Tajddin, Mumtaz Ali Sadik Ali: 101 Ismaili Heroes, Vol.1, Islamic Book Publisher, Karachi, January 2003, p 408 |
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(b. 1929...) |
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Missionary
Sultanali Nazarali Walji traces his lineage from a certain dedicated person,
called Uka, an origin of Badin, Sind. He migrated with his family in Kathiawar
and adopted profession of cultivation. Uka had five sons, Savji, Vali, Abram,
Jiva and Alibhai. It is related that once Imam Aga Ali Shah had gone to
Kathiawar on a hunting excursion. The Imam stayed in the farm of Abram Uka in
the village of Tithwa when he was tired, thirsty and hungry. The traditional
curry as well as vegetable curry and rice with lassi and onions were served to
the Imam and his entourage. Clean beds under the shade of trees with cool air
blowing made the Imam and his retinue very restful and fresh. Upon departure,
Uka and his son Abram made an offering. The Imam was much touched with their
devoted hospitality and asked them to make a wish and blessed them. Walji, the son of Abram Uka was an ordinary farmer, a man who worked, toiled and laboured on the small farm, a few acres with a few bullocks and cows. He was helped by his only son, Nazarali, who walked, sometimes rode on horseback with his father to school, a Gamthi School. Nazarali then joined Middle School in Vancaner. Walji had also four daughters, Amarbai, Sakinabai, Manibai, Jenabai. Walji sent his son Nazarali in Moshi in Tanganyika, while himself went to Moshi in 1926 for a year. Nazarali had three daughters, Rabana, Mariam, Amina and six sons, Pyarali, Ramzan, Rajabali, Sultanali, Mohammad Ali and Sabzali. Nazarali Walji travelled to Tanga by a sailing ship from Jamanagar and settled for a short time in Korogwe as a 24-hour worker with Seth Abdullah Nathoo. He was honest and active worker. Being a religious man, he would spend a lot of money in various religious causes from his monthly stipend of Rs. 30/- He left the job and went to Moshi and joined the school as a teacher, earning Rs. 60/- per month in 1918, where he became known as Master Nazarali. His hobby was reading and was steeped in mathematical calculations. He died in March, 1951. His wife Khatija Megji was an origin of district Than, near Chotila in Rajkot. She knew some 500 ginans by heart. She expired in March, 1953. Sultanali, the son of Nazarali Walji was born on June 13, 1929 in Moshi, Tanzania. He was handsome and tiny in infancy. He was very sentimental, shy and timid, but raised to be a religious boy. He however did not like to go school and escaped several times from class. It sounds that the teaching of Master Ramzan influenced him a lot, who was a strict disciplinarian, highly devoted, moral and ethical person. Of the several teachers who visited Moshi from time to time, the visit of Pir Sabzali (1884-1938) left an indelible impact in the life of Sultanali Nazarali. He used to listen to him attentively and remained with him all the time. He still proudly claims that there was one person who had a total influence on his career in the community services who was beyond doubt Pir Sabzali. His parents however taught him most of the values and ethics at home. Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah visited Moshi in 1937 when he was 8 years old. In 1945, he intended to study at a high school in Dar-es-Salaam in the Aga Khan Boarding House. He managed to obtain admission despite his economical hardship and stayed there for about 1000 days. In August 3, 1945, he presented a mehmani in Dar-es-Salaam with his mates, Sadruddin, Akbar and Mohammad. Each implored blessings for pursuing a career in the fields of medicine, engineering and architecture after completion of high school diploma. Sultanali however mentioned in his memorandum that he would like to become an honorary missionary. The Imam nerved him with immense support, blessings and guidance; and approved for him to become an honorary missionary. This was certainly an early brick of the foundation of his life-long itinerary of service and a search for the Truth. In the meantime, the Mission Conference held at Dar-es-Salaam on July 20, 1945 in the auditorium of the Aga Khan High School, presided over by Count Nimji Zaver. The Imam addressed in its last session. Sultanali attended it as a scout, serving water and tea to the delegates. It was at this conference that he came into the contact of Maji Bachbai Tejpar, who inspired him a great deal when she learnt that he had candidated for becoming a missionary. During the Diamond Jubilee in August, 1946, he served as a volunteer in the camp for a month and also participated to decorate the Upanga section of the city of Dar-es-Salaam. There were occasions when the Imam spoke to individual families. His family members received best blessings in their turn of mehmani. His father presented him to the Imam, saying that he wanted to give his child in service to the Imam and would train him as an al-waez, who would work for the Imam. The Imam blessed them too much for the enthusiasm being shown in the field of mission work. It will be interesting to learn that the Imam regretted for not visiting Moshi during the visit of 1946 due to a tight schedule. The Imam promised Nazarali that he would send his son, Prince Aly Khan in the near future in Moshi, who would lay foundation of their residential building. In 1950, Prince Aly Khan visited East Africa and when he visited Moshi on a hunting expedition, Nazarali approached the Council and reminded the words of the Imam given to him in 1946 in Dar-es-Salaam. After some discussion, the Council finally agreed to leave the matter for the Prince to decide. Prince Aly Khan readily accepted the proposal, and came to their plot and laid the foundation stone of their building in Moshi downtown. In 1947, he completed his high school and joined the Religious Centre, whose Incharge was Missionary Abu Aly Aziz. When the Imam made a gracious visit of Nairobi in 1948, he sought an opportunity to recite a ginan in the presence of the Imam in the Jamatkhana. He also earned a chance to read a few verses he had just composed. The Imam and Mata Salamat were much touched and said, “Who composed the poem in English?” He said, “With your blessings, I have composed it.” The Imam said, “Bravo! You are a poet of my house.” In Nairobi, he wrote to the Imam about his ambition of becoming an honorary missionary. He received a prompt reply from the Imam, who directed him to go back to Dar-es-Salaam and rejoin the Centre. He went Dar-es-Salaam in August, 1948. He arrived in Lindi in 1948 with 30 shillings in his pocket. He approached the office of OFC, the groundnut scheme, which was hiring people. He got a job as a clearing and forwarding departmental clerk. He also became the Secretary of the Muslim Association and created a scout group in Lindi, where he stayed for a year and saved enough money to make a trip of England. In August, 1949, his engagement took place with Gulie Bhatia, and then proceeded alone in London. Before boarding a ship for Dar-es-Salaam, he went to Moshi to bid farewell to his parents. His mother cried, “Sultan, I allow you to go, but when you come back, I may be not alive. So this is our last meeting, but my blessings and prayers will always be with you.”
He sailed for London
and reached Marseilles via Genoa, and finally arrived to Villa Yakimour in
Cannes. The house-keeper phoned Mata Salamat for permission to show him the
Villa. He saw it and left some non-perishable food items and dry fruits for the
Imam and Mata Salamat with his London address, and a humble request for an
appointment. He received a letter from the office of the Imam through his
Secretary, Miss Blaine, confirming his appointment with the Imam at the Ritz
Hotel on September 13, 1949. The Imam graciously gave him an audience at the
Ritz Hotel. The Imam recognized him, accepted his offerings and gave blessings.
He submitted his plan of qualifying himself as a lawyer or something as well as
qualifying himself as an honorary al-waez. The Imam asked why did he come to
England for becoming al-waez? He explained that he had no chance but to pursue
his studies in England after he met and consulted with his Imam. The Imam said
that becoming a lawyer was good, but why not become an honorary lawyer and an
al-waez of the house of Hazrat Ali. He replied that he could go to al-Azhar
University in Cairo. But the Imam said that he should go to Pakistan and he
would give him a letter addressed to Wazir Dr. Pir Muhammad Hoodbhoy
(1905-1956), the President of the Ismailia Association for Pakistan.
Accordingly, he wrote to Dr. Hoodbhoy
in Karachi, reporting his arrival with Imam’s letter. Varas Sherali Alidina
received him at the seaport in Karachi. He stayed in the Kashmir Hotel in
Saddar and went to Kharadhar on the same evening and met Dr. Hoodbhoy, whom he
delivered the Imam’s letter. Dr. Hoodbhoy read it five to six times and said,
“Sultanali, welcome to Pakistan, welcome to Karachi, welcome to the Ismailia
Association, welcome to our family. We are honoured by the Imam to have you as
our guest. We will look after you as a guest from the Imam.”
In sum, he came to live in a room at
Hoodbhoy Villa in Garden area like a family member of Dr. Hoodbhoy. He had been
given an office in the premises of the Ismailia Association. He began his study
with great deal of interest and came into the contact of Prof. Jawad Muscati,
Prof. A.M. Molvi and Hafiz Abdul Ghafoor. Missionary Alibhai Nanji and
Jafferali K. Lalani helped him too much in his study in the farmans and ginans. He finally obtained a senior certification of an al-waez.
The Imam visited
Pakistan for the first time after independence on February 4, 1950. The Imam
wished to train 500 waezeens. Soon after Imam’s departure, a programme of
recruiting young boys and girls started. Dr. Hoodbhoy signed him up as a
Waezeen Instructor. Thus, Sultanali exhorted to the students the important
Islamic aspects and Ismaili history.
During his visit to Pakistan, the Imam
also told the Ismailia Association to open a branch in Dacca. Dr. Pir Muhammad
Hoodbhoy told him to go to Dacca. He arrived in Dacca and started his working
by opening a branch of the Ismailia Association. With the help of his
colleagues, he started the first religious centre in Dacca with a library. He
also started the first Co-operative Society and launched a successful campaign of the Platinum
Jubilee Fund collection. He used to send the report of his activities to the
Ismailia Association in Karachi from time to time. He also travelled in Sylhet,
Memonsingh, Barisal, Bogra, Chittagong, Khulna, etc., where he also availed an
opportunity of doing some very pioneering works..
In 1951, he had gone to Rangoon, Burma
as a representative of the Ismailia Association for Pakistan from Dacca. He
started his assignments and worked round the clock. There were two points he
submitted in his report to the Imam. One related to the artificial jewellery,
on which the ladies used to spend a fortune. The Imam sent a message to this
effect to the Burmese jamats, forbidding
them not to waste money on artificial jewellery. The second point was to place
a plaque on the loggia of Jamatkhana in Rangoon, commemorating the Ismaili
martyrs who had been killed during the 2nd world war due to the
bombardment, which also damaged the premises of Jamatkhana. On October 27,
1954, the Imam sent a message to the Council that he used to think for those
bold persons who were martyred during the war. The Imam also advised to place a
memorial plaque of their names outside the wall of the Jamatkhana or in the
library.
U Ban Tin, U Chit Shwe, Rai Hussain
Khan Mohammad, Hasanali Jasraj and Ko Khin Maung helped him tremendously in his
assignments. He also established religious classes, a kindergarten school and a
cooperative society for the needy persons. His sojourn was very productive for
Rangoon jamat. Itmadi U Ba Maung also
took him to see the Prime Minister, Thankin Nu for tea on two occasions.
He then visited Singapore from Rangoon,
and was the first missionary to have gone as far as Singapore and Malaysia.
Soon after his short visit, he returned to Rangoon. After completion of his
assignments with great deal of dedication, he came back to Dacca and ultimately
returned to Karachi.
The Imam visited Karachi and stayed at
the Metropole Hotel, where he met with the Imam. He reported details of his
visits and received best blessings on February 7, 1951. The Imam told him to go
to Bombay, Poona and Hyderabad in India and see him in Delhi. He visited Bombay
and delivered his waez and lectures
before the concourse of the jamats.
He then proceeded to Poona and Hyderabad. Khan Bahadhur Aladdin arranged his
meeting with the Nizam of Hyderabad. At length, he came in Delhi and met the
Imam at Imperial Hotel. On that occasion, the leaders of Agra and Kanpur jamats insisted him to pay visit among
their jamats. Thus, he went to Agra
and Kanpur and delivered waez.
He returned to Karachi via Delhi and
resumed his services with the Ismailia Association for Pakistan. He also
continued to work in refugee areas with
the Hunza, Gilgit and Chitral people. The refugee rehabilitation work soon
began to show results. The sewing machines, the larries and the small shop
cabins were provided to the families.
On December 23, 1951, the 28th
Mission Assembly organized by the Ismailia Association for Pakistan in
Ranchhorline Jamatkhana, Karachi. He presided the function and said in his
address that, “We were the porters in the period of Imam Hasan Ali Shah, but
now prospered beyond measure in the world. It is the need of the time to kill
our great enemy, i.e., slander and enmity among us, the main weapons of
disunity.”
His significant activities in the field
of waez training program continued
till the Association reached the target of 500 waezeens. Wazir Dr. Hoodbhoy wrote
to the Imam that he had satisfied all requirements of Sultanali Nazarali
alongwith a report of his services in Pakistan, India, Burma, Singapore and
Malaysia; and also showed his readiness for any further assignments. He also
wrote that he could return to East Africa via Syria, where he would get an
intense course in Arabic. Within a few weeks followed a reply from the Imam
that, “Let him return to East Africa and
continue his good work there. The knowledge of Arabic can be pursued later on.”
On the eve of his departure from
Karachi to East Africa on July 2, 1952, al-waez Sultanali Nazarali was accorded
a farewell party with four other African waezeens. He arrived in Bombay, where
he was also given a warm reception. He left Bombay with his grandfather. Huzur
Wazir Ali Muhammad Macklai (1894-1971) came to see him at seaport. He arrived
at Mombasa after an absence of 1000 days from East Africa. He stayed with Count
Kassam Jivraj. Soon afterwards, he came in Moshi where the jamat hailed him in a princely reception.
In the meantime, he got a part-time job
at the East African Muslim Welfare Society. Soon after the birth of his first
child, his wife also found a job with Guntzel and Schumaker, a Dutch firm in
Mombasa.
He also worked tremendously in the
campaign to generate funds for the Platinum Jubilee of the Imam and collected a
princely sum. He worked closely with Count Kassim Ali Paroo (1906-1998) in
mission field. Once Count Paroo offered him an agency of the Jubilee Insurance
Company. He accepted it, which was crucial in changing his destiny. He visited
Kampala for three months, where he also sold a large quantity of the life
insurance policies, and broke all records in Jubilee’s life portfolio – 5.5
million shillings, and procured 250,000 shillings as the commission. He
returned to Mombasa and wrote the Imam about his record life insurance business
with a merit certificate of the Company. In reply, the Imam granted him
gracious compliments. He continued to sell life insurance policies in daytime
and serve the jamat at evening till
late night hour.
He opened his office, namely “African Continent Assurance” in Mombasa
and employed three persons. He also
became an honorary General Secretary of the Muslim Welfare Society in Mombasa.
It will be interesting to note an example of a donor, who wanted Sultanali to
erect a clock tower in Mombasa to be called “Aga Khan Tower” and offered a massive amount for it. When Sultanali
wrote to the Imam, he declined the offer and said not to the clock tower, but
the money be used for education purpose.
In 1957, the first visit of Hazar Imam
took place in East Africa after assuming the Imamate. The Imam arrived in
Nairobi at first, where Sultanali Nazarali and Jaffer Ali Sufi were active in
their assignments. Both have also rendered valuable services in Nairobi during
the bayt ceremony in 1958. He was
bequeathed the duty in Dar-es-Salaam on October 19, 1957 during the occasion of
the Takhat Nashini.
About 2700 Ismailis from 20 countries
were gathered at Aswan to pay last tribute to the 48th Imam, whose
official resting of body took place in a mausoleum on February 20, 1959.
Sultanali Nazarali was also in Aswan with his wife. Soon after the ceremony,
Mata Salamat summoned some members of the international jamats in her lounge. She went into a room and brought some clothes
for the guests to be distributed. She gave him a silk shirt with an initial AK
on the front left side and said, “Make
this to your size and wear it with pride. It will bring you lot of luck.”
In 1963, he got an offer by a business
group in Zaire (Congo) to work with them in partnership to develop industries
in Zaire. In the meantime, he visited Gastaad, Switzerland, where he got the
company of Wazir Mukhi Mohammad Ali Pirbhai of Paris and his wife, Fatimabai.
The Mukhi received a phone call from the office of the Imam for their
appointment on next day on February 9, 1963. The Imam told him at the meeting
to move to Zaire for good, and accept the offer of the business group. Hence,
he went to Geneva and then to Zaire, Bujumbura and then drove back to Mombasa.
He sold his business and left Mombasa by car for Kampala and boarded the plane
to Zaire from Entebbe and settled there. He used to make trips to Brussels,
Belgium, Milan and Stuttgart to study industries and earn for his livelihood in
the money exchange business.
In 1974, he moved to North America and
arrived in Vancouver, Canada. He came into the contact of Amin Dossani in
Seattle, who spoke to him about the Travel Lodge in Pullman, Washington. He
accepted the deal and purchased it. Soon afterwards, he also bought a motel
from Richard Hanna in December, 1974, whose final deal executed in February,
1975. He came to Pullman and took possession of the Travel Lodge. His new enterprise
however did not effect his religious activities both in United State and
Canada.
He made a flying visit in Dacca in 1977
with his family during the didar
programme of the Imam. He reached Dacca, where he was invited to go to airport
with the leaders to receive the Imam. The Imam came ahead of the crowd towards
the car and extended his hand to him and his wife and said, “Missionary, I am glad you are here.”
The Imam’s visit in Dacca lasted for five days, and he got a chance to see the
Imam during one of the ceremonies, where the Imam held his right hand and gave
blessings.
Soon after his return from Dacca, he
acquired another property of WIL-RU, i.e. Wilma-Ruth and William Rusty, the
initial names of two principal owners of the property, where he shifted with
his family. In sum, he had a real estate sale license and a unique exposure to
motels, apartment complexes and business for sale.
In November, 1978, the Imam launched a
historical visit of Canada. He worked hard in the jamat, and was deputed in Calgary on November 16, 1978, Edmonton
and Winnipeg on November 18, 1978 for organizing and inspiring the jamats. He had an occasion to talk with
the Imam. He took his two sons, Shafiq and Maqbool to the Imam to bless them to
follow on his footsteps and become missionaries, just as his father had offered
him to Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah in 1946. The Imam said, “Missionary, let them make their own decisions.” So saying, the Imam
blessed his sons. He had a point wandering in his mind to be clarified and said,
“Mawla, are you displeased with me?”
The Imam said, “Not at all.” So
saying, he blessed him and said, “I am
with you all the time, every hour, every minute, every second of life. You are
doing some very good work for me and my jamats.
I am fully conscious of your work. Continue your work.”
During the historic Silver Jubilee of
the Imam, two major fund collection drives took place, where he played
significant role. He helped to raise donation for the Khadak Jamatkhana, Bombay
as well as the silver jubilee fund. He pledged his resources and collected
funds from Canada, United States and other jamats.
In 1985, the Imam made an opening
ceremony of the Darkhana Jamatkhana in Vancouver at the hands of the Prime
Minister Brian Malroney. He shared a large amount for the new Jamatkhana in
Vancouver. With President Bahadhur M.M. Karim and his team, including Wazir
Malick Lakha and others, they all became instrumental in raising of the
colossal amount for the project.
There was a luncheon party in West
Vancouver at the house of President Itmadi Farouk Verjee. He was standing with
other persons when the Imam entered the small decorated tent. The Imam came
before the standing persons and all of a sudden asked him, “Missionary, what do you think of the Burnaby Darkhana?” He was flabbergasted
and was taken by surprise and words gushed out from his lips that, “Mawla, Pir
Sadr al-Din said some 600 years ago in the ginan,
“Utar Khand mahe’n Shah’ni Jiyot jagewa”
(the Light of the Imam will shine from the North).” The Imam laughed and said,
“You are right, Shahbash Missionary.”
The Imam patted him on his back and said, “But
don’t forget from the West also.”
Henceforward, it was a time of his
intense travels, speeches, seminars and meetings. He was also appointed a Waezeen
Coordinator for the United States.
In 1986, the Imam visited United
States. He worked hard and travelled all over the United States. He had a
moment with the Imam in his residence in Chicago. The Imam stayed at President
Dr. Zul Ismail’s antique heritage mansion.
In 1990, he visited India and delivered
touching lectures and waez. In 1992,
he secured a chance to visit Salamia and Damascus, Syria. He delivered waez in English, which was translated
into Arabic by Ahmed Yaghi. He also made flying visit of the historical places
in Syria, notably the fort of Masiyaf. He had been in New Zealand and Australia
in 1998, where he prepared 13 new waezeens during his short stay.
His waez
activities and multiple roles in welfare arena continued unaffected. He is a
nominated Paul Harris Fellow, a benefactor of the Rotary Foundation. He also
gives to the Salvation Army and United Way. His support also goes to
Partnership Walk, the Aga Khan Foundation, Aga Khan University, Karachi,
Institute of Ismaili Studies, London and Focus Canada for various charities. He
is a regular donor of Vancouver Hospital, UBC and Royal Colombian Hospitals.
He, along with others, became also involved in helping Boarding Houses in India
and almost 40 years later, founded two Boarding Houses in Bhuj, Kutchh, Gujrat
in India, one for boys and another for girls.
Recently, his family donated large
resources to the Aga Khan University and Focus in Pakistan. To respond to the
increasing number of outpatients and provide them with greater access to
various medical services, the Aga Khan Hospital, Karachi approved the design
and construction of a 24000 sq.ft. building, as a first phase of new Ambulatory
Care Services at AKU. It will comprise of 31 consulting rooms for Cardiology,
Medicine and Executive Clinics, and will have a blood specimen collection
station, a basic radiology room and a pharmacy. Missionary Sultan Nazarali
Walji and his family have very graciously pledged US 3 millions towards the
total cost of $. 4.3 million for the Nazarali Walji Building. During his visit
to Pakistan, the Imam and Begum Inara laid foundation stone of the building on
October 20, 2000 at Karachi.
On the following day, the Imam said in
his speech during the Annual Convocation that three new buildings were inaugurated
on yesterday, bringing much needed facilities to the campus, the Juma Building,
Ibn Ridwan Building and Nazarali Walji Building. The Imam said for the Nazarali
Walji Building that, “The foundation
stone for the new Nazarali Walji Building was also laid yesterday. It is the
first phase of new ambulatory care services at AKU in response to the
increasing number of outpatients and give them greater access to various
medical services. Those at AKU responsible for supervising their construction
deserve our thanks.”
Al-waez Rai Sultanali Nazarali Walji is a born
fund-generator and ever ready volunteer. He is a kind-hearted, articulate,
witty and a humble man with great sense of humour. He rolled in a sea of
generosity all his life almost in all parts of the world in knowledge and
resources are credible. Pride he has none - he is a simple man in whom are
embodied all the qualities of a prudent gentleman. His role as an al-waez has
held first priority in his life, a sacred function he considers.
During last 50 years he has travelled
over 55 countries with his wife, and delivered waez, lectures and trained new waezeens. He had delivered over
15000 lectures, spoke for hours in over 2000 different places, emphasizing the
practice of Ismaili faith. He had a rare collection of 1000 tapes of waez he delivered during last 25 years.
Missionary Sultanali Nazarali had three
sons, Maqbool, Shafiq and Altaf. He
confesses without a shadow of doubt that his sons gave him happiness, comfort
and satisfaction. They too share with his father in all virtuous works to leave
a legacy that has been a tradition in the Ukani family. May Hazar Imam grant
him long life, health and courage to serve the Ismaili world more and more till
his last breath, Amen.
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