Brother Mohammad Bashir
My father, Mohammad Bashir of Phoenix Majlis, passed away on May 28, 2018 after a short illness. Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi raji’un. He accepted Ahmadiyyat in 1971 in Milwaukee, WI. He introduced my mother, Nusrat Jahan Bashir, to Ahmadiyyat and she signed Bai'at about three months after him. They married on the same day she signed Bai'at. Milwaukee was their first Jama'at but they have also been members of York/Harrisburg and Philadelphia Jama'ats. They moved to Arizona about two years ago and most recently belonged to Phoenix Jama'at.
My dad was the proud and loving father of 7 born-Ahmadi children and grandfather of 12 grandchildren, Masha'allah. My father loved languages and was an outgoing personality who could make friends anywhere he went. He could always be seen at Jalsa Salana speaking Urdu with his Pakistani brothers, Chinese with his Chinese brothers, Arabic with his Arab brothers, and so on.
Brother Mohammad Bashir on duty at a US Jalsa Salana
Before retiring, he was self-employed and owned a screen printing business, and he often did t-shirt jobs for the Jama'at. Alhamdulillah, he performed Hajj several years ago. During the Hajj, there was an elderly wheelchair-bound non-Ahmadi lady in his tour group who had gone without any family. My parents took her under their wing and cared for her throughout the Hajj so she was also able to complete her pilgrimage.
On one occasion while visiting me, we passed a Sikh temple en route to the airport for his departure home. He requested that we stop and go in to meet our Sikh neighbors. We met a priest who made us tea and served us Mitha'ee (sweets). My father embraced him when we left. A year or two later, that Sikh temple was the site of a horrific attack that made national news and the priest we met was shot. My father immediately called me to inquire about his brother upon hearing the news. This is the type of boundless love for humanity my father displayed throughout his life.
Although Brother Mohammad Bashir was among Phoenix Jama'at for only 2 years but in this short period he touched and won the hearts of all the members including young Khuddam. He was loving, caring, friendly and had a charming personality with many other qualities. He voluntarily performed security duties at our mosque over an extended period and greeted everyone with a smile. He was a devoted Da'i Ilallah (caller to Allah) and an active participant of CCTI in Phoenix Majlis and Jama'at. He bought his house near Baitul Aman (Phoenix mosque). He, along with his wife, was offering Salat at the mosque on a regular basis.
Brother Mohammad Bashir will be dearly missed. Prayers are requested for his high status in paradise and that may Allah protect his family in every respect, Ameen.
