Dr Sh. Aliasgar Mogri is a dentist living in Houston for the past 17 years. He received the sharaf of haddiyat at the young age of 24 during Ashara Mubaraka in Houston.

Tell us about yourself?

I am a practicing dentist living in Houston, Texas. My family originates from Surat but I was born in the US (Hayward, California) and have spent most of my life here. However, I lived in Saudi Arabia for 10 years, in a city called Yanbu. One great n‘emat of living there was being able to go to Mecca Mukarrama and Medina Munawwara frequently. We stopped counting the number of Umrahs after 100! The education system only went from pre-school to ninth grade for foreigners, so I went to a boarding school in Switzerland for my tenth grade year. We then moved back to Houston and I continued on with my education. I went to the University of Texas at Austin for my undergraduate studies and then had the opportunity to go to the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio where I received my Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) degree.

Why did you choose dentistry as a profession? What is the scope in this profession?

Like many young individuals, I was uncertain of what career path I wanted to follow. To help me decide, I shadowed individuals belonging to various occupations, one of whom was a local dentist. The dental experience, by far, was the most enjoyable and it gave me the inclination that dentistry may be the profession for me.

I feel that we, as mumineen are very lucky to have our beloved Aqa Maula^(TUS) who is always there to guide us and help us in all the decisions of our life. I sent a fax to Huzurala ^(TUS) which I received back in a few days with raza and dua mubarak to practice dentistry. At that point, I knew, without a doubt that this was the profession for me. To this date, I have kept this treasured document.

There are two aspects of dentistry that appealed to me. The first is the clinical, which involves mainly amongst others, treating patients through relieving their pain, improving lifestyles by allowing them to eat and chew better, and improving someone’s smile cosmetically. The second was the business aspect of it. I grew up wanting to be a businessman. Aqa Maula ^(TUS) has always given us hidayat that “business ma barakat che” and that a person should be business-minded. With that in mind, I opened my own dental clinic, Spring Cypress Dental, here in Houston, and with Maula’s ^(TUS) dua mubarak it is doing well. Alhamdolillah!

Dentistry is a fascinating profession. I encourage all who are interested to research this field. It is a growing profession in which you can set up your own business and find it financially and spiritually rewarding. In addition to general dentistry, there are other dental specialties. These specialties include, Dental Public Health, Endodontics (root canals), Oral Maxillofacial Surgery, Pediatric, Peridontics (gums and bones), Prosthodontics (replacing missing teeth and facial structures), and Orthodontics (braces).

As a health care professional, you have the ability to help and educate others who are in need. I was recently involved in helping set up the dental clinic at The Burhani Poly Clinic in Yemen which will benefit many local mumineen.

How has the scene in America (jamaats) changed post Houston Ashara Mubaraka?

The scene in American jamaats have changed drastically since Houston Ashara. The barakaat of Ashara can be seen by all with the new Masjids that were built and are still being built all over the US. I feel the imaan, ikhlaas and tasavvur has grown tremendously amongst the youth of America as well as the older generations since Ashara. An example of this is the huge increase in number of mumineen attending Ashara and other miqaats with Maula ^(TUS) from the United States. The mumineen of America are always doing dua to be blessed with the opportunity of again hosting Asharah Mubaraka in Houston! Maula jaldi pacha padharo! Amin!

How do you feel the youth can be better moulded?

In my experience, being exposed to and acquiring 'ilm of 'Ale Mohammed is essential in molding a person's mind. There are many paths to 'ilm. For example attending Ashara Mubarak and other miqat with Maulana ^(TUS) on a regular basis gives a person the n‘emat of 'ilm directly from Maula's ^(TUS) waaz, a truly unparalleled experience. I have been privileged to attend Ashara with Maula ^(TUS) for 17 consecutive years in a row.

Closer to home, an individual can and should make every effort to attend sabaq on a routine basis. The responsibility is the individual's to take advantage of this n‘emat from Maula ^(TUS), one which is available to all mumineen if they make the effort to seek it out. In Houston jamaat, we have been fortunate to have had sabaqs for many years now. These sabaqs have helped me answer many questions and understand our deen and shari‘at.

Another essential component is attending madrasah, from an early age. The children in our jamaat that I see are so strong in 'ilm that I have seen students as young as 7 years old correcting their parents on Hifz ul Qur'an!

Finally, listening to and taking advice from one's own parents is a lifelong duty. I am always thankful for the guidance of my own parents, Shk Yusuf Shk Qamruddin Mogri and Mulla Rashida Shk Yusuf Mogri. They have always supported me and guided me. Without them I simply would not be who I am today.

Any special memories during Houston Ashara?

There were countless special memories during Houston Ashara. My memories start with being able to observe and learn through the foresight and guidance of Shz. Malek ul Ashtar BS Shujauddin Saheb(DM) of how to do proper karamat of all mumineen attending Asharah Mubaraka. He made sure that not a single mumin would endure any hardships during their stay in Houston. Watching him work day and night to achieve this was inspiring to all. Through his actions he taught us how to do khidmat of Aqa Maula^(TUS) and earn Maula’s khushi.

We were also very fortunate to have Maula’s ^(TUS) ziyafat at our house, and with the karam and ehsaan of our beloved Maula ^(TUS) I was given the sharaf of Haddiyat at the young age of 24. I will be forever shukarguzar to our beloved Aqa Maula ^(TUS) for this azeem n‘emat and to Shz. Malek ul Ashtar BS(DM) for his kindness and generosity.

Living next to Shz. Malek ul Ashtar BS(DM) and having the opportunity to do khidmat of Maulana ^(TUS) during his stay in Houston still feels like a beautiful dream. I can honestly say those were my family’s happiest memories. We are forever indebted for those opportunities to do khidmat and we pray daily to get many more! Amin!

Our Awliyaullah have taught us to brush our teeth from side to side and not up and down, while some dentists recommend brushing up and down …

Shari’a has always guided my thinking and the way I practice. There is always hikmat behind the teachings in our bayans and kitabs. Science has yet to learn from our Shari’a. In fact, I believe brushing right to left has been proven to be beneficial contrary to the popular belief. This allows you to remove the bacteria from beneath the gumline so that it does not accumulate there and cause tooth decay and periodontal disease (gum and bone disease). Always use a soft tooth brush and make sure you brush long enough, but not too hard or this may wear away the surface enamel. Studies show that the average person usually brushes for less than 45 seconds when you should brush for at least 2 minutes.

Your teeth can last a lifetime if you practice basic dental care, which involves brushing and flossing regularly, eating a mouth-healthy diet, and visiting your dentist for regular checkups and cleanings.

May Allah grant our beloved Aqa Maula ^(TUS) a long and healthy life till Qayamat