How long have you been in Africa and what is your profession?

I was born and brought up in Dar-es-salaam Tanzania. I am a businessman and an industrialist.

You are a business man yet you found time to serve in your government. What position did you hold and what were your tasks and responsibilities?

I was a Member of Parliament from 1995-2000. My main task was to represent nearly 700,000 people of my constituency which was in Dar-es-salaam in the National Parliament

How did this position help in your endeavor to do khidmat?

Syedi Yusuf Bhaisaheb Najmuddin whose ehsanaat on me are immense once said to me, whenever you have to get work done in the government you have to use someone's influence. Why don't you build your name in the government so that you yourself become an influence. This is what inspired me and my first job was to fight the fitnat of munafiqeen who had convinced the government to de-register our community from the country in 1983. We successfully fought with them and were able to invite Maula ^(TUS) back to Tanzania with pomp and ceremony. From then on, whenever Maula ^(TUS) visits Tanzania, he does so as a state guest.

Maula ^(TUS) has traveled many times to Africa and especially to Dar-es-salaam for the purpose of safari and hunting. You have always been involved in the preparations...

My main task has been to organize all government formalities and permissions so that the trip is smooth, especially as game reserve procedures have to be strictly followed.

Are there any special memories you would like to share with us?

There had come a time when we were fighting to stop de-registering the community in 1984, the government wanted to convene a meeting between the munafiqeen and jamaat to sit at one table to reconcile their differences. I had gone to the Deputy Minister of Home affairs who wanted to convene this meeting. I told him that we as a community would not sit with the munafiqeen, and I gave him an example of the President Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere, the head of front line states of east and central Africa, who refused to sit with the rebel leader Jonas Savimbi for talks about Angolas's Independence. I explained to him that likewise we considered the munafiqeen rebels and we would not sit with them. This marked the turning point in reversing the de-registration of our community. It was on 21st June 1984 that the government wrote to us that they were not going to de-register our community.

You have also received the honor of hosting Aqa Maula ^(TUS). Tell us about it…

Many many years after the deportation in 1968,Maula tus visited Dar-es-salaam in 1984.During this trip we received the sharaf of hosting Maula tus at our residence.For us this was the first time and we were ecstatic.During this visit Maula ^(TUS) stayed with us for 21 days.During the Ashara Mubaraka in 1411H we received this sharaf a second time.

How has the situation in Africa changed today from what it was?

Put it this way. There was a time the government had deported Maula ^(TUS), and today they invite Maula ^(TUS) to Tanzania as a state guest. Only recently Taha bs. Saifuddin met with the President, who extended his heartiest invitation and said Maula ^(TUS) could come to Tanzania at any time and the state would serve Maula ^(TUS) as best it could.