“I will continue doing the same thing that I was doing in California: building the bridge with the communities, meeting with people and outreach with the community.”
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| Imam Shamshad (6th from left) poses with friends before departure. |
Source/Credit: Inland Valley Daily Bulletin
By Grace Wong | June 27, 2014
CHINO >> Ahmadiyya Muslims gathered at the Baitul Hameed Mosque on Friday afternoon for their weekly prayer and service. But the service was a bit different than others in the past decade.
Imam Shamshad Nasir, the teacher and missionary who had been leading the Ahmadiyya Community here since 2004, was reassigned to the northern Midwest region and left Wednesday.
“Many of us got up for prayer at 4:45 a.m. and expected him to walk through the door, but then realized that he had already left,” said Jonathan Mohammed Abdul Ghaffar, secretary of publications for the Los Angeles East Chapter of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. “This place felt deserted, and there’s a sense of loss. We were used to his presence, and he’s not here anymore.”
On Tuesday evening, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community held a farewell meeting where nearly 200 people thanked Nasir for his service, said Naila Ahmed, Los Angeles Inland Empire Ladies Auxiliary general secretary. Whether it was for his constant smile or his interfaith work, many people spoke and thanked Nasir for his time with the local mosque.
“He has the knowledge of the Quran and has his own way of interacting, using Urdu and English,” Ahmed said. “He was very close to the younger generation, very punctual and always showed love.”
As the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community gears up for Ramadan tonight, various members of the local community are stepping up to help with prayers and welcoming people.
“We’re a very strong community and we knew from the beginning that there is going to be a time when we have a new imam,” Ahmed said. “They rotate and get the knowledge on different topics and issues.”
Nasir, in a telephone interview on Friday from Chicago, said he is extremely thankful for the “love, mutual respect and understanding” he received from the Chino community and that he looks forward to continuing his work in the Midwest.
“I will continue doing the same thing that I was doing in California: building the bridge with the communities, meeting with people and outreach with the community,” Nasir said. “I will have good relationships here just like I have had good relationships with Chino and I will continue to strengthen it.”
Nasir said he is still available to anyone who wishes to speak to him and that he is looking forward to Ramadan.
“The month of Ramadan is a blessed month,” Nasir said. “It’s blessed in Chino and it’s blessed in Chicago and everywhere in the world it is blessed. Our members are mature and cooperative and we will have the same plan and program here in Chicago.”
Read original post here: Chino Ahmadiyya Mosque prepares for Ramadan after imam’s departure
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