 Print
Remembering Hafiz Mohammed Yusuf Patel (May Allah Have Mercy Upon His Soul)
2-23-2016
On Thursday 9th of Jumada al oola, Hijri 1437, February 19th, 2016 One of UK’s greatest personality and Muslim reformer Hafiz Mohammed Yusuf Patel (May Allah Have Mercy Upon His Soul) passed away.
In the world of Facebook and Twitter he was virtually unknown, Yet, his largest followers are probably between the ages of 16 – 25. News of his death spread through social media like a wild fire, even some of his own family members learned about his death through the social media. According to Examiner UK up to 30,000 mourners congregated in his funeral the very next day.
Clr Salim Mulla told Asian Image: “He was a great spiritual leader and wanted people to live together and hated friction between people.
“He did not believe in segregation between different faiths and preached tolerance. It is a great loss to the community.”
Ishtiaq Ahmed, of the Bradford Council for Mosques said in an interview to the BBC “He was a pioneer, a visionary when it comes to the Islamic identity, and the place of the Muslim community in Britain.
He was a very simple man who leaves behind a very powerful legacy of Serving the Deen of Allah.
He was not a preacher. His style was rather more informal. He used to approach people with the message of Islam as an advisor (Naseehah), without compelling them, and it was his approach to teaching the faith to the people, that was most popular, especially among the youth.
Anyone who was ever fortunate enough to meet Hafiz Patel would testify that this man came with a divine mission, he knew it, thus he dedicated his entire life for that. He did not value glamour, and it was his simplicity, that won the hearts of people. Despite being not able to speak English properly, he can be credited for the large number of conversion to Islam among British, and European population.
He knew how to talk the talk and walk the walk. That is, he lived an exemplary life according to the Sunnah of our beloved Prophet (Peace be upon him), and that is what he propagated among his students. His voice would tremor, when he talked about the hereafter, and he was constantly worried about the state of the Ummah.
One of Hafiz Patel’s most famous anecdotes are from his travels to Spain in early 1980’s, where local Muslim Businessmen and professionals had lined up their luxury vehicles, hoping to have the honour of driving him from the airport to the mosque. He passed them all, and flagged down a taxi completely catching the taxi driver by surprise. Explaining to the taxi driver, through a translator, why he chose his taxi over line up of Mercedes. By the time they reached the mosque, the taxi driver wanted to take the Shahdah – come into the fold of Islam.
He made Dawah (Propagation) of Islam his life’s mission, and traveled the globe, except seven countries, to spread the peaceful message of Islam, not simply in words but through his actions. It was his actions which attracted the attention of non-Muslims and Muslims, especially British and European Born Muslim youth, who were his biggest fans and followers.
His simplicity broke all the barriers to invite people to Deen. His living example proved that Dawah if done properly does not need any materials things. He was one of the early immigrants to arrive in the U.K., in 60s. Hafiz Patel Saheb rahmatullahi alayhi would walk daily from Dewsbury to Bradford (approximately 10 miles) for the sole intention of calling people towards Allah.
One by one he worked with the people to establish the Deen of Allah not only in Dewsbury but all over the world. When he got ill and could not travel due to his health his only regret was that he could not visit the remaining seven countries for Dawah.
Everytime one of our dearest elders pass away they leave a vacuum which will not be filled. There are many Imams, Huffaz, Ulema, Mufti and Shailkhs, Mashaiks but Hafiz Patel Saheb rahmatullahi alayhi was one of a rare kind. He would for hours cry at night on the state of the ummah and would take names of people all over the world in his Dua’s that he had met.
His guests would be served zamzam and Dates and for youngsters there would be a special treat. His love and compassion of the Muslim youth was overflowing from his heart.
There are a few whom Allah chooses for his noble Deen and undeniably he was one of Allah’s Special Man.
Who knew that a young man who moved to one of the most northerly cities of England, Saville, Dewsbury, by an invitation from a small Muslim community in late sixties as an Islamic teacher and guide, for their children and community, would go on to change the face of Islam in Europe forever. No one could have even imagined that his simplicity, his dedication, his resolve, his commitment, and his absolute sincerity to serving and spreading the Deen (Religion) of Allah – Islam – would transfer the environment of Makkah and Madinah to United Kingdom.
As life and even in death Hafiz Patel remained source of Dawah when large number of Muslims converged on this often quiet part of England to attend his Funeral prayer, the social media was abuzz among the local non Muslims, Sarah Stewart commented on Facebook, “I found myself driving through Saville Town in this. I found immensely moving. I won’t forget it and I feel inadvertently, privileged to have been there.”
There can be volumes written about this downright and sincerely dedicated servant of Allah and it still won’t do justice to him. He has met his creator and we pray to Allah that May Allah accept his service to propagate and establish the religion of Islam in the western hemisphere, and forgive his shortcomings, and grant him Janaut-ul-Firdous (Aameen)
Footnotes:
|