Colonel Amiruddin Sahib (Amir of Canada)

Colonel Amiruddin Sahib (Amir of Canada) was a man who was known all around the world due to his tireless effort to spread the Deen.

Colonel Amiruddin Sahib is the 36 descendent of the Prophet SAW with a registered tree line. He was born in Scotland to a mother who converted during the Victorian era. He then went on to serve as the military secretary of the one of the richest rulers who ever lived, the Nizams from Hyderabad. From the age of 35, he decided to dedicate all his wealth and property around Islamic revival and preaching.

He traveled to over 72 countries, and helped establish countless mosques around the world. He played a part in converting more than 7000 Muslims from Tokyo to Australia, North America, South America, Europe, Africa, South Asia and the Middle East. Most of Colonel Sahib’s conversions happened in North America. Colonel Sahib’s presence was known wherever he went, it was said that whichever mosque he would go to people would say to him that they saw him in his dreams and would then become Muslim.

Throughout the 1970s he was the imam of the “mother of all mosques in Toronto”, Jame Mosque, one of the first established in the area. Many of Colonels students from then on went on to establish mosques all over the GTA from Madinah Masjid, Scarborough Muslim Association, Markham Mosque, and Islamic foundation. Colonel Sahib’s relentless effort led to over 50 mosques being established in North America and 100s all over the world.

His impact was even more widespread than many people imagine. Colonel was involved in the converting of NBA Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul Jabbar, and Abdullah Hakim Quick. Colonel also taught Tajweed to Bilal Phillips, and was a mentor to Moulana Tariq Jameel.

His grandson recalls a story where during prayer time at an airport his family went to make wudhu at an airport, a janitor walks in and says “you Muslims are dirty”. He asks the janitor “how many times do you wash your face in one day? I wash my feet 6 times a day tell me what’s cleaner your face or my feet?” He then explained to the janitor the importance of submitting to Allah as nothing happens in the world with our own will only the will of Allah, the janitor then converted to Islam. SubhanAllah, Colonel Sahib had a unique ability to spread the deen in situations where many of us would shy away. This is the type of man he was and is a testament to his character.

Colonel Sahib lived a simple life in a modern world. He was very strong on sharia, prayed tahajud all his life and prayed most of his prayers in a mosque. Additionally, he also encouraged Muslims to live near a mosque and attend prayer in the masjid. There were many lessons one could take from such a knowledgeable man, some of the lessons include:

•Everybody should establish Masajids, and be a representative of Islam

•One should change the Niyaah of migrating to migrate for the sake of Islam

•To submit yourself to the will of god

InshaAllah, we all can learn from these lessons and apply them to our lives and like Colonel Sahib try to give Dawah and bring people to Islam. Colonel Sahib passed away peacefully in 2012 at the age of 99 in Toronto. إِنَّا لِلّهِ وَإِنَّـا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ‎

May Allah ﷻ forgive him and bestow his mercy upon him.