Aslam Hayat

Aslam Hayat (23 March 1933 – 2026) was a Pakistani-Canadian chartered accountant, civil aviation executive, writer, historian, and student of Islamic spirituality.

Born in Lahore, with family roots in Subhan Pur, Kapurthala, Punjab, he witnessed the Partition of India in 1947 — an experience that shaped his writing and historical outlook throughout his life. In the late 1950s and early 1960s he travelled to London to qualify as a Chartered Accountant. On returning to Pakistan, he entered public service and rose to director-level responsibilities at the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority.

After retiring he settled in Vancouver, British Columbia, where he became a respected voice in the Pakistani-Canadian community. For more than twenty-five years he maintained a regular column in The Miracle newspaper, authoring over 650 articles on history, current affairs, community life, and the experiences of the South Asian diaspora.

He was a devoted Muslim and a serious student of Islamic spirituality — particularly the Sufi tradition and the works of Ibn Arabi. A devoted father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, he passed away on 30 May 2026 in Vancouver, aged 93.

Aslam Hayat was born on 23 March 1933 in Lahore, in what was then British India. His family's roots lay in Subhan Pur, Kapurthala, Punjab — a region whose history and culture remained a source of deep personal significance throughout his life.

The Partition of India in 1947, which he witnessed as a teenager in Lahore, was among the formative experiences of his life. The upheaval of Partition — the displacement, loss, and transformation it brought — shaped his perspective as a historian and writer, and he returned to its themes many times across his more than 650 published articles.

He received his early education at Muslim Model High School in Lahore. In the late 1950s and early 1960s he travelled to London, where he qualified as a Chartered Accountant.

Upon returning to Pakistan, Aslam Hayat entered public service at the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA). Over several decades he served in increasingly senior roles, rising to director-level responsibilities.

After settling in Vancouver, Aslam Hayat became one of the most prolific voices in the Pakistani-Canadian community. For more than twenty-five years he maintained a regular column in The Miracle, Vancouver's Pakistani community newspaper — authoring more than 650 articles covering history, current affairs, Islamic thought, and the experiences of the South Asian diaspora.

He was also active on Facebook in his later years, sharing thoughts and reflections with family, friends, and his wider community.

Aslam Hayat was a devoted Muslim who lived his faith deeply and consistently. Beyond practice, he was a serious student of Islamic spirituality — particularly the Sufi tradition and the writings of Ibn Arabi, the Andalusian philosopher and mystic, whose works he studied extensively.

His faith informed his writing, his sense of history, and the way he understood the human condition. He brought the same seriousness to spiritual study that he brought to his professional work, and sought to pass that depth of faith on to his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

He taught those closest to him to read the Quran in Arabic, to make their prayers with care and intention, and to understand that faith is expressed above all in how one treats others — in honesty, in patience, and in generosity of spirit.

At the heart of everything was his family. Aslam Hayat was a devoted father, grandfather, and great-grandfather.

He had a uniquely close relationship with his grandson Zeeshan Hayat. To Zeeshan, he was far more than a grandfather: a father figure, mentor, teacher, spiritual guide, and closest lifelong companion. When Zeeshan lost his mother at a young age, it was Aslam Hayat who stepped forward — raising him, guiding him, and instilling in him the values of education, faith, patience, and service.

Aslam Hayat arrived in Canada in 1989 and settled in Vancouver, British Columbia. He passed away on 30 May 2026 in Vancouver, aged 93.

إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ

“Indeed, we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we shall return.”