Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi rajioon.
Dear Brothers,
Assalamu Alaikum
It is with great sorrow that I announce the death of Dr Ghulam Mustafa Khan. Dr Khan aged 86 years breathed his last at 10 am today (15/4/15) at Walsall, UK.
Dr Khan was well known as a pioneer of Islamic medical work of recent times. Originally from Indian Subcontinent, Dr Khan grew up in Kenya and after graduation came to UK. He worked as GP in UK and in 1967 founded Islamic Medical Association of UK. In the 1970s he emigrated to Nigeria and during his stay there played a key role in establishing IMA in Nigeria. In 1981 representing IMA Nigeria Dr GM Khan was one of the founders of Federation of Islamic Medical Associations (meeting held in USA), a body that now had 36 members across all the continents of the world.
(for minutes of that founding meeting, please see FIMA History)
Upon return to UK, Dr Khan focused on reorganising the IMA UK. His strategy was based on pure dedication to Islamic principles to which he remained steadfast till his end.
Although IMA UK did not grow as how Dr khan had hoped for, in the recent years Dr Khan was very pleased with the establishment of British Islamic Medical Association.
I formally met Dr Khan a few months ago at his house and he enquired about the progress BIMA was making. Despite his frail physical health, hearing difficulty and poor vision, it was very impressive how Dr Khan raised some very fine points about BIMA. He showed remarkable grasp over various Constitutional, organisational and strategic aspects of work that BIMA was involved in.
It was very moving when he expressed his blessing by saying that he lived for this cause of revival of Islamic medicine and his last wish was to see the younger generation of british Muslims follow the cause. And that now he was satisfied that it was happening, he felt at peace.
His health deteriorated and he couldn’t accept our request to come and chair BIMA’s first annual meeting but he did enquire afterwards how the meeting went.
In meeting him, one would always feel being in presence of a towering personality.
When speaking about strategy Dr Khan was very clear about how methods may change with time but the principles shouldn’t be compromised. And the only and real success is pleasure of Allah SWT. And he remained true to his beliefs and strove for the real success till his last breath.
May Allah grant him the highest rank in Jannah and give us the courage to show the same level of commitment and perseverance in His way that Dr Khan showed. Ameen
Hammad Lodhi
