Qur'an Memorisation Competition-Prize-giving ceremony

Qur’an Memorisation Competition:
Saudi Ambassador presents the prizes

Dr. Mozammel Haque

The final prize giving ceremony of the Qur’an memorisation competition for the year 1432 Hijri, organised by the Islamic Cultural Centre, London, in association with the Dawah Office of the Ministry of Islamic Affairs of Saudi Arabia, was held at the Saudi Embassy at London, on Friday, 17th of February, 2012, after the Jumah prayer, and the prizes for the winners of this competition were presented by His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Nawaf bin Abdulaziz, the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the United Kingdom and Ireland.

The prize-giving ceremony of the Qur’an Memorisation Competition was conducted by Mr. Abdul Rahman Aneezi of the Saudi Embassy at London.

Islamic Cultural Centre, London, every year organised Qur’an Memorisation Competition during Ramadan and it took two months. There were 90 participants in the competition who belonged to London, Birmingham, Cardiff and Edinburgh. The competition was according to the memorisation of the Qur’an into five categories; i) 30 chapter, ii) 20 chapter, iii) 10 chapter, iv) 5 chapter and v) one chapter and not according to age. The winners are mainly from London and Birmingham.

While distributing the prizes to the winners of the Qur’an Memorisation Competition, Prince Mohammed reminded how important the Qur’an is in the lives of Muslims. He also said, it is very important for every Muslim to give some of their times to study the Qur’an and memorise part of it.

Prince Mohammed also mentioned that the Holy Qur’an is, of course, the last revelation from Allah the Almighty. The Qur’an we have it now today, the Ambassador said, is the same as it was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) more than 1400 years ago.

The Saudi Ambassador described all the participants as winners in the Competition. While commending the Islamic Cultural Centre and the Dawah Office for their efforts, Prince Mohammed also thanked the parents and teachers of the competitors for their role in making it a success.

Prince Mohammed also congratulated the parents and the children and he showed his happiness to be with them and distributed the prizes at the Embassy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The competition was organised into five categories, according to the Memorisation of the Holy Qur’an, first category - the memorisation of the entire Qur’an, second category - the memorisation of the 20 chapter of the Holy Qur’an, the third category - the memorisation of the 10 chapter of the Holy Qur’an, the fourth category - the memorisation of the 5 chapter of the Holy Qur’an and the fifth category - the memorisation of the one chapter of the Holy Qur’an.

Out of 90 participants in the Qur’an Memorisation Competition in the year 1432 Hijri, 12 boys and girls won the memorisation of the Holy Qur’an Competition this year, and received prizes, among them only one who is 24 years old named Hafiz Attaur Rahman completed memorising the entire Qur’an.

Among the rest 11 boys and girls, in the second category of the memorisation of 20 chapter of the Holy Qur’an, there were two winners; First Rahmah Abdun Nasser, aged 11 and second Abdullah A-Mashhud, aged 10.

In the third category of the memorisation of 10 chapter of the Holy Qur’an, there were three winners, First; Hanifa Abdi Naser Ahmed, aged eight; Khaled Abdi Naser Ahmed, aged nine and second Khalil Abdi Naser Ahmed, aged seven.

In the fourth category of the memorisation of 5 chapter of the Holy Qur’an, there were three winners, First; Husna Abdi Naser Ahmed, aged eight; Second, Abu Baqer Mansh, aged 16 and Third, Osama Yasir Chihani, aged 11.

In the fifth category of the memorisation of one chapter of the Holy Qur’an, there were three winners; First, Ismael Asif, aged nine; Second, Abdur Raheem Naeem, aged nine and Third, Muhammad Ebrahim Bah, aged 11.

All of them received prizes from the Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to the United Kingdom, Prince Mohammed bin Nawaf bin Abdulaziz.

Earlier, Dr. Ahmed al-Dubayan, Director General of the Islamic Cultural Centre, London, while describing about the importance of the Holy Qur’an mentioned, The Holy Qur’an is very important for everybody, for all of Muslims. Qur’an is the last revelation of Allah the Almighty to his Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). It is our duty to take care of this precious Book where Allah the Almighty gives instructions and it is also our duty to spread the message of Islam.

Dr. Al-Dubayan said, Alhamdo Lillah, the Muslim communities in the West take care of the Qur’an itself, memorising the Qur’an, encouraging their children to memorise the Qur’an al-Kareem and to study it in many mosques and Islamic centres in the UK and Europe.

He also mentioned you will find those children and those young boys and girls who can memorize some of the Qur’an, also try to learn Arabic language and understand what Allah the Almighty said in His Precious Holy Book.

In this connection, Dr. Al-Dubayan also mentioned about the King Fahd Holy Qur’an Complex in Madinah al-Munawwarah. He said the government and the people of Saudi Arabia have been taking a special care of the Qur’an itself. He extended his thanks to King Fahd bin Abdulaziz Qur’an Printing Complex in Madinah al-Munawwarah for the continuous publication of the Qur’an al-Kareem from this complex.

Dr. Al-Dubayan also mentioned the Islamic Cultural Centre, London, distributes more than 10,000 copies of the Holy Qur’an in different languages, i.e. about 15 languages, in London to many mosques and many Islamic centres.

Dr. Al-Dubayan also expressed his thanks to Mr. Abdul Aziz al-Harbi, Mr. Sayeed and all the staff of the Dawah Office, London and also to the Sheikhs and the Imams who made the judgement of the Competitors; who listened to the students when they recited the Qur’an and of course we have to congratulate the parents those who take care about their children and encourage their children day and night to memorize the Qur’an. May Allah the Almighty accept their good deeds.

This organising and holding the Qur’an Memorisation Competition annually is no doubt a good initiative which works as a great boost to the propagation of Islamic religion, throughout the world, in general and particularly in this country. It also provided the opportunity to showcase the knowledge and excellence of the country’s teeming young boys and girls as well as unearth the unique talents that the nation is endowed with.

Like the previous competitions, the organisation of this year’s prize giving ceremony saw all the 12 young boys and girls receiving their awards to the excitement of those present at the event, including religious Sheikhs and community leaders.

Muslim Council of Britain Celebrates World Interfaith Harmony Week 2012

Muslim Council of Britain celebrates
World Interfaith Harmony Week

Dr. Mozammel Haque

The Interfaith Relations Committee of the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) organised an event under the heading “Building Trust, Peace & Harmony through Interfaith Relations”, on Monday, the 6th of February, 2012 at the House of Lords, hosted by Lord Sheikh of Cornhill. Lord Sheikh who chaired the event, welcomed the audiences including the Guest of Honour Princess Badiya El-Hassan of Jordan who presented a message on behalf of her father, HRH Prince Hassan bin Talal of Jordan. Guest Speakers at the event were HE Mazen Homoud, Ambassador of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan in London and Professor Mohamed El-Gomati, OBE, President, Foundation for Science, Technology & Civilization. Mr. Abdul Rahman Shaibani, Deputy Head of the Saudi Embassy in London, also attended the event.

Lord Sheikh
Lord Sheikh said, “It gives me great pleasure to host and speak at an event which seeks to break barriers and build bridges between our communities. Events like this gathering play an important role in affirming and celebrating Britain’s status as a diverse and multicultural society.”

Lord Sheikh said, “I believe that there are more similarities than differences between people and we should highlight the similarities in order to establish closer links between communities.”

Lord Sheikh quoted from the Holy Qur’an (Sura 49, Ayah 13) which says: ‘O mankind! We have created you from a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know one another. Verily the most honourable among you in the sight of Allah is he who has piety and righteousness”

Lord Sheikh also said, “Despite the image portrayed in some of today’s media, Islam has a long and proud history of tolerance and respect for people of other faiths. The Holy Koran is emphatically clear on this point, stating ‘let there be no compulsion in religion’, and this has been manifest in Muslim civilization throughout history.”

Lord Sheikh also mentioned, “Islam is one of the Abrahamic religions and we believe in the Prophets who are mentioned in the Bible including the following Prophets (peace be upon them) –Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jacob and Jesus. God’s guidance to mankind started with Prophet Adam (pbuh) and ended with Prophet Mohammed (pbuh).”

With regard to relations with other faith communities, Lord Sheikh said, “Islam in fact regards Christians and Jews as people of the book and Muslims believe that the books of Allah are the Quran, the Torah, the Gospel and the Psalms of David. The Koran also mentions scrolls of Abraham. I may add that the Holy Koran has an entire chapter which is titled Maryam (Mary mother of Jesus).”

With regard to similarities between Sikhism and Islam, Lord Sheikh mentioned, “I would like to state that the foundation of the Golden Temple in Amritsar was laid by Mian Mir, a Muslim holy person. One of the constant companions of Guru Nanak Sahib was Mardana who was a Muslim. He accompanied Guru Nanak Sahib on his journey to Mecca and Medina. In the Guru Granth Sahib there are writings of a Muslim, Sheikh Farid.”

Lord Sheikh has just come back from India where he came to know that “There is now an organisation that has been set up in India to promote interfaith dialogue between the Hindus and Muslims and I have been asked to be its patron,” said Lord Sheikh and added, “Islam and Hinduism are similar in the fact that they believe in the moral responsibility of each individual towards others and in the practice of such virtues as charity, righteousness, forgiveness, tolerance, mercy, compassion, brotherhood, patience and gratitude.

Finally, Lord Sheikh said, “Islam is indeed a religion of peace and everyone one of us should therefore be an Ambassador to convey this message and help promote peace and harmony between various racial and religious groups.”

HRH Prince Hassan bin Talal of Jordan
HRH Prince Hassan bin Talal of Jordan in his message emphasized that The developing the rule of law is an absolutely essential to recognise the traditional background of the congenial communities which you hope to direct in promoting the common goal.

Prince Hassan also maintained, “I had the experience of developing an understanding which is basically loosely defined as one emphasizing the association between theology and practicality, that is to say, we accept the belief of all; at the same time we work together on beginning with commonality and in that sense let us take into account the wisdom of the illumination tradition of Asia and the enlightenment tradition of the Europe.”

Prince Hassan divided the world into the land of the Sun and the Twilight zone and said, “Asia possesses the land of vitality, the land of pioneering culture and civilization in our world, temporal zone, birth place of culture and civilization and the Twilight zone which combined the twilight between meditation, consideration and evolution of course to serve mankind.”

While speaking about education, Prince Hassan said, “we tend to be focused on parochial form of education, wherever we are and this is something which I think we need in term of best practice to recognise that Europe has pioneer programme which has culminated today” and indeed in terms of human understanding based on comprehension.

Prince Hassan also mentioned about youth. He said “how rich our shared humanity is particularly our youth.”

Speaking about Arab Spring, Prince Hassan said, “The Arab spring is not spring against anybody; it is a spring that called for its inception for reform based on values and human dignity. That is my understanding, of course things went badly wrong in different parts of our region; but that does not mean that we should not continue to accept our responsibility for our works and for our deeds.”

“It is time to recognise the economic and political dimensions of dialogue,” said Prince Hassan and concluded, “Let us try to meet as human beings in building harmony for the future of generations to come.”

Princess Badiya El-Hassan
Princess Badiya El-Hassan of Jordan said, “We should take care of each other; if we do it together, we can build trust, peace and better life for all.”

Dr. Harriet Crabtree, OBE
Dr. Harriet Crabtree, OBE, Director, Interfaith network for the UK, spoke about the importance of religion. She said religion can be a contributor. She said we have to work together to bring about harmony. Secondly, Dr. Harriet praised the interfaith work of the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) mentioning about its membership of the interfaith network. Dr. Harriet also mentioned about trust and participation. This interfaith week, said Dr. Harriet, is a remarkable week and please participates in the week.

In this connection, it may be pointed out that many Muslim countries sponsored the resolution to create United Nations World Interfaith Harmony Week as the first week of February each year. “The World Interfaith Harmony Week pioneered by His Majesty King Abdullah II seeks to spread the message of harmony and tolerance among the followers of all the world’s religions, faiths and beliefs. It seeks to do this by promoting the common basis of “Love of God and Love of the Neighbour

“The objectives behind the World Interfaith Harmony Week, in the words of the author of the resolution, Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad, are: To Harness and utilise the collective might of the world’s second-largest infrastructure "places of worship" specifically for peace and harmony in the world

The Islamic Cultural Centre, London and Exhibition Islam jointly organised the VIP Event - Islamic Cultural Exhibition which was arranged as part of the United Nations World Interfaith Harmony Week 2012, on Tuesday, 7th of February, 2012, at the Islamic Cultural Centre & The London Central Mosque. The VIP event was attended by members of Parliament, including Lord Ahmed of Rotherham, Lord Sheikh of Cornhill, Lord Adam Patel of Blackburn, Ambassadors of the Muslim Countries, representatives of embassies, and members of different interfaith organisations.

The message read out at the VIP Event at the ICC says, “The purpose of the exhibition is to educate the wider community on the Islamic culture and how the core of all mutual prophetic teachings are based on mutual respect, harmony and peace “.

World Interfaith Harmony Week 2012

World Interfaith Harmony Week 2012

Real dialogue started more than 1400 years ago
by Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)

Dr. Mozammel Haque

Real dialogue started more than 1400 years ago by Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), said Lord Ahmad of Rotherham, Labour Peer at the VIP Event - Islamic Cultural Exhibition which was arranged as part of the United Nations World Interfaith Harmony Week 2012, on Tuesday, 7th of February, 2012, at the Islamic Cultural Centre & The London Central Mosque. The Islamic Cultural Centre, London and Exhibition Islam jointly organised this VIP Event which was attended by members of Parliament, including Lord Ahmed of Rotherham, Lord Sheikh of Cornhill, Lord Adam Patel of Blackburn, Ambassadors of the Muslim Countries, representatives of embassies, members of different interfaith organisations,

Many organisations in the United Kingdom celebrated UN World Interfaith Harmony Week on 6th and 7th of February. 2012. World Interfaith Week was proclaimed by the General Assembly of the United Nations in a resolution: “Proclaimed the first week of February every year the World Interfaith Harmony Week between all religions, faiths and beliefs” adopted on 20 October, 2010.

Lord Sheikh
Speaking at the VIP Event at ICC, Lord Sheikh quoted from his speech in the House of Lords where he stated, “Unfortunately, there is a demonisation of Islam in certain quarters, and it is important that the media act in a responsible manner in this regard and avoid use of inflammatory language. In regard to suicide bombings, Islam forbids suicide. In the holy Qur’an it is written that,“ whoever kills a human being … it as though he has killed all mankind, and whoever saves a human life, it is as though he saved all mankind”. This saying is similar to what is written in the Talmud, where it is written, “if you save one life, it is as if you have saved the world”.”

Lord Sheikh also said, “I believe that there are more similarities than differences between people and we should highlight the similarities in order to establish closer links between communities.”

Highlight the similarities
Referring to the Exhibition Islam at the Islamic Cultural Centre, Lord Sheikh said, “At the Exhibition today we can see displays of various items which give a very brief description of achievements of the Muslims and their contributions to the world in various fields. All these empires and dynasties have contributed a great deal to the understanding and promotion of the subjects I have described.”

Referring to the Hajj Exhibition at the British Museum, Lord Sheikh said, Hajj Exhibition “explains one of the pillars of Islam and creates better understanding between Muslims and non-Muslims.”

Islam teaches us to celebrate differences
Lord Sheikh also said, “Mutual understanding, respect, and inter-faith dialogue are essential if we are all to coexist peacefully. Islam teaches us to celebrate the difference and diversity which God has purposefully created in our world.”

Finally, Lord Sheikh said, “Islam is indeed a religion of peace and everyone one of us should therefore be an Ambassador to convey this message and help promote peace and harmony between various racial and religious groups.”

Lord Ahmad
Lord Ahmad of Rotherham spoke about interfaith dialogue. He said, “It is important that the Islamic Cultural Centre is providing platform for dialogue but the real dialogue started 1400 years ago by Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

Real dialogue started 1400 years ago
by Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)
Lord Ahmed mentioned, “Even long before revelation, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) made a society Halful Fazul and also entered into agreement with the Jewish community and people with faith or no faith.

Lord Ahmed also mentioned about Caliph Omar. He said, “When Caliph Omar (may Allah be please with him) conquered Jerusalem he allowed the Jewish community to return to Jerusalem after 300 years when they have been excluded and he included them in all the decision making process.”

Responsibility to neighbours
“So dialogue started all ago and so we have responsibility to our neighbours,” said Lord Ahmad and then he quoted from the Holy Qur’an, which says, “There is no compulsion in religion.”

This stunning exhibition outlines: Islam – The Religion; Islamic History; Islam’s Relations with other faiths. It also allows visitors to view Historic Qur’ans, Torah Scrolls and Bible fragments from across the Islamic World.

The Interfaith Relations Committee of the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) organised an event under the heading “Building Trust, Peace & Harmony through Interfaith Relations”, on Monday, the 6th of February, 2012 at the House of Lords, hosted by Lord Sheikh of Cornhill. Lord Sheikh who chaired the event, welcomed the audiences including the Guest of Honour Princess Badiya El-Hassan of Jordan who presented a message on behalf of her father, HRH Prince Hassan bin Talal of Jordan.

In this connection, it may be pointed out that many Muslim countries sponsored the resolution to create United Nations World Interfaith Harmony Week as the first week of February each year.

Media Tour and Press Conference on BM Hajj Exhibition

Hajj Exhibition at the British Museum:

Media Tour and Press Conference

Dr. Mozammel Haque

Through the vivid images and artefacts on display, the exhibition reveals the truly universal character of the Hajj, said His Royal Highness Prince Charles, heir apparent to the British throne, while inaugurating the Hajj Exhibition at the British Museum, on Thursday, the 26th of January 2012. He also added, “I cannot tell you what a pleasure it is to have been asked to open this splendid exhibition celebrating the Hajj; one of the five pillars of Islam and thus of the greatest possible significance to the spiritual and temporal lives of Muslim people across the entire world.”

The official opening of the Hajj Exhibition: “A Journey into the heart of Islam” was made in the presence of a large gathering of politicians, parliamentarians, academics and important figures in Britain, led by HRH Prince Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Member of the Board of King Abdul Aziz Public Library; HRH Prince Mohammed bin Nawaf bin Abdul Aziz, Ambassador of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques in London and HE Mr. Faisal bin Abdul Rahman bin Muammar, General Supervisor of King Abdul Aziz Public Library.

Before the official inauguration of the Hajj Exhibition at the British Museum by Prince Charles, Prince of Wales and the heir apparent to the British throne, there were media lunch and media tour and conference. Immediately one day before the inauguration, there was media tour and press conference at the British museum on Wednesday, 25th of January and two days before the inauguration, there was Media Lunch at the Saudi Embassy, London, on Tuesday, 24th of January, 2012, detail reports are given below:

MEDIA TOUR AND PRESS CONFERENCE ON HAJJ
EXHIBITION AT THE BRITISH MUSEUM
Earlier, one day before the launch of the exhibition: “Hajj: A Journey to the Heart of Islam,” on Wednesday, 25th of January, 2012, a meeting with the members of the media from the British media, Arab and Islamic world was held at the British Museum. At the meeting, Saudi Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Prince Mohammed bin Nawaf, said, “Hajj provides wonderful examples of equality and peace among people. The Kingdom is concerned about people’s lives and is doing a lot to serve the pilgrims.”

Dr. Neil McGregor
In the beginning, Dr. Neil McGregor, the Director of the British Museum, explained the idea behind the Hajj Exhibition; its objectives and divisions. He pointed out the importance of Hajj as the fifth pillar of Islam and that it is one of the greatest phenomena in the world. He stated that the Hajj has a great impact on the lives of many people.

Mr. McGregor said, “It was not possible to have an exhibition on Hajj without the support and patron of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the support of the Saudi Embassy, London.”

He added, “We cannot address all of the five pillars of Islam in this Exhibition, but it is enough to point out the Hajj in two ways: firstly, the spiritual experience pilgrims go through and secondly, the logistics of the Hajj.”

The Director of the British Museum went on to explain that this ritual was performed by Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) which dated back to Adam (peace be upon him) and through the ages until today. This made us address the method of transportation to Makkah (Mecca) throughout successive centuries down to the present.

Concluding his observations, Dr. McGregor thanked those who provided objects and artefacts to the exhibition including King Abdul Aziz Public Library in Riyadh. He also stated that “We need to remember that the duty and care for the Hajj rests on the shoulders of the ruler of Makkah” emphasizing that “this is important and central”.

He continued saying “Today this responsibility for the Hajj rests on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia led by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz.” The Museum Director made it clear that “It was not possible to have an exhibition on Hajj without the patron and support of the Hajj; i.e. the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. So we are honoured to have the presence of the Ambassador of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, Prince Mohammed bin Nawaf bin Abdul Aziz here today.”

Prince Mohammed bin Nawaf
Saudi Ambassador Prince Mohammed bin Nawaf addressed the meeting where he thanked the British Museum, its Director and the Hajj Exhibition coordinator Dr. Venetia Porter, Assistant Curator of Islamic and Contemporary Middle East at the British Museum as well as Mr. Faisal bin Muammar.

Prince Mohammed bin Nawaf affirmed the importance of the Hajj in Islam and that it is an obligation upon every Muslim once in a lifetime if he is able, physically and financially. The Ambassador also said that “Pilgrimage comes on top of the concerns of Muslims and the trips they make whether they are men, women, old or young.” He pointed out that the exhibition provides only a glimpse of this great pillar of Islam and its evolution over the centuries.

Prince Mohammed bin Nawaf also stated that “The Hajj offers wonderful examples of equality and peace among humans, and the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is keen on protecting people’s lives. This is a top priority for Saudi Arabia and this is why it spends a lot of effort and money to serve the pilgrims and to develop the Holy Sites and the two cities of Makkah and Madinah.”

At the end, the Saudi Ambassador reiterated his thanks for the presence of media and those in charge of the exhibition and expected a great success for the exhibition.

Dr. Venetia Porter
After that, Assistant Curator, Dr. Porter stated about the difficult decisions made by officials at the Museum on how it would reflect the great meaning of the Hajj which has been going on for centuries. Dr. Porter then said, “The exhibition is divided into three parts, the first is about the access roads to the Hajj and the means of transport for pilgrims. The second is on what the pilgrims do in Mecca and the holy sites; the performance of rituals and a description of the place through some of the expressive artefacts and paintings. The third part is on how the Hajj has changed the lives of pilgrims, a description of their journeys and what they brought back to their own countries from Makkah after performing the Hajj.”

The Curator at the British Museum pointed out to the precious artefacts as well as the fascinating old and modern photos which came to the exhibition from multiple sources, including, of course, King Abdul Aziz Public Library.

Dr. Porter gave an example of Darb Zubaydah where some artefacts from Museums in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia dating back to the 8th century are on display.

Dr. Porter concluded her presentation with reference to the scene of standing in front of the Ka’aba which stunned the ancient and modern pilgrims and visitors to the Grand Mosque, who expressed their emotions in various means expressing the magnitude of this place and the holiness of this ritual.

After these brief statements, His Excellency Mr. Faisal bin Muammar, the General Supervisor of King Abdul Aziz Public Library led the media and journalists on a tour of the contents of the exhibition and answered their questions.

The British Museum has invited the media for a full day tour of the exhibition one day prior to its inauguration, where they moved freely inside the exhibition, took photos and conducted interviews. At hand was Dr. Ahmad Turkistani, the spokesman of King Abdul Aziz Public Library at the exhibition where he answered some of the reporters’ questions.

“Hajj celebrates peace, unity and our equality before God – men and women, of all ages, from every nation. It is a profound, life changing experience – it doesn’t guarantee a passage to heaven, but it focuses all Muslims on what is really important in life, as prescribed by our faith,” said Prince Mohammed bin Nawaf, Saudi Arabian Ambassador to the United Kingdom & Ireland at a Media Lunch on Tuesday, 24th of January 2012 prior to the British Museum Hajj Exhibition to be inaugurated on Thursday, the 26th of January, 2012.

The King Abdul Aziz Public Library of Saudi Arabia in cooperation with the British Museum is holding an Exhibition, Hajj: Journey to the Heart of Islam, which will be inaugurated on Thursday, the 26th of January, 2012 at the British Museum. His Royal Highness Prince Charles, Heir to the British Throne, is going to be the honorary guest for the inauguration of this exhibition and Prince Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and a Member of the Board of King Abdul Aziz Public Library will be present at the inauguration ceremony among others. . The British Museum Hajj Exhibition will be opened from 26 January to 15 April, 2012.

Prince Charles inaugurates Hajj Exhibition at British Museum

Prince Charles inaugurates the Hajj Exhibition
at the British Museum

Dr. Mozammel Haque

I cannot tell you what a pleasure it is to have been asked to open this splendid exhibition celebrating the Hajj; one of the five pillars of Islam and thus of the greatest possible significance to the spiritual and temporal lives of Muslim people across the entire world – said His Royal Highness Prince Charles, Heir to the British Throne, while inaugurating the Hajj Exhibition at the British Museum, yesterday, Thursday, the 26th of January 2012.

The official opening of the Hajj Exhibition: “A Journey into the heart of Islam” was made in the presence of a large gathering of politicians, parliamentarians, academics and important figures in Britain, led by His Royal Highness Prince Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Member of the Board of King Abdul Aziz Public Library; HRH Prince Mohammed bin Nawaf bin Abdul Aziz, Ambassador of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques in London and HE Mr. Faisal bin Abdul Rahman bin Muammar, General Supervisor of King Abdul Aziz Public Library.

Prince Abdulaziz bin Abdullah bin Abdulaziz
In the beginning of the ceremony, hosted by Prince Charles, Crown Prince of Britain and Prince of Wales, Prince Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah delivered a speech in which he welcomed Prince Charles, the audience and the guests of the exhibition. He appreciated the initiative of the British Museum and having the partnership of the first exhibition on the Hajj in Britain with the participation of King Abdul Aziz Public Library. He highlighted the importance of pilgrimage for being the largest gathering of Islam, goodness and devotion to God the Creator on the plan of Makkah; a safe sanctuary devoid of harm and violence and where pilgrims are devoted for the pure and lofty worship of the Creator.

Prince Abdul Aziz also pointed out that Saudi Arabia’s participation in this cultural exhibition aims to introduce the pilgrimage and to highlight the humanitarian aspects of pilgrimage since ancient time until now, and to display in this Museum the rare objects and artefacts as living evidences of the humanitarian values from diverse Muslim cultures and civilizations.

Prince Abdul Aziz addressed the efforts of King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz saying: “Tangible efforts exerted by Saudi Arabia to spread peace all over the world through the initiatives of the Man of Peace, King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz and his humanitarian projects include the service of the Hajj and the development of the Holy Sites’ facilities in Makkah.

Prince Charles
Then the patron of the event HRH Prince Charles delivered a speech in which he said: “I cannot tell you what a pleasure it is to open this splendid exhibition celebrating the Hajj, one of the pillars of Islam.” He went on to say that the Hajj is of the greatest possible significance to the spiritual and temporal lives of Muslim people across the entire world.”

The Prince of Wales welcomed Prince Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah who came to London especially for the exhibition which demonstrates the value of the exhibition for Muslims and non-Muslims alike. Prince Charles emphasized the spiritual aspect of this trip made by Muslims to Mecca every year which is reflected in the subtitle of the exhibition: “Journey to the Heart of Islam”.

Prince Charles also took note of the twenty five thousand Muslims of the United Kingdom who go on Hajj every year which explains how it affects Muslims performing this ritual, and reflects the unity of the human race from all over the world through the continued pilgrimage over the centuries. He said, “The exhibition reflects the universality of the Hajj.”

Prince Charles also pointed out, “like me, you will see that, by gathering together a remarkable collection of treasures from across the world, this exhibition brings to life the very human stories of the countless generations who have completed the Hajj through the ages – from Singapore to Istanbul, from Nanjing to Mombasa. Through the vivid images and artefacts on display, the exhibition reveals the truly universal character of the Hajj.”

The Prince of Wales also offered special tribute to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz on the hospitality, saying: “I wanted to pay particular tribute, if I may, to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques who, in accordance with Islamic teaching, generously hosts Hajjis making the pilgrimage to Mecca, providing remarkable practical all facilities to them.” Prince of Wales also mentioned, this recalls the hospitality shown to earlier pilgrims taking example from the guidance of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the Islamic tradition dating back to the era of Abraham (peace be upon him) who built the Ka’aba.

Prince Charles also commended the British Museum and its partners, including H.S.B.C., for their vision and foresight in developing this exhibition and persuading so many distinguished collectors to lend their artefacts.”

In the concluding part of his speech, Prince Charles said, “I can only pray, Insha Allah that this exhibition will be, for all who see it, a source of education, of understanding and of delight. It therefore gives me the greatest possible pleasure to declare the British Museum’s Hajj Exhibition open.”

Mr. Neil McGregor
Neil McGregor, Director of the British Museum, spoke a few words on the objectives of the exhibition and its sections indicating the importance of the Hajj as the fifth pillar of Islam and the greatest phenomenon in the world which has a great impact in the lives of many people. Mr. McGregor said that the exhibition offers a look into the Hajj as a spiritual experience and explaining its logistics.

The Director of the British Museum thanked all those involved in providing artefacts to the exhibition, led by King Abdul Aziz Public Library and pointed to the efforts of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the service of pilgrims and hospitality accorded to them under the leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz.

At the end of his speech, Mr. McGregor thanked the Ambassador of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, Prince Mohammed bin Nawaf bin Abdul Aziz and Mr. Faisal bin Muammar, Advisor to the Custodian of theTwo Holy Mosques and the General Supervisor of the Library on their efforts to make the exhibition a success.

After the short ceremony, guests toured the exhibition enjoying all departments and watching a short film on pilgrimage.

King Abdul Aziz Public Library contributed to the exhibition some of the items reflecting the achievements and the expansion of the Two Holy Mosques since the reign of King Abdul Aziz until now. The Library has worked as a coordinator between the British Museum and museums and institutions in Saudi Arabia to display 51 rare pieces including parts of the curtain of the Ka’aba and rare pictures of Makkah and Madinah, in addition to artefacts from Darb Zubaydah, manuscripts, photographs and films on the Hajj.

British Museum Hajj Exhibition -Media Lunch

British Museum Hajj Exhibition
Media lunch at the Saudi Embassy

Dr. Mozammel Haque

"Hajj celebrates peace, unity and our equality before God, men and women, of all ages, from every nation. It is a profound, life changing experience – it doesn’t guarantee a passage to heaven, but it focuses all Muslims on what is really important in life, as prescribed by our faith,” said Prince Mohammed bin Nawaf, Saudi Arabian Ambassador to the United Kingdom & Ireland at a Media Lunch on Tuesday, 24th of January 2012 prior to the British Museum Hajj Exhibition to be inaugurated on Thursday, the 26th of January, 2012.

The King Abdul Aziz Public Library of Saudi Arabia in cooperation with the British Museum is holding an Exhibition, Hajj: Journey to the Heart of Islam, which will be inaugurated on Thursday, the 26th of January, 2012 at the British Museum. His Royal Highness Prince Charles, Heir to the British Throne, is going to be the honorary guest for the inauguration of this exhibition and Prince Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and a Member of the Board of King Abdul Aziz Public Library will be present at the inauguration ceremony among others. . The British Museum Hajj Exhibition will be opened from 26 January to 15 April, 2012.

Prince Mohammed bin Nawaf at
Media Lunch at Saudi Embassy at London
The Saudi Arabian Embassy at London held a media lunch in preparation for the British Museum Exhibition on Hajj, titled Hajj: Journey to the Heart of Islam, at the Saudi Embassy, London, on Tuesday, 24th of January, 2012. In the beginning, Prince Mohammed bin Nawaf, the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the United Kingdom & Ireland, gave a short statement regarding the importance of Hajj as a spiritual journey, so central to the Muslim faith. Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam and Muslims all over the world are very much concerned about Hajj. That’s why, the Saudi Ambassador wanted to explain to Muslim and non-Muslim media about the importance of Hajj and its centrality to Islam and of course, Hajj has to be done in Makkah.

The Saudi Ambassador said, “We are sitting in the majlis, at the heart of the embassy where we hold prayers every Friday. You will see that pictures of the Holy Cities of Makkah Al-Mukarramah and Medinah Al-Munawwarah surround us. This is particularly appropriate as we are here today to talk about the Hajj pilgrimage to Makkah Al-Mukarramah which is the focus of an exhibition being launched at the British Museum this week and to which the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has contributed.”

Prince Mohammed also mentioned, “This exhibition celebrates Hajj and traces the experiences of pilgrims undertaking this inspirational journey over the centuries. It also includes important artefacts and archive material from the Kingdom.”

“Through the exhibition you will see that Hajj has changed from a journey of great length and hardship undertaken by thousands, to the pilgrimage experienced by Muslims today, undertaken by millions,” said the Saudi Ambassador.

Last year three million people from every corner of the world undertook Hajj. Many millions more visited the Holy sites on the smaller pilgrimage of Umrah.

“To accommodate the growing number of pilgrims who wish to undertake Hajj a dramatic expansion of Makkah Al-Mukarramah has become essential. The expansion, which we will also hear about today, will more than double the size of the prayer area around the Ka’ba, the House of God built by Abraham, peace be upon him,” said Prince Mohammed and added, “Hajj is not just a physical journey: it is the most important spiritual journey a Muslim ever makes. It is an extraordinary experience. We leave our homes, our families and our every day concerns behind us, and submit ourselves totally to God’s will. This journey is at the core of what it is to be Muslim.”

The Saudi Ambassador also mentioned, “Hajj celebrates peace, unity and our equality before God – men and women, of all ages, from every nation. It is a profound, life changing experience – it doesn’t guarantee a passage to heaven, but it focuses all Muslims on what is really important in life, as prescribed by our faith.”

“It is our duty individually as Muslims to make this journey. And it is our prime concern as the people of Saudi Arabia, under the guidance of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz, to look after all pilgrims, their security and welfare and to care for Makkah Al-Mukarramah and Medina Al-Munawwarah,” concluded Prince Mohammed bin Nawaf, the Saudi Ambassador to the United Kingdom.

Dr. Ahmed bin Saifuddin Turkistani
Then Dr. Ahmad ibn Saifuddin Turkistani, on behalf of the King Abdul Aziz Public Library, Saudi Arabia, spoke about the history of Hajj and the history of Ka’aba as the centre for Hajj and centre of gravity for Muslims to come from all over the world in order to perform their duty of Hajj. Obviously Dr. Turkistani also talked about Hajj during the past, through different stages and periods till today. He also mentioned about different projects of developments and expansion of the Grand Masjid in Makkah al-Mukarramah and the holy sites. He particularly mentioned about the projects of King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques regarding the expansion of Masjid al-Haram, expansion of al-Masaa, the new bridge of Jamarat and the Monorail and the Haramain Mashair and then he also mentioned about the Kiswa of Ka’aba and Zam Zam water project.

Dr Ahmed al-Dubayan
Dr. Ahmed al-Dubayan, Director General of the Islamic Cultural Centre & The Regent’s Park Central London Mosque, also spoke on the website of this Hajj Exhibition. This website will be opened tomorrow, Thursday, 26th of January 2012 with the inauguration of the British Museum Hajj Exhibition. General public can visit the website. The British Museum Hajj Exhibition will be opened from 26 January to 15 April, 2012.

I interviewed Dr. al-Dubayan about the website. Answering to my query, Dr. Al-Dubayan said, “I talked about the website; the website which I explained actually to complete the information about the projects in Makkah al-Mukarramah for anybody who wants to have it. It was necessary because the exhibition, regardless of how big is it, is not enough to see everything about Hajj and about all the projects. And that’s why, the King Abdul Aziz Public Library thought of having the website where you add all the new things and all the detail information, numbers and statistical information about Hajj and about the projects. All these complete information are important for the exhibition. It will be available for everybody throughout the world.”

Dr. al-Dubayan also added, “Tomorrow, Thursday, 26th of January 2012 is the official opening and the website will also start tomorrow. I think it is important because our message from Saudi Arabia is not only for the people who will come to the exhibition but we need something if everybody can see it from everywhere and that’s why we have website.”

After the speeches, there were Questions & Answers session when members of the press, both Muslim and non-Muslim media, asked questions mostly and mainly about the new development, the cost of the new development, the accommodation of pilgrims in Makkah and the holy sites and the increasing numbers of pilgrims and so on and so forth.

His Excellency Faisal Al-Muammar
His Excellency Faisal Al-Muammar, General Supervisor of the King Abdulaziz Public Library, said “This exhibition celebrates Hajj, the most important journey taken by Muslims during their lifetime. Hajj is one of the Five Pillars of Islam, a pilgrimage that all Muslims who are able, from every nation and race across our globe, must make at least once in their lifetime.”

Mr. Faisal also said, “This exhibition aims to tell the story of Hajj over the centuries, exploring the individual and multi-cultural experiences of pilgrims, as well as the routes taken as they are drawn in unity towards the Ka’aba. It traces the heritage of this inspirational journey up to the present day in terms of objects, maps, books, pictures and recollections from all over the world and includes significant artefacts from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”

“Care for Makkah al-Mukarramah, for the Hajj, and for the security and welfare of all those undertaking this life changing journey and the lesser pilgrimage of Umrah, is the first priority of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Custodian of Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah, his government and his people. The Kingdom is continually looking at ways to improve transport and other facilities for Hajjis, and is currently undertaking a he expansion of the prayer space around the Ka’aba to meet the needs of the increasing number of pilgrims wanting to perform Hajj,” Mr. Faisal added.

Mr Faisal said, “We hope that through its visitors gain some understanding of Islam, and that it will be a source of inspiration, giving them a glimpse of the meaning of Hajj to Muslims worldwide.”

Today, Wednesday, the 25th of January, the British Museum holds another media conference. His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed addressed the event. His Excellency Faisal bin Muammar the General Supervisor of the King Abdul Aziz Public Library was also present at the event to answer questions regarding the contribution of Saudi Arabia or the Library as a coordinator of the Saudi institution with the British Museum.”

Interview with Dr Ahmad Turkistani
Dr. Ahmad ibn Saifuddin Turkistani mentioned, “The King Abdul Aziz Public Library has contributed actually 51 pieces of artefacts and objects to be shown in the exhibition. Of course, there will be wider picture of the exhibition but you can never understand the past or appreciate the present unless you go to the past and follow the trace and the trail of the Hajj throughout the ages until today.”

“There is some richness and lot of things in there at the Exhibition to see and to enjoy and to read and to bring back from history what took place in the past and actually this is important to make people aware,” mentioned Dr. Turkistani.

Dr. Turkistani also emphasized on the importance of the Exhibition. He said, “Obviously you can see the importance of this event for the Muslim community here in Britain and for the British community at large where we need people to get better understanding of what Hajj is all about, what Islam is all about and obviously Hajj, His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed pointed out today, Hajj reflects the basic tenets of Islam of peace, tranquillity, equality, love of God and care for other pilgrims and so on.”

Karen Armstrong in The Guardian
Karen Armstrong, the renowned scholar and commentator, writing in The Guardian, mentioned, “Ever since the Crusades, when Christians from western Europe were fighting holy wars against Muslims in the near east, western people have often perceived Islam as a violent and intolerant faith – even though when this prejudice took root Islam had a better record of tolerance than Christianity. Recent terrorist atrocities have seemed to confirm this received idea. But if we want a peaceful world, we urgently need a more balanced view. We cannot hope to win the ‘battle for hearts and minds’ unless we know what is actually in them. Nor can we expect Muslims to be impressed by our liberal values if they see us succumbing unquestioningly to a medieval prejudice born in a time of extreme Christian belligerence.”

Writing on the eve of the exhibition at the British Museum – Hajj: Journey to the Heart of Islam – Karen Armstrong observed, “Like Hindus, Buddhists, Jews, Christians, Sikhs and secularists, some Muslims have undoubtedly been violent and intolerant, but the new exhibition at the British Museum – Hajj: Journey to the Heart of Islam – is a timely reminder that this is not the whole story. The Hajj is one of the five essential practices of Islam; when they make the pilgrimage to Mecca, Muslims ritually act out the central principles of their faith. Equating religion with ‘belief’ is a modern western aberration. Like swimming or driving, religious knowledge is practically acquired. You learn only by doing. The ancient rituals of the Hajj, which Arabs performed for centuries before Islam, have helped pilgrims to form habits of heart and mind that – pace the western stereotype – are non-violent and inclusive.”

Karen Armstrong also mentioned, the Muslim Hajj is all about the Abrahamic family – not Muhammad himself. Pilgrims re-enact the story of Hagar and Ishmael, symbolically returning to the era that preceded religious chauvinism. Alas, all traditions lose their primal purity and we all fail our founders.”

“But the British Museum’s beautiful presentation of the Hajj can help us understand how the vast majority of the world’s Muslims understand their faith. Socrates, the founder of the western rational tradition, insisted that the exercise of reason required us constantly and stringently to question received ideas and entrenched certainties. The new exhibition can indeed become a journey to the heart of Islam and also perhaps, to a more authentic and respectful western rational identity.”

British Muslim leaders mourn death of Dr. Syed Aziz Pasha

British Muslim leaders mourn death of the founder
of first Muslim Umbrella Organisation in the UK

Dr. Mozammel Haque

British Muslim leaders mourn the death of Dr. Syed Aziz Pasha, the founder of the first Muslim Umbrella Organisation in the UK, the Union of Muslim Organisations of UK & Eire (UMO). He was very disciplined, enlightened and organised leader the Muslim community of Britain had. He organised and held meetings, seminars, conferences, workshops and Summer camps and never missed recordings the proceedings of the conferences. Even he himself after the conferences sat down with his typewriter to write the press release and posted them to the newspapers and to the different departments and ministries, not only of the United Kingdom; but to other newspapers in other countries. I remembered very well as early as in the mid-70s, we used to get press releases of the conferences held by the UMO from Dr. Pasha for publication and as an editor of the Muslim World League Journal, we used to publish those press releases in our Magazine. Those press releases prepared, written and posted by Dr. Pasha are the primary source and documents of the Muslim community of Britain of those periods.

On the 7th of January, 2012 there was a recitation of the Qur’an programme at the Islamic Cultural Centre, London, organised by the UMO. In spite of my many efforts, I could not attend the programme at the ICC. I was in Saudi Arabia at that time. Though I was not physically present at the recitation of the Qur’an programme, I made special supplication at the Masjid al-Nabawi in Madina Munawwarah and also at Masjid-al-Haram at Makkah al-Mukarramah and also made dua after every prayer for the soul of Dr. Pasha.

Dr. Abdullah Omar Naseef
On Sunday, the 8th of January, 2012, I was in Jeddah in the office of Dr. Abdullah Omar Naseef, former Secretary General of the Rabita al-Alam al-Islami and present Secretary General of the International Islamic Council for Da’wah and Relief (IICDR). When Dr. Pasha passed away, Dr. Naseef was at that time in the United Kingdom and he attended Dr. Pasha’s Janaza at the London Central Mosque at Regents’ Park. I interviewed Dr. Naseef about Dr. Pasha. Speaking about Marhum Dr. Pasha, Dr. Abdullah Omar Naseef said, “Dr. Pasha was really an Islamic personality; he was spending all the time to the service of the Muslim community and nothing for his person.”

“He was hard worker and went from here to there and followed up the matters of the Muslims. He used to have good relations with the authorities in Britain. So he could manage to pass many things that are very useful for the Muslims,” observed Dr. Naseef and added, “He was very much really interested in Islam and worked accordingly, Alhamdo Lillah.”

Speaking about his personal relationship with Dr. Pasha, Dr. Naseef, who was Secretary General of the Muslim World League in those days, said, “As far as my relationship is concerned, Rabita al-Alam al-Islam is for everybody and he used to come and discuss the needs of the Muslims. Dr. Pasha put me on the Council of Muslim Education Trust as governor. I attended once or twice the meeting of the Muslim Education Trust as governor. He invited all shades of people from different communities, everybody; not only Indian or Pakistani community, everybody was there at the conferences.”

“As a person Dr. Pasha was really a wonderful man,” said Dr. Naseef and prayed to Almighty Allah by saying, “I ask Allah Subhanahu wa Taala to bless his soul and send him to Paradise.”

Recitation of the Qur’an Programme at
The London Central Mosque at Regents Park
The Recitation of the Qur’an programme for Dr. Syed Aziz Pasha Marhum, the former Secretary General of the Union of Muslim Organisations of the United Kingdom & Ireland (UMO) was conducted at the London Central Mosque at Regents Park on Saturday, 7th of January 2012 after Salatul Zuhr and it was concluded by the time of Salatul Maghreb. There were many lovers of Dr. Pasha present in this meeting. They were Mr. Noon, one of the executive members of the UMO, Sir Iqbal Sacranie, former Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) and present Chairman of the Muslim Aid Trust, Mr. Yousuf Bhailok, also former Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain; Mr. Mohamed Ali from Islam Channel, Maulana Dr. Shahid Raza, Chairman of the Mosques and Imams National Advisory Board Trusts (MINAB) and the imam of the Acton Mosque. There was an Imam from the Islamic Cultural Centre who participated at the programme and concluded the meeting with dua (supplication).

As I was not at the meeting and as I could not find any recordings of the proceedings or any press releases, I personally contacted those people who spoke on the occasion and I am grateful to those speakers who cooperated and helped me by giving an interview at the eleventh hour about their statements. First of all, I requested Sir Iqbal Sacranie about his speeches at the programme.

Sir Iqbal Sacranie
Sir Iqbal Sacranie said, “The first point the very presence of cross section of the Muslim community is a clear testament of the love and affection towards late Dr. Pasha. Dr Pasha gave his entire life for the betterment and unity of the Muslim community. He was a beacon of light and the principled man who stood firm on the teachings of Islam.”

“I was privileged to have attended the very first meeting of the formation of UMO and was fortunate to work closely with Dr. Pasha in the UMO committees for many years. I learnt a lot from him and was able to utilise that experience and knowledge in my work for the community,” mentioned Sir Iqbal.

Sir Iqbal concluded by saying, “His mission in life was to ensure that Muslims in the UK were united so that they can have effective voice. The most appropriate way to show our appreciation to this wonderful personality is first of all to remember him in our daily prayers and to work for the unity of Muslims in the UK.”

Sir Iqbal also observed, “It is now very important that over the last 25 years, time has changed and it is about time that major organisations, such as Muslim Council of Britain ( MCB), British Muslim Forum (BMF) and Union of Muslim Organisations (UMO) should seriously consider how they can work together for the benefit of the Muslim community of UK.

Mr. Yousuf Bhailok
Mr. Yousuf Bhailok, former Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) said, “The late Marhum Haji Dr. Syed Aziz Pasha was a God-fearing man; above all, of such taqwa! Man of integrity and a man of service to the deen of Islam. Right to the last breath.”

“Dr. Pasha was a wonderful human being, an old-fashioned charm and sharp intellectual with vision for the future,” observed Mr. Bhailok and mentioned, “We held for the UMO 25th anniversary in 1990 an international three-day event at Earls Court. We lobbied at many political conferences and attended many international functions.”

Mr. Bhailok said, “Dr. Pasha always said blunt truth, without fear or favour, even to the highest dignitaries he reminded them of duty and accountability to Allah swt.”

Recollecting to his last visit to the hospital, Mr. Bhailok mentioned, “Dr. Pasha was a decent man, in the last visit to him in hospital, he said to me, first do your salaat, then sit with me. He trained many of us, we were young men then, who later took prominence in UK, but without doubt he was our senior Statesman. He had commitment, passion and energy to serve.”

“He inspired me and was my mentor. I had great respect for him as a good human being and an example in this modern society,” said Mr. Bhailok and added, “We had a selfless individual, whose lifetime and dedication to UK Muslims is second to none. He was the conscience and voice of UK Muslims.”

Mr. Bhailok concluded by praying, “May Allah Subhanahu wa Taala accept his services. I will surely miss him.”

Maulana Dr. Shahid Raza
I interviewed Maulana Shahid Raza about Dr. Pasha. Speaking on the life and services of Dr. Syed Aziz Pasha Marhum, Maulana Dr. Shahid Raza said, “Since I came in this country in 1978, from that time until the end Dr. Pasha always advocated unity among the Muslims and I considered it as one of the great contributions to the life of the Muslim community in this country. Perhaps he was the only Muslim leader who genuinely and in reality made all possible efforts in order to achieve unity of the Ummah in this country.”

“Dr. Pasha never supported or never favoured any of the groups. This country has so many groups, so many organisations, different Mazahebs and different Sects; but he was, in my opinion, loved by all, respected by all. In his programme, I have seen all the groups, all the schools of thoughts present, even the non-Muslims. But among Muslims, all the Muslim groups were represented in his programme. That was in my opinion one of the unique features of Dr. Pasha’s life that he was the symbol of unity; he was great advocate of the unity of Muslims in this country,” said Maulana Raza.

Speaking about another quality of Dr. Pasha, Maulana Raza mentioned, “The second thing I have very strongly and distinctly noticed in the life of Dr. Pasha is that he was a very bold person, a very courageous person. He used to speak in front of Prime Minister, Home Minister and other Ministers and whatever he felt truth, he never compromised. I can tell you that he never compromised. Look that I am sitting with the Prime Minister and if I say something he might be upset, he might be angry. He did not care about it. Whatever he believed to be correct, he used to speak boldly and clearly.”

Maulana Raza said, “Dr. Pasha was a messenger of truth. The Hadith (the Tradition of the Prophet peace be upon him) of the Prophet says: “If you say the truth in front of a ruler, this is one of the biggest Jihad. Dr. Pasha was a Mujahid. He continued this Jihad throughout his life in front of Prime Minister Tony Blair, in front of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, in front of Home Minister Jack Straw and whenever he used to meet the ministers in front of many other Muslims and in front of many other non-Muslims, he always used to say what he believed to be correct and true. So this is something I believe everybody will agree that Dr. Pasha was a true bold courageous leader in the Muslim community in this country.”

Speaking about Dr. Pasha’s contribution, Maulana Raza said, “Dr. Pasha’s contribution is something which we will never forget; about organising Summer camps for the training of Muslim young boys and girls and I personally know many Muslim boys and girls who attended his Summer camps of moral, spiritual and Islamic training and after attending those camps these young Muslim boys and girls became practising Muslims and they came back from his camps as genuinely interested in learning Islam. I know some of those who attended these Summer Camps, now are doctors working with big companies, in big organisations, but they still practise Islam. So Dr. Pasha, through his company, through his discourses, through his trainings put Islam and love of Islam in the hearts of thousands of young Muslim boys and girls. He also trained so many young people who later on became leaders of the Muslim community in this country.”

I enquired whether someone has suggested how to remember the services of Dr. Pasha. Maulana Raza said, “Unfortunately, there were no suggestions about how Dr. Pasha needs to be remembered regularly by us all; it could be an annual memorial lecture, it could be, for example, an annual conference dedicated to Dr. Pasha.”

I mentioned that throughout his whole life Dr. Pasha never missed the celebration of the Birthday of the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him; it was a sort of interfaith conference where people of all different religious communities were invited, people from the government and political parties participated and attended in the celebration. Maulana Raza said, “This is something Dr. Pasha was unique that he celebrated Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi all the years as an interfaith programme. I think it was the first Milad-un-Nabi in the history of Muslims in the United Kingdom to be celebrated in that way where representatives from political parties, from the government, from the police and from other faith communities, they used to join Muslims and we used to share with them the great miracles and message of our great Prophet peace be upon him. So it was a wonderful programme and he was the founder of this programme and he took it at the peak and I think it would be something wonderful if the UMO can carry this programme of Milad-un-Nabi exactly as Dr. Pasha designed it. It would be a great tribute to Dr. Pasha if UMO can continue with this programme.”