Tell us about your background.

I was born in Croydon, South London in 1976 and have been in the area since. My parents were brought up in East Africa and both came to the UK in the early 1960s to further their education with the raza and dua mubarak of Syedna Taher Saifuddin ^(RA). My maternal grandfather, Sheikh Esmail, served dawat as an Aamilsaheb for 65 years and was educated at Jamea-tus-Saifiya having been born and bred in Rampura, India. On my father’s side, the family has had a printing press for several decades both in Mombasa and in London.

What are your qualifications and what field do you specialize in?

MBBS(Hon) MRCP (UK) FRCPath (UK)

I am a Haematologist and am qualified both as a Specialist Physician and Pathologist. In practice I see patients with Haematological Cancers and other problems related to the field of Haematology (blood clots, anaemia, bleeding disorders, blood transfusion etc).

You have risen fast in your field and for someone as young as you, it is a considerable achievement.

There is no doubt that were it not for Huzurala’s ^(TUS) raza and dua mubarak, I would not have achieved anything. I struggled through school spending far more time on the sports’ field than in the classroom. My grandfather, Sheikh Esmail, always wished for one of his children to become a doctor, yet despite this I was extremely reluctant. My mother was keen for me to do Medicine but my wish was to study Pharmacy as this appeared a much easier option! Several arzis were done to Huzurala ^(TUS) and it was explained that I did not wish to do Medicine. Yet on each occasion Huzurala ^(TUS) gave raza and dua mubarak for Medicine. From this day onwards, all obstacles in my path have been negotiated with Huzurala’s raza and dua mubarak and the barakaat has subsequently flowed. I was fortunate to gain entry to Imperial College School of Medicine in London and never looked back. I qualified with Honours in Clinical Pharmacology in 2000, became a Member of the Royal College of Physicians in 2003 and a Fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists earlier this year.

To become a specialist you need to be dedicated and motivated, and above all you must have faith in our beloved Aqa Maula ^(TUS). That is the vital ingredient that differentiates us from our peers and allows us to achieve far and away beyond what we thought might be possible.

I believe that being a doctor is khidmat in itself, and more than just a profession. Each patient is precious, and one should practice and serve with total dedication as is Maula’s khushi.

As a doctor and a specialist in your field, how important is it for young and old mumineen both to be aware of the escalating health risks of contracting wide spread illnesses for example cancer, heart attacks and diabetes? There seems to be no age bar for these illnesses anymore.

Recent analysis has shown that 90% of heart attacks occur in patients with one of the following risk factors: high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and smoking.

Heart attacks and strokes are caused by long term damage to the blood vessel walls eventually leading to the obstruction of blood flow to the heart or brain. Control and elimination of the risk factors above will significantly reduce the risks of these diseases. Hence it is paramount that all mumineen, young and old, be aware of what constitutes a healthy lifestyle. Eat a balanced diet, exercise regularly, control your weight, and try to minimize stress (don’t worry, be happy!).

In recent times there has also been significant interest in the association between long distance air travel and blood clots. Studies at Heathrow airport in London and Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris have both shown a clear link between long distance air flights and sudden deaths due to blood clots in the lungs. The longer the duration of the flight, the greater the risk, particularly flights of greater than six hours duration. In order to minimize the risk of blood clots after long haul flights the following is advised:

• Always drink plenty of water during the flight.
• Avoid sedatives.
• Regularly flex your ankles (contracts your calves and aids blood flow to the heart).
• Do not fly within four weeks of any surgical procedure that required a general anaesthetic lasting more than 30 minutes.
• Those who have previously suffered a blood clot or who have other risk factors (cancer, immobile, pregnant) should wear thrombo-embolic deterrent stockings for the duration of the flight.

The trend is slowly changing in the UK (and in the West in general) amongst the younger generation to move out of traditional jobs/services and branch into the professional stream. How do you think this will impact the future of young mumineen?

Due to the sacrifices of our forefathers we are fortunate to be brought up in a more prosperous time with access to good education and equal opportunities. This has led to a change in the dynamics of the jamaat in The West with more professionals, businessmen and less mumineen in dependant, service providing jobs.

This has many benefits. Not only does it change the profile of our community in the eyes of the general public, but it leads to better prospects for mumineen and their families with greater autonomy, financial freedom and opportunity to perform Huzurala’s ^(TUS) khidmat. None of this would be possible without Aqa Maula’s ^(TUS) extraordinary vision to which we are all indebted.