Today marks the 24th anniversary of the passing of Marhum Mulla Asgher. That almost a quarter of a century after his passing he is still remembered so fondly by so many is a testament to his character and personality, and to all the lives he touched.
I recently came across an old CD of his Gujarati majalis and have been listening to them in my car – it’s striking how relevant and apt the messages in his talks are, even though they were delivered over thirty years ago. It’s a rare gift to be able to talk to a community at large in a way that everyone listening feels the relevance to their lives as if they are in an audience of one.
Perhaps the best measure of one’s character is how they act out of the limelight – when people can’t see them – at home, with their immediate family. In this regard one particular anecdote always comes to mind. I remember being a child, about 4 or 5, spending many weekends and evenings at Mulla’s house in Carlyon Avenue, which many community members will remember. When Salaat time came, if we children were playing in his study, he would take his Musalla out to the cold kitchen with its hard lino floor and pray there so as not to disturb us. Even at a young age, that always struck me – most people would have told their grandkids to go play someplace else so that they could pray, but he didn’t want to intrude on our games. It was a small gesture but so indicative of his general humility and his attitude towards everyone in the community, no matter how important or otherwise they were. The common thread with all the recollections people share about Mulla was how he treated everyone with respect and dignity, no matter how young or old.
Please remember him, and his dear wife Marhuma Sakinabai MM Jaffer with a Sura Fateha
Many of Mulla’s lectures have been collated and archived here: mulla-asghar.org/list-videos/
Shaahid Hasan Jaffer
