What is your business? Tell us about your early years.

I am a Businessman/Industrialist and we are in the field of Paper Converting & Trading.I did my schooling in Cathedral-Bombay, Inter Science in St. Xavier’s-Bombay and then shifted to Qahera on 2nd July 1976 and did my B.Sc. in Chemistry from the American University in Cairo. My family and I will never forget the ehsanaat of Syedi Ameer-ul-Jamea Al Muqaddas Syedi Najmuddin Saheb. He was instrumental in shaping our lives. Through his guidance and foresight we are where we are today. He brought us very close to Aqa Maula ^(TUS) and to Shahzada Ali Qadr Mufaddal Bhaisaheb. He taught us to do khidmet of Aqa Maula ^(TUS) with jaan and maal, and to seek Maula’s khushi in all endeavors. He advised us to follow the directions and khushi of Shahzada Ali Qadr Mufaddal Bhaisaheb in doing khidmat and this has earned us the nazaraat and dua of our Maula ^(TUS).

Your family business has recently ventured into coffee products in Yemen. What has been your experience and do you have any advice for other entrepreneurs wishing to venture there?

Our family has always been in the paper field and coffee is a completely new item for us. Tawakkul on Maula’s raza and dua mubarak is the driving force in this venture and we are sure this will be a profitable venture. Yemen’s economy is growing rapidly and this is the right time for entrepreneurs to invest in this country where we have our roots. Patience and hard work is required and ultimately the raza and dua mubarak of Aqa Maula ^(TUS) will guarantee us success.

How long have you been living in Misr? What is the barakaat you have received during your stay in this country?

I have been living in Misr for 30 years and I have seen the realization of Aqa Maula’s ^(TUS) statement: “Jame-ul-Anwar na taamir na baad Dawat ma, mumineen na gharo ma, business ma, zindagi ma barakaat barakaat thai gai.” Before the renovation of Jame-ul-Anwar there were only 20 students residing in Misr. Now, the Qahera Jamaat consists of about 500 mumineen. During one of Aqa Maula’s ^(TUS) visit to Jame-al-Anwar, Maula ^(TUS) wished for the renovation of Jame-al-Anwar. After Maula ^(TUS) left Qahera, Shahzada Ali Qadr stayed back and took the task of sweeping and clearing the kirafti and cleaning the Bait-us-Salaat. We, the students were honored in participating with him in this khidmat and we all believe that this khidmat which we were given by Shahzada Ali Qadr, is helping us in all the tasks we take up in all fields of our lives. And, we feel that success and barakaat is flowing to us through the nazaraat of Aqa Maula ^(TUS).

How has the Jamaat changed from when you first came here and what it is today?

Qahera mumineen, through the guidance of Shahzada Ali Qadr, always await any miqaat of Aqa Maula ^(TUS) and take the opportunity to do khidmat and always try to gain khushi of mumineen and in turn khushi of Maula ^(TUS). When a miqaat is announced, we never have to urge mumineen to come for the miqaat. Even though they have financial restraints, they willingly come forgetting their business. And, also take Qardan Hasana for the miqaat and offer their khidmat, and on their return they always do shukr that with Aqa Maula’s ^(TUS) dua mubarak their business has improved and they repay their Qardan Hasana on time. This is the barakat of Jame-al-Anwar.

Maula ^(TUS) wishes to rebuild Imam Husain’s ^(SA) zarih mubarak. How can the mumineen of Misr and all over the world offer their khidmat in achieving this goal?

Imam Husain’s zikr and matam is the motto of our life and Aqa Maula ^(TUS) has repeatedly told us that we have come to this world because of our sins and istighfar is only possible by zikr, buka and matam of Imam Husain ^(SA). We, in Qahera always take Maula’s wish as a command and await farmaan and guidance from Shahzadas and do arz that we are ready for any and all khidmat on the project of rebuilding the Zarih of Imam Husain ^(SA).