A large number of people from African countries embraced Islam at his hands, including bishops and clergymen. It is reported that he helped over 1 million destitute children including orphans and starving, sick and needy students.
His area of operation was the neglected continent of Africa. The region in front of Arabian Peninsula consisting of the countries Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti, Kenya and nations further south such as Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe to Angola are suffering from famine, hunger and disease.
It was fortunate when a generous lady from Kuwait provided him with the funds to build a mosque in Malawi. When he visited the region he was perplexed by the scenes of hunger and disease. Furthermore, there was a campaign in the region from missionaries who were inviting innocent people to sell their religion for a loaf of bread. Al-Sumait sacrificed his profession and immersed himself into the problems associated with the suffering.
After 30 years of strenuous efforts saving the lives and faith of the poor in Africa, his key accomplishments included supporting 9,500 orphans with food and education; financing 95,000 students for schooling; construction of 1,200 mosques; establishment of 200 women training centers and 102 Islamic guidance centers and distribution of 51 million copies of the Holy Qur'an.
He established a network providing help to the poor. Subsequently, the beneficiaries flocked to him in their thousands. Tribe after tribe and clan after clan embraced Islam at his hand.
It is reported that once when he entered a country, the people there embraced Islam in their hundreds. The local Catholic bishop came to him and said, “Me and my father were born here and my grandfather came here as a missionary about a hundred years ago but we Christianized only a few. You spent a few days here and hundreds embraced Islam at your hand.”
Al-Sumait feels that the African continent is ripe for the work of dawa (guidance). There are millions of people ready to embrace Islam. However, we should share their woes and sorrows. It is estimated that Arab investment inside and outside the region reaches $2.28 trillion. If even 2.5 percent Zakat worth $56.88 billion is extracted from this amount annually, it can help 10 million families (SR21,000 each) in need.
Al-Sumait is the so-called champion of Islamic services in Africa. The primary vision of his organization is to improve the standard of life, morality and education of the most deserving and needy people in the continent.
The services of Al-Sumait have been honored by leading organizations. The Islamic University Umm Durman (Sudan) conferred an honorary doctorate upon him.
Likewise, Gulf Cooperation Council countries, Sudan, Benin, and Egypt presented him with many prestigious awards.
On top of that, he was decorated with the International King Faisal Award in 1996 for services to Islam.
According to information on affiliated websites, 7.5 million people from 40 African countries embraced Islam through his efforts, the highest number ever recorded in world Muslim history.
Whenever a word of appreciation is said to him, he replies: “My dear brother, we do not await reward from any person. We are busy in field work. We just wait and pray that Almighty Allah may accept our sincere efforts and support us in our cause. (We say) Ameen, Ameen, Ameen.”