First Name:
Marhum Asgherali
Location:
London, UK
Hijiri Date of Death:
03 Rabi al Thaani 1436
Hijiri Date of Burial:
05 Rabi al Thaani 1436
Last Name:
Hassanali Kassamali
Date of death:
24/01/2015
Date of Burial:
26/01/2015
Announcement Body:
We regret to inform you of the sad demise of Marhum Asgherali Hassanali Kassamali who passed away in London, UK, on Saturday 24 January 2015, 03 Rabi al Thaani 1436 The Marhum will be buried there on Monday, 26 January 2015, 05 Rabi Al Thaani 1436. Mumineen are requested to remember the Marhum in their prayers
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Obituary by Yasin Rahim
Submitted by josephd on
Shadows people cast in our lives
People in my life have cast different shadows, their length depending on the time that God sent them to me. We all know shadows near sunrise and sunset can be extremely long.
Sometimes we don't see the shadow. When in the summer months, the sun passes directly overhead, shadows are cast directly underneath the person. The shadow is for none to see. Yet…
When I think of Marhum Asghar bhai Kassamali, I think of his impact as that shadow at noon. Sent by the One, seen by none and recognized for his impact only by the One.
I pen this obituary because his death has meant a loss of a special friend. A man who had made it his purpose to shield, support and sustain his wife, Nargis bai, daughters and son, Rizwana, Jenny and Mohammed. In a time when the entrepreneurial zeal and the enterprising spirit was the sole domain of men in our community, Marhum not only recognized this quality in his wife but also, nursed and nurtured it to flourish. It is that support that meant driving across the country, to mosques, wedding halls and to people’s houses bringing joy to others. Being shadows in their lives.
He and Marhuma completed each other. They doted each other. I wonder to what extent their death so close, six months and two days apart, testifies that neither could bear the veil of separation, each pining to unite with the other and each praying to Him to make that moment happen as swiftly as possible. The prayers got answered and the shadow is now immersed as one. O how I would love to be at that gathering and see for myself what delicacies Marhuma would have prepared for him at the table of love.
In this life there are always occasions that remain special: For him were the birthdays. These were special moments that he cherished with his family and loved ones. Special memories for him and his family. The joy and the happiness of being a shadow to his loved ones.
I had the privilege of knowing a different Asghar bhai. A person who would always ensure that not only did he provide food for the community members but also catered for the Majlis reciter. Whilst Marhuma Nargis bai’s food satisfied our hunger, Asgher bhai’s warmth and hospitality ensured its spiritual impact. And for those trips that he made to Al Mahdi, each one was memorable, not for him but also for the reciter. I remember once, when a reciter brought by Asgher bhai was coming to our centre to recite a 40th majlis, as the time was short, Asgher bhai had decided to exceed his normal speed. As his normal speed was already breaking the motorway regulation, you can imagine this newly adopted speed!
Needless to say, the reciter got to Wessex on time and the majlis was a treat for all to hear. The audience were wrapped in each of his words and enthralled by his zeal. The passion with which he spoke about the preparation of one’s death made us feel that our actions had to be taken in that moment. The reciter spoke from the heart and many went to thank him for that. Many people came to thank me as well for inviting him. They had heard him before on the same topic yet, the unbridled passion with which he spoke at Wessex remained unsurpassed. When I shared these observations with the reciter, he confessed that the experience and the effect of Asgher bhai’s driving, had a greater bearing on his touching of people’s heart and their souls than the content of what he had to say!
For both Marhum Asgher and Marhuma Nargis bai, Wessex Jamaat was their second home. A place where he was loved, a place where he was to many, a friend. To my children, he was Uncle Asgher who always treated them with sweets, hence, them lining up outside his car anxiously waiting for him to come out and present them with their treat. And when they saw him at Stanmore, their expectation of this would not change.
I thank the Almighty for sending this special gift to me. Whilst misty eyes will search for him in that crowd, and will find him no more, perhaps of the many gifts he left with me to cherish, there is one that remains special: the gift of recognizing, of valuing and most important of all, of appreciating, shadows at noon.