In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

IRREPARABLE LOSS TO MUSLIM COMMUNITY

[Shamim A Siddiqi, New York]

On April 13, 2005, the Muslim community of the USA suffered a great LOSS when its two dynamic, devoted and committed workers and Da’ees to Islam died on the same day. They were Br. Zakaullah Pirzadah and Br. Anwar Baig. Under the situation when there is dearth of committed Islamic leadership in the community, their sudden departure in one day appears to be an irreparable loss to the Muslim community of America. Both were highly educated and had clear vision as how to introduce and spread the Deen of Allah in this country and to its people; how to call them to the fold of Allah and how to reach out to American people in their own environment and in their own language and through what means? Equally, how to motivate the Muslims of America to work for the same cause with total commitment? Though the objective of both the brothers was the same and identical but the approach and method was different as it depended on the availability of resources and opportunities to each.

Br. Pirzadah was an environmentalist. He got better chances to introduce Islam to officers and high ups in the society. Originally he devoted his time in building the Muslim Center of New York, Flushing; initiated in presenting Islam to the people of the land through a regular weekly TV program; helped in organizing Annual Muslim Day Parade in Manhattan; opening effective dialogue with Jews and Christians through Inter-faith programs and then resorting to personal contacts with the prominent figures of both the communities. He was leaving no opportunity to come in contact and introduce them to Allah’s Deen. He became the symbol of Dawah Ilallah to Judeo-Christian community of America. In spite of his prolong sickness due to kidney failure, whenever and wherever he got the opportunity he availed it sometime being totally unmindful of his falling health. Once he committed to me when he got his new life that he will devote his entire life for spreading Allah’s Deen in this country with eloquent Islamic manners and ethical standards that Muslim must hold in the pluralistic society and he stood by that to the last. Very often we used to discuss together about the Dawah strategies in this country. He fulfilled his commitment to the moment he was in his senses. May Allah accept his efforts and pave the way for other Da’ees to work on these lines. He was dauntless in his Dawah efforts and was delivering the message of Islam with practical wisdom and foresightedness of a Mumin.

My beloved Brother Muhammad Anver Beig was equally a great potential Da’ee Ilallah. All the characteristics of a Da’ee were present in him. He was MA and a law graduate from the University of Lahore. He was well versed in Islam. From his student life he was actively involved in Dawah activities. It went on increasing by leaps and bound when he became an integral part of the Islamic Movement of Pakistan. He loved Iqbal and his poetry and equally, was extremely fond of Mohtram Maulana Syed A. Maududi (RA) and his movement. Br. Anwar Baig had a great mission to get the abridged edition of Tafhimul Qur’an published in American English. He spended a lot of money for this project but could not get it completed due to various reasons that were beyond his control.

Br Anver Beig had a clear mission to introduce and spread the Deen of Allah in this country but in an organized manner. He was actively involved with ICNA, the Islamic Movement of America as Member of its General Assembly. Though he was never its office bearer but he helped it in getting its Head Quarter established in Jamaica and financed its many projects on regular basis. He along with other movement oriented brothers convinced me to re-join ICNA. His entire family was with him in supporting the cause of Islam and of the movement. He made his only beloved son Muhammad Umar Beig to memorize the Qur’an and he led the Janaza prayers of his father. He was an instrumental in getting his daughters highly educated. He started the Weekly Mirror and involved his son and daughters in setting and getting the paper on time for the last four years. He invested about a quarter million dollars to get it running and coming out on time. I am sure that after his sad demise, his brother Tariq Beig will continue that monumental effort in memory of his elder brother. Br Anver Beig was a very devoted “Khadim” of the Qur’an. Besides his effort to get the translation of the Qur’an published, he took active part in mailing and distributing copies of the Qur’an to thousands of people who were desirous to go through it.

He was a successful building contractor. He spended his hard earned money, on the one hand in meeting the demands of “Sila-e- Rahmi” to all his brothers, sisters, near and far of relatives and friends but on the other hand he was spending his money generously for all eventful causes of Muslim Ummah and the Islamic Movement of America. He financed the anti Salman Rashdi movement against his book: “Satanic Verses”, the Protest march against the massacre of Muslims in Bosnia and Kosovo. He helped different Muslim communities in building mosques. He started a land development project on partnership basis in the name of “Madinah” projects but due to some brother’s unscrupulous behavior, it was a loss and the sharing partners were very much aggrieved. But by using his own money he got some land recovered, developed and paid the people’s money back to them from its sale proceed when it was considered as totally lost by each one of them. It was an extraordinary honest feat of performance by Late Br Anver Beig and we all felt gratified to him immensely.

In true sense of the term, Br Anwar Baig was a Da’ee Ilallah who fulfilled the criterion of Iman that is described in Verse 15 of Surah al-Hujrat: “The believers are those who believe in Allah and His Messengers and afterward doubt not, but strive with their wealth and their lives for the cause of Allah. Such are the sincere [truthful]” He earned through honest means, spend it in the way of Allah as ordained by Him and for His pleasure and left the world with good wishes from all whom came in contact with him. It seems to be a difficult situation to be filled up by anyone so soon. But it is Allah who can fill up the gap from amongst his progenies.

May Allah bless his soul, pardon his sins, if any, multiply the reward of his good deeds manifold, grant him Jannatul Firdaus, give solace to his wife, children, brothers and great number of friends and Rufaqua who have buried him on last Friday with tears rolling on their cheeks and hearts bursting with sorrow. Amen!

Shamim A Siddiqi

April 16, 2005