Meet a multitalented family that believes 'happiness must be spread'

Dubai - Their driving force is not only excellence but also benefitting society through their actions

You must have heard about high achievers in a family - with one or the other kids sweeping all awards at school, but how about a whole family of achievers - and that too consistent ones. Indian expats Dr Muzammil Hafeez, wife Dr Shabana Muzammil and their three daughters have recently been awarded multitalented doctors with a distinguished family by London's International Wonderbook of Records. Their daughters, apart from bagging the UAE's top awards for academic excellence, have also secured titles from International Wonderbook Records as well as from India-based International Genius book of records for overall excellence.
The Muzammils are also the first Indian family to achieve the National Awards " Sheikh Hamdan Award for distinguished family and Sharjah Award for educational excellence.
"We believe in working hard and ensuring that each one of us excels in our fields and at the same time serves those in need. "And we believe in winning together, " said the lady of the house Dr Shabana.
Be it the International Diana Award from UK, National Hamdan Award for Educational Excellence, Sharjah Award for educational and overall excellence, International Wonderbook of Records from London, International Genius book and many more, the achiever family including the Muzammil daughters - Irfaanah (20), Mariyam (15) and Hurairah (13) - along with their parents have made caring, helping, and spreading cheer in the society the motto of their life. The eldest daughter Irfaanah is a campaigner and spreads awareness about diabetes, breast cancer prevention, hygiene, yoga and exercise. She promotes mental health and support of family and friends for the patients. Her younger sister Mariyam, a grade 11 student at GEMS Our Own English High School, Dubai on her part, exhibits leadership qualities by taking up leadership posts. "I am drawn to people who strive for the betterment of the society for the simple reason that they stay undaunted towards achieving their goals, " Mariyam told Khaleej Times. The youngest sister Huraira, a grade 8 student at GEMS Our Own English High School from Dubai, became a breast cancer awareness campaign ambassador at the young age of 7; she along with her sisters went to various institutes to talk about the disease as well as spread awareness with their anti smoking, anti alcohol and even anti diabetes campaigns.
Their ideals are none other than their parents Dr Muzammil Hafeez, who is a neonatologist; and Dr Shabana Muzammil, a diabetologist, who lead by example. The duo, along with their daughters regularly conducts health camps in various places and believe in helping the society in every little way they can. The Muzammil family generally spends their weekends volunteering in labour accommodations, orphanages, old age homes, packaging first aid kits, going out for walks and spreading awareness in schools and colleges.
"What keeps us going is that we believe in doing our work without worrying about success. We all have had our failures and challenges and that is the time we support each other the most because failure is inevitable and not many people stand-by you in your tough time," Dr Shabana said.
Attributing their success to the values ingrained in them by their parents, Dr Shabana said: "My father S.A. Khaliq and my mother late A. Monazira begum played a huge role in inculcating strong moral value not only in me but also in my daughters. They taught us selfless love, care and the idea of giving importance to those in need more than yourself. Similarly, my husband's parents late Mohammed Hafeez Agha and his mother Amtus Sami, who still keeps us motivating to serve the community, have always instilled in us and our children these basic ethical values that will stay with us forever."
Talking about how her late mother played a big part in moulding the young minds of her daughters towards philanthropy, Dr Shabana told Khaleej Times: "From the time my daughters were very young my late mother would always tell them that let's celebrate your birthdays by visiting some orphanage and distributing food to the needy because they will give you the best gift in return , which are blessings. She taught them also to calculate zakat (2.5% of your savings that you must give to the needy) and taught them how to take out a calculated zakat from their saved pocket money. All this imbued my daughters with the spirit of doing good in the cause of Allah."
Dr Shabana's piece of advice for parents is: " Encourage your kids to do good to others and keep working relentlessly for your goal just like our visionary Ruler His Higness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Prime Minister and Vice President of the UA, has said that there is no end to excellence. Your ultimate goals should be to bring smile on someone's face and you will get a number of unsaid blessings, straight from their heart."
saman@khaleejtimes.com

• UAE
• People