Mufti Shamsuddin Ahmed, former Director Public Relations Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, breathed his last on December 4, following a prolonged illness. He was 72.
He led a very active life in serving the cause of Islam. He held various responsibilities in different phases of his life. He was Secretary Ishaat-e-Islam Trust and Manager Markazi Maktaba Islami. He was also member Board of Islamic Publications under which Radiance Viewsweekly is published.
His Urdu works Shamma-e-Risalat and Shamma-e-Hidayat published by Maktaba Zikra record his urge to disseminate the message of Islam to the larger segments of Muslim masses and bring them back to the path of Guidance.
His last wish was to have a meeting with Jamaat people. He made a call to his son G.M. Khalid to take him to New Delhi so that he might meet the leaders and workers at Jamaat headquarters and those residing in its vicinity. This wish was fulfilled as he was brought to New Delhi only a fortnight before his death.
“Maintain relations with and respect all those with whom I had affinity,” were the words when he was being taken to ICU of Apollo Hospital, Mr. Khalid told Radiance.
Maulana Syed Jalaluddin Umri, Ameer Jamaat-e-Islami Hind led his funeral prayer at Masjid Ishaat-e-Islam near Jamaat headquarter on December 5, and he was laid to rest at Batla House graveyard amidst a large number of relatives and admirers. Prominent among those present on the occasion included Muhammad Jafar, Naib Ameer Jamaat; Nusrat Ali, Secretary General, Jamaat; Dr Abdul Haque Ansari, former Ameer Jamaat; Jawed Iqbal, former Manager Markazi Maktaba Islami; Ateequr Rab, Manager MMI Publishers; Parwaz Rehmani, Editor Sehroza Daawat; Ejaz Ahmed Aslam, Editor Radiance Viewsweekly and other leaders and associates of Jamaat.
Mufti Sahib’s two sons Zafar Iqbal Siddiqui and Tariq Najeeb, who work in Saudi Arabia as well as daughter Ms Quaneta Parween alias Shammi, had already reached New Delhi to participate in the funeral rites. Besides, Mufti Saheb’s brothers-in-law Muhammad Hussain Zulqarnain, Director International Council of Islamic Information, London (UK) and Dr Jawed Zulqarnain, social scientist and activist as well as son G.M. Khalid, maternal nephew Shasuzzaman and nephew Jamil Asghar too were present on the occasion.