It is with a heavy heart that we share with our greater AIMA Community the recent passing of Mr. Ashfaq Baig Mahmood. Mr. Mahmood was not only our Trustee and most steadfast of supporters, but he was also responsible for aiding in the formation and inception of AIMA.
A seasoned executive, gifted in the area of strategic development, Mahmood’s business acumen was well known and in demand, as he was called to spearhead projects the world over. In retirement, Mahmood continued to share his knowledge and skill as a volunteer mentor with S.C.O.R.E. (Service Corps of Retired Executives, est.1964). He immediately recognized the potential implicit in IME (Islamic Montessori Education) for elevating the landscape of Education in the U.S. and around the globe. He regarded AIMA as one of the purest examples of a saddaquah jariyah, which clearly explained his enthusiasm for this work.
We are ever grateful for, not only the expertise Mr. Mahmood brought to AIMA, but for the model he was for us, as a human being. Reserved and dignified, Mahmood was the consummate gentleman and the absolute model of humility. He was demanding, yet generous; he was firm, yet kind. And he was always prompt. Realist though he was, Mahmood also possessed the kind of quiet strength that evidenced a character firmly anchored in Deen and steeped in Iman. Indeed, he was an ardent and devoted servant of Allah, SWT.
We kindly request your Duas on behalf of Brother Ashfaq Baig Mahmood. May Allah grant him mercy and forgive him his sins that he may reside evermore among the highest levels of Jannah. May Allah, SWT grant Sabr to those who grieve, and may we take refuge in the living example he was, for those of us fortunate enough to have known him.
Innaa lillahi wa innaa ileihi raaji’oon إِنَّا لِلّهِ وَإِنَّـا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعونَ
To Allah we belong and to Him shall we return