Dr. Rashied Ahmad Butt of Philadelphia
According to a Hadith of the Holy Prophet (may peace and blessings of Allah be on him) “the best among you are those who learn and teach the Holy Qur’an”. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I (may Allah be pleased with him) once wrote that, “If on the Day of Judgement, Allah asked him which blessing of paradise he preferred for himself, his choice would be to read and teach the Holy Qur’an forever.” Love for the Holy Qur’an has been bestowed upon many individuals of our community by Almighty Allah.
One such personality was Dr. Rashied Ahmad Butt of Philadelphia Majlis, who passed away after a protracted illness on April 16, 2016, Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi raji'un.
Dr. Rashied Ahmad Butt was a member of Philadelphia Jama’at for over 44 years and served the Jama’at in various capacities, especially as Secretary Ta'limul Qur’an. His father, Hazrat Khwajah Muhammad Din Butt (may Allah be pleased with him) was a companion of the Promised Messiah (may peace be on him). Dr. Rashied Ahmad Butt’s mother used to cook for the family of Hazrat Musleh Maud (may Allah be pleased with him). Whenever he was in the house of Hazrat Musleh Maud and Huzoor passed by, Huzoor would gently put his hand on Rashied’s head and give him one or two Aanna (one or two cents) each time.
Much later, Rashied Butt studied pharmacy at University of the Punjab, Lahore with distinction and came to Philadelphia for his doctoral studies. After earning his Ph.D., he started his own business and was very successful at it.
He was a regular presence in the Philadelphia mosque (on 10th street) come rain or shine, every Sunday for more than a decade, to teach the Holy Qur’an as long as his health allowed him. His students included children and adults of all ages. He would start with basic recitation and loved to discuss the meanings of the Holy Qur’an with the more learned among us. Sometimes, due to inclement weather, if no student showed up, Rashied Butt would be there at the mosque to recite the Holy Qur’an in solitude. One of his star students was brother Ahmad Nuruddin, Na’ib Sadr of Philadelphia Jama’at, and he would mention his name with happiness. Occasionally, some pastor of a neighborhood church would stop by and discuss the import of specific Qur’anic verses with him.
His devotion to the Holy Qur’an was exemplary for all of us. At the end of his days, when he could barely speak due to his health condition, he would call my father up, Dr. Muhammad Sharif Khan, regularly at an appointed time, and my father would recite the verses of the Holy Qur’an to him. The Holy Qur’an remained a source of knowledge and comfort to him throughout his life.
He is survived by his wife, Dr. Shanaz Butt Sahiba, who served as National Sadr Lajna Ima’illah USA for several years, a son and a daughter. His son, Niaz Butt is serving in the Philadelphia Mosque construction project as well as Na’ib Afsar Jalsa Gah, USA. May Allah almighty bless us all with the love of the Holy Qur’an. May almighty Allah bless the soul of our departed brother and grant him a lofty status in paradise! Ameen.
