migration, since the conflict began on April 15, 2023, more than 15 million people have been forced from their homes, including 11.58 million displaced within Sudan and approximately 4 million who fled across borders at the peak of the crisis.

Ghaith tried to console Ezzedein and told him he isn't alone in this world. In a moment, Ghaith handed Ezzedein an envelope containing financial support, enough to help him start a small project and build a sustainable source of income for his family. But the moment that followed was even more unexpected.

As they stood talking, a car pulled up nearby. When the door opened, Ezzedein saw his mother step out, a reunion he had not imagined after two years of separation.

Overcome with emotion, he fell to his knees, thanking God as he embraced her, a moment that marked relief not only from financial strain but from years of emotional distance.

The programme, whose name translates to“my heart found peace”, combines direct financial aid with long-term solutions designed to restore stability and dignity. Over eight seasons, it has reached 19 countries and supported more than 60,000 beneficiaries and their families.

Now in its ninth year, the show continues to resonate with audiences during Ramadan, a time when stories of giving and solidarity carry deeper meaning.

The episode opens with an introductory film narrated by Ghaith, featuring scenes from previous seasons to reintroduce viewers to Zakat:

“We seek to restore Zakat to its true meaning, not a duty fulfilled and forgotten, but a responsibility that revives hearts before it meets needs. When people stand together in solidarity, hardship gives way to new beginnings, and struggle transforms into reassurance. This season is an open invitation to everyone who can be a reason for someone's relief, for goodness is only complete when it becomes a shared act among us all.”

The film concludes:

“Zakat is not a number to be paid, but a life to be saved, a family to be reunited. And as long as Allah tests a person, it is because there is goodness within them waiting to be realised.”

Sponsored by Adnoc, the episode aired on Abu Dhabi TV on the first day of the Holy Month and on the programme's YouTube channel. Season nine reflects an expanded scope of initiatives, reinforcing the programme's humanitarian commitment during the month of giving.