UK Muslim shop owner offers help to would-be thief after botched attempt to steal mobile phones

By Ahmet Gurhan Kartal

LONDON (AA) – A Muslim shop owner in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire has offered help to a would-be-thief after a botched attempt to steal mobile phones from his shop remained fruitless, thanks to an automatic door lock.

Afzal Adam, owner of the small mobile phone shop, posted the video of the incident in which a young man wearing a hood is seen to have tried to leave the shop with telephones. He leaves the shop after handing over the phone sets as Adam unlocked the door.

Adam; however, later on offered the man support via a new Twitter post, appealing to him to come back for help if in need.

“The times are difficult for many of us at the moment, so if you are struggling to put food on the table, please come visit us in store to see how we can help,” Adam wrote, adding a Hadith (saying of Islam's Prophet Muhammed): “Be merciful to others and you will receive mercy. Forgive others and Allah will forgive you.”

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Adam said they installed the automated lock system during the COVID-19 pandemic and the door lock can only be released from under the counter.

“So what happened yesterday (at) about 3 p.m., this young boy in the shop … and as soon as he had the two phones – valued around £1700 pounds – he runs straight to the door trying to get out,” he said.

“He realized that it was not going to open because he's locked and then obviously you saw the face of the of the of the man and he came back a bit embarrassed and he gave the phones back to Hafiz Osman, Mashallah,” which means what God has willed has happened.

He said: “So he put the phones back again and then he was saying that, ‘you know, my friends told me to do this’ and ‘I'm not like this … my friends encouraged me to come in here and steal.”

Adam said then they decided to let him go as “he hasn't stolen anything now.”

“We've got the phones back, so better just let him go rather than obviously him maybe causing some more damage.”

- Islam orders compassion

Adam said he acted the way he did as “because Islam doesn't teach us to show anger and oppression.”

He said: “Islam teaches us to be more merciful … So it's better if we show some kind of compassion to him. Inshallah (if God wills), Allah give him hidayet (guidance). Allah give us all hidayet. That is what we're here for. And that is obviously you know, that's the way we are. So better to let him go.”

- ‘I won’t press charges’

Adam said if the police call and ask whether he wanted to press charges, he will tell them he would not.

“The police if they do ring me, because I'm sure they will see the videos now and if they ask me if I want to press charges, I won't press charges against him. I think what he's done, Inshallah, I hope he understands and he changes his ways. I think that's better for him.”

Sympathizing with the young man, Adam said those “young kids out there and the reason they are the way they are because of their upbringing, because of the way they've been brought up because of the way the friends are because of the circumstances that they are in.”

“This is a reason that they do what they do. And I think as Muslims, we should be there, out there … at least trying to help these people to make sure that they go in the right path.”

The mobile shop owner said they still do not know who the young man was but if he needs help, “we are here for him.”

“I'm hoping from the video he gets the message Inshallah and who knows he might come back.”

- World-wide encouragement

Adam said he has received with his gesture a world-wide appreciation and encouragement.

“You know, around 99% Mashallah have been so encouraging and the messages we've been given and sent from the public from around the world ... it's been overwhelming.”

“But at the same time I feel privileged that Mashallah there's so many Muslims out there that do things like this.”

He said he also received some negative comments on his invitation to help the young man, such as, 'we should have beaten him up,' but Alhamdulillah (praise be to God) (most) have been very, very positive out there. And yeah, it's been quite overwhelming.”

- ‘We need to show what Islam is’

Adam added that there is a negativity against Muslims, which is fueled by some media in the UK but “we need to show what Islam is.”