Our Deepest Condolences To The Family Of Sheikh Dr. Irfan Ahmed Khan

إِنَّا لِلّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعونَ

Surely, we belong to God and to Him shall we return.

Asalam alaikum,

Dr. Irfan Ahmed Khan, father to IMRC's staff member Sr. Humera, returned his Creator on Tuesday, April 3, 2018.

He was the best person I had the honor to meet and know. He was a professor of Philosophy at the best university of India, Aligarh Muslim University and a PhD from the University of Illinois. He introduced us to the interfaith movement and to the Parliament of the World's Religions. He was a scholar and worker truly caring and sharing his knowledge and money. He always kept himself busy with his literary work and research with Quran, sharing the message of Islam, especially with the interfaith community. He was ever ready to help people any way he could. His concern about the Muslim Ummah and especially Muslims in India will be hard to match.

During his recent trip to California last month, I could see he was not well, yet, eager to visit me pesonally to discuss the current situation in India. We spoke in length discussing the challenges our brothers and sisters were facing and what could be done.

Dr. Irfan Ahmed Khan Scholarship Fund

In memory of Dr. Irfan Ahmed Khan and to continue his work, IMRC has created the Dr. Irfan Ahmed Khan Scholarship Fund. Inshallah, this fund will be a sadaqa jariya for him. Through this fund we can support two college students with a scholarship (value of $2000 per year). In addition, any one can donate to this fund. As this fund will grow we can give support for more students, inshAllah.

The works of Dr. Irfan Ahmed Khan. He emphasized:

Understanding the Quran directly is critical for each Muslim individually. He even held his last Quran class just the a night before his heart attack.
All humanity is one brotherhood. He invented the term Co-Ubudiyah for it.
Sincere service to all in need is a prime duty of each Muslim. He will go at length helping people in needs.
Standing up for justice and aligning with the oppressed is critical for Muslims. That is one reason why he chose to live mostly among African-Americans.
Working with neighbors of other faiths is critical to transforming the society towards Godliness. This was the reason he was so active with interfaith programs.
Men and women must work as equals. As per sunnah, all guests at his home, men and women would come together for meals as well as to study the Quran.

It is written when our time will come. This was his time. We don't know when our time will come; but we all know that we will all return. What counts is what do with our time.

He is survived by his wife, two sons, five daughters and many of his grandchildren who were by his bedside as he took his last breath.

May Allah grant him Jannat-al Firdous, protection from the hellfire and punishment of the grave. My sincere condolences to the family, may Allah grant them sabr and strength during this time.

salam alaikum,

Manzoor Ghori

IMRC Executive Director