This afternoon, on Friday 17th December, 2010 (11th Muharram 1432) our brother in faith and struggle, Salim Akbar of the Battersea Islamic Centre, passed away in St George’s Hospital after having suffered a series of heart attacks. To this we respond firstly with the words from the Qur’an: From Allah we come and unto Him we return.
Salim always ensured that the Battersea Islamic Centre was at the heart of the fight for justice for Shaker Aamer and, as a key activist for Cageprisoners and the Save Shaker Aamer Campaign was keenly aware about the plight of the prisoners.
His tireless efforts were always performed with a bright smile on his face.
Only last week he helped organise the Day for Shaker Aamer event at Battersea Arts Centre where he joined the rally calling for Shaker’s return. He knew Shaker Aamer well and was very close to his children as too.
One of his friends described him thus:
“Whether it was Palestine, Iraq, Guantanamo, Babar Ahmed or Aafia Siddiqui, Salim would always be there masha Allah. I cannot remember a single occasion of him turning down an opportunity to serve Allah in this way.”
Salim’s passing away on a Friday is a good sign, as confirmed in the hadeeth:
The Messenger of Allaah (saws) said: “there is no Muslim who dies on the day of Friday or the night of Friday, but Allaah will protect him from the trial (fitnah) of the grave.” Narrated by Ahmad, 6546; al-Tirmidhi, 1074
Only in his thirties Salim Akbar leaves behind him a family that loved and cherished him very much and, a community that saw him tirelessly involved in campaigns against injustice and oppression.
A person’s deeds in life echo an eternity, but that eternity is not in temporal life.
The Hereafter is better and more lasting. Al-‘Alaa (87: 17)
Say: Verily the death that you flee from will surely come to meet you and then you will be returned to the Knower of the concealed and the revealed and He will inform you of all that you have done. Al-Jum’ah (62:8)
May the oppressed stand as witnesses for Salim Akbar on the Day of Reckoning.
We pray that Allah showers His mercy upon Salim and bestows patience and ease on his family. And, we pray that Salim’s example is taken up by others as a source of being consistent in performing good actions.
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