Professor Dr. Sayyid Ajmal Abdur Razak al-Aidrus suddenly passed away on Sunday 16th Sep. 2017 due to cardiac arrest in Malaysia. “We belong to Allah and to Him we shall return”. It was a shocking news for me.
Prof. Ajmal Abdur Razak al-Aidrus was a great professor at International Islamic University of Malaysia and ex-rector of ISTAC. He was also a great preacher of Islam and spirituality. During his stay in the US, he served as an imam for many years and spent entire two years of his life in the way of Allah to call people towards Islam. Hundreds of people embraced Islam due to his sincere efforts in the US.
The late prof. had a trip to Zahedan on the invitation of Darululoom Zahedan about 5 years ago. Proudly I was accompanying him as interpreter. I saw his good nature and impressed by his great attitude and erudition. On different occasions and in different places, I introduced him to the audience by interpreting his own words. Once a day he jokingly told that now you can write a book on me!
During the accompaniment, I learnt lots of useful and valuable points from his words and character. He benefited me with his priceless advice generously. He was a humble and simple living man. The life of Prof. Ajmal, as an academic personality who got higher education in the US and served as an imam and preacher over there, is a good example for the educated and new generation of us.
The late professor told me that he had no interest in travelling, but the love of Shaikh-ul-Islam Mawlana Abdol-Hamid forced him to visit Zahedan. After visiting different parts and offices of Darululoom Zahedan, the biggest Islamic educational institute of the Iranian Sunni community, he expressed his happiness. He told Shaikh Abdol-Hamid, president of Darululoom Zahedan, repeatedly that Darululoom Zahedan was very beautiful. When he was asked how had you found Zahedan? He replied: “I found Zahedan with Shaikh-ul-Islam Mawlana Abdol-Hamid and he is enough for Zahedan.”
He said that he was impressed by two men in the entire world among his contemporaries; one of them was Mawlana Abdol-Hamid. Once we were invited by Mufti Mohammad Qasem Qasemi for breakfast. Shaikh Abdol-Hamid was present, too. When Shaikh took a loaf of bread, he took the rest of the loaf by his permission. The prof. was saying students and teachers to be ‘soldiers’ of Shaikh Abdol-Hamid. The teachers of Darululoom Zahedan respected him a lot and did everything possible to carry out their duties as the host.
Dr. Sayyid Ajmal Abdul Razak in different meetings told his audience about Zahedan and his impressions. He used to say that if there was any community familiar with the era of the Companions of the Prophet PBUH, it is the one that he had seen in Zahedan.
Apart from leading prayers in mosques in the US and preaching Islam, especially in jails, he translated Mathnawi of Rumi into Malay language in a short period and authored some evergreen books about Islam in his blessed life.
I heard that there had been some political changes in Malaysia in recent years which affected the management of some universities, too. As a result, some well-wishers like Prof. Abdul Razak were marginalized. However, he remained in the community of the IIUM until his last breaths. May Allah forgive him completely and rest him in peace.
Abdol-Hakeem Shahbakhsh – Zahedan
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