Death of Mrs Samina Ahmed of UK
I have to report with regret, grief and sadness, the death of Mrs Samina Ahmed of UK, which took place on 14 December 2017. Inna lillahi wa Inna ilaihi rajioon.
She was 55 years of age and had suffered from multiple sclerosis since her youth. She was my sister, and sister of Mr Shahid Aziz.
She was married to Mr Paul Selim Ahmed, an English convert to Islam and a regular and valuable contributor to the literary work of the Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement (including the revision of the volume of Muhammad in World Scriptures dealing with prophecies from the Bible; see this link.)
In her prime Samina used to write articles in Lahore Ahmadiyya magazines and give talks at the UK Lahore Ahmadiyya Centre. Here are two examples of her articles: (1) The Light (Lahore), 24 April 1981, and (2) The Islamic Guardian, July-December 1983.
The photo below is from the summer of 1970 and shows Samina, with her mother Mrs Akhtar Aziz on the left, and on the right Maulana Abdul Haq Vidyarthi (the father of Mrs Aziz):
The photo below is from September 2012, at Samina's 50th birthday:
— Zahid Aziz
From ikram:
Dear Aziz brothers. Please accept a heartfelt sorrow on the loss of your sister. For some reason, sisters are special. Thank you for sharing a sampler of her works which speak of her being brought up in a household that has the Vidarythi signature on its psyche. May Allah bless this household, Amen. She apparently wrote these article in her late teens/early 20’s. In her writings she quotes different authors, the Quran and Hadith, which reflects her extensive readership at that young age. The article “Viewpoint – What the West Thinks of Islam,” written in 1983, is significantly valid today, both for cause of misperceptions about Islam and its remedy. About a quarter of century later, and painfully, if I have to add to her conclusion it would be:
“It remains, of course to be point out that many Muslims today themselves have incorrect ideas about Islam, hence mislead Westerners. For example, many people confuse customs [and the twisted interpretations of Quran and Hadith and the conduct of a few] with religion, making it difficult to distinguish between the two.”
Ironically, it seems that the West is now too tired to even pay attention to clarifications from Muslim pulpit. Such exhaustion seems to provide the basis for the rise of ignorant fundamentalism to the highest offices in the West, for whom facts and counter arguments, addressing basic immoralities, both in personal life and public policy, are fake news to begin with.
Her other article, “Islamic Way of Islam” which discusses the nature of want and its natural consequence, the greed, in my opinion, is essentially an exegesis of Chapter “Al-Takathur – The Abundance of Wealth” in Quran:
102:1-8. Abundance diverts you, until you come to the graves. No indeed, you will soon know; again, no indeed, you will soon know! No indeed, if only you knew with a certain knowledge! You will certainly see hell; then you will see it with certainty of sight; then on that day you shall certainly be questioned about the blessings (that you wasted). [Muhammad Ali – Zahid Aziz]
The gist of both these articles is reflected in the persona of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), and many of those who follow him, for whom history bears witness that the Prophet was free of want and he stood for and helped the oppressed of every kind, and it is these basic attributes that contributed to his success, both in secular and spiritual domains, which Quran recognizes in its Chapter “Al-Dzuhâ – The Forenoon Brightness”:
93:1-8. I call to witness the growing brightness of the forenoon, And the night when it becomes still, (O Prophet!) your Lord has not forsaken you, nor is He displeased (with you). Surely, (your) future is better for you than your past. Your Lord will soon give you (what you desire), and you will be well pleased (with Him). Did He not find you an orphan and take (you) under (His) care? He found you lost in (His) love (and that of His people), and gave you guidance (so as to enable you help the people reach the goal), And He found you having a large family to support, He freed you from want (of every kind). Therefore as to the orphan, do not allow him to be an oppressed person. And as for the person who seeks (your assistance) do not chide him away. Then as to the blessings and favours of your Lord, keep on proclaiming (your gratitude by doing similar favours to your fellow beings). [Nooruddin]
Late sister Samina triggered these thoughts from Quran. With a heavy heart, hands raised in prayer for Allah’s mercy and blessings on her who left early at 55, I close with this:
22:5. “…then We bring you forth (formed) as infants, then (We bring you up) with the result that you reach your prime. And there are some of you who are called to death (early)…”
From Zahid Aziz:
Thank you Ikram.
In May 2014, mortality and longevity specialists determined that her probability of surviving two years was 4%. In November 2016 she nearly passed away but astonished the doctors by recovering. In the end she lived on for three and a half years when the probability of her surviving for two years was calculated to be just 4%.
From Pemulwuy:
إِنَّا لِلّهِ وَإِنَّـا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعون
May she rest in God's eternal peace. Amen.
From Abdul Momin:
May she rest in peace and may God grant strength and patience to all her surviving relatives in their hour of sorrow. Ameen.
From Nabeel:
Inna lila he wa ina elahi rajioon
My heartfelt condolences
May she rest in eternal paradise