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A Silent Pioneer in US Jamaat - Soofi Aziz Ahmad

Tahir Ahmed Soofi, Qa'id Tarbiyat Nau Muba'i'in (New Converts), Zion Majlis

I wanted to highlight a silent pioneer in USA Jama'at. My uncle (my father's older brother), Soofi Aziz Ahmad was born January 22, 1922 in Meerut, India. He was one of those early Ahmadis who heard the call of the Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih II (RA) to go to foreign lands to preach Islam/Ahmadiyya. Uncle Aziz was a pioneer and decided to go to USA with the approval of Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih II (RA).

He got his Visa to USA on April 15, 1947 and left for USA from the port of Bombay (Mumbai), India. He travelled via passenger ship and arrived on May 14, 1947 passing under the famous Golden Gate bridge in San Francisco, CA.

From there, he went on to Cleveland where he worked at a perfume shop managed by an Ahmadi. Then Uncle Aziz went to Akron, OH and was a door to door salesmen. Those were difficult times for Uncle Aziz. He spent some time in Pittsburgh as well. He had requested Markaz to send some help and 2 more dedicated Ahmadis came to USA. All had to earn their own living.

Uncle Aziz sought approval from Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih II (RA) if he could go to Canada and received the approval to go. He arrived in Windsor, Canada on June 15, 1953, thus becoming the second Ahmadi to land on Canadian soil but was the first to introduce Ahmadiyyat to the Canadians.



Uncle Aziz joined the Canadian Armed Forces and settled in Ottawa, Canada but he was able to visit different parts of Canada and lived in Germany and Denmark for a short period. He lived to the ripe age of 86 years and passed away on June 30, 2008. He is survived by Auntie (Nasim Farhat), his beloved wife of 62 years. Also, he is survived by his loving sons Mansoor , Dr. Qadeer, and his brother Nasir (Soofi). His grandchildren Azeem, Jo-Anne and Maryna.

Uncle Aziz was very particular about offering 5 daily prayers and preaching. Also, he opened his house for Salat including Friday prayers. Uncle Aziz was a great storyteller and told many jokes. He was fond of donuts and would take me to a nearby donut shop whenever I visited him. May Allah be pleased with him and grant him the highest station in heaven. May we continue his legacy (Ameen).

Living in the Ansar Housing Community - Rental unit(s) available Would you like to live in a community where you can walk to Community Center for 5 daily prayers in congregation? Information for renting house in Ansarullah Housing Complex Joppa, Maryland is available at the following link: https://ansarusa.org/rentallisting

My Father's Discipline in Life

Nadeem Ahmad Janjua, Los Angeles, CA Majlis

Our elders were blessed with many strong values. As I remember my late father, my mind always goes to his focus on discipline in life. His name was Nazir Ahmad Sahib Janjua of Sialkot, Pakistan.

Whether he was addressing secular matters or religious obligations, he always used to lead by example and give us a practical lesson and advice on how to maintain discipline through all of life's challenges. Today, I feel as if I did not really get his spirit of discipline during his lifetime, but now I do understand how beneficial this discipline was.

Through his discipline, he proved that one can achieve any target in one's life if there is dedication to prayers. He used to advise my siblings and I not to comprise on five daily prayers, especially Jummah prayer at any cost. He experienced a tough life when he migrated from India to Pakistan during the time of partition. He was just ten years old at the time. As life progressed, he maintained his determination and continued to work hard and provide a good of life for everyone in his family.

I often think that when we are young and inexperienced, we may hear our elders advising us to work hard and maintain discipline in our lives, and at times that may even irritate us. But with time, you begin to understand the fruits of their guidance later. May Allah enable us to follow the practical examples of our elders and strive to improve ourselves throughout our lives (Ameen).

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Department of Publications Majlis Ansarullah USA

   ♦  Sadr Majlis
   ♦  Editor