Senior Community Member Mohammad Shamsuddin Passes away 

The Muslim community of California is mourning the sad demise of a highly respected and senior community member,  Brother  Mohammad Shamsuddin, who passed away earlier at the age of 97.  Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'oon

 

May Allah rest his soul in eternal peace in Jannat al-Firdaus and give his entire family fortitude and courage to bear this monumental loss. My heartfelt condolences and sincere prayers are with the entire family, especially his loving wife of  73 years, Sister  Zaibunnisa Begum,  sons  Qamaruddin,  Badruddin, Najmuddin and  Shahabuddin  and daughters  Shehnaz,  Shehtaj, Parveen, Nasreen and  Mahjabeen in addition to  31 grandchildren and  24 great grandchildren. 

A  Gold Medalist  and winner of a  prestigious scholarship from the  Nizam of Hyderabad,  Br. Mohammad Shamsuddin came to New York in  March 1947 to obtain a  Master's in Hydraulics Engineering.  After graduation,  he was instrumental in the construction of   Davis Dam. He also worked on several international projects contributing his invaluable expertise and experience to make a positive contribution in Pakistan and some other countries in the world.  

 I always enjoyed meeting him in person. He was always very kind, down to earth, and a very peaceful person who never bragged about his illustrious career, contributions and accomplishments, and was always full of sincere prayers for me. I will for sure miss his prayers.  I remember once asking him why he chose to come to the United States in 1947 when during those days the majority of students used to go to England for higher education. He told me that after doing his homework, he found out that the majority of the best universities in the world were right here in America, the quality of life was also much better than that in England. He never regretted coming here. He was right then and he is right as of now. According to a latest report, 9 of the 10 best universities in the world are in the United States.

  Funeral prayers  for  Br. Mohammad Shamsuddin were held on Tuesday, August 11 at The Islamic Center of San Gabriel Valley, Rowland Heights, CA. He was laid to rest in the La Verne Muslim Cemetery. - Rafique Ahmed