Moulana Khudbudeen Ahmed Baqawi is no more!

Moulana Khudbudeen Ahmed Baqawi, former Muawin Ameer-e-Halqa of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind Tamil Nadu is no more. Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi rajiwoon. He breathed his last in faraway Singapore today evening. He had gone there to be with his daughter there. It is said that he suffered a massive heart attack which proved to be fatal.

Moulana Khudbudeen Ahmed Baqawi is a legend here. He was involved with the translation of The Holy Quran. It was his magnum opus.Moulana undertook this noble task under the active encouragement of Moulana M A Jameel Ahmed Sahib when there was no translation available in Tamil. Now we have dozens of translations available in the market.

Moulana Khudbudeen Sahib's contribution in the Tamil literary field is enormous. He has translated many books in Tamil. He is from Aravakurichi and got attracted to the Islamic movement when he was serving as a Imam in Villivakkam, Chennai. Moulana S M Malik of Hyderabad who was residing in Chennai then introduced him the revolutionery message of the tahreek. Moulana M. A. Jameel Ahmed Sahib identified and nurtured his talent in translating books.

Besides Moulana has trained, groomed and evolved many activists to the Iyakkam. Br T. E. Naser. Br Sheikh Dawood, Br Ashraf Ali and scores of youngsters were groomed by him. One of his star product is our own Br S. N. Sikkander, the present chief of Welfare Party of India. It could be said that an entire generation of youngsters got inspired by him. There was a time when not a single tarbiyati ijtema would be held without his speech or dars. His room in the IFT complex served as the training centre for all of those who had got attached with the Iyakkam. Moulana is very soft spoken. He had his own way of giving lectures. He was very amiable. He was very humble and polite. He used to lead the salat in Jamaat Office. He had this unique voice. His Qirat was exceptionally good and mellowing.

It is very difficult to think that he is no more. Two or three weeks back he came to see me. We had tea. We discussed a lot. Moulana shared some of his personal thoughts and plans. He declared that he had resigned from the post of Principal of Jamia Kulliatus Salam with his charecteristic smile and shining eyes. He said in the same breath that he had not resigned from the Jamaat and would continue to strive for the Nasbul ayn of the Jamaat till the last breath.May Allah grant him Jannat ul Firdaus. Ameen.