Until We Meet Again, Nanaji

Today, I want to speak about my grandfather, Aslam Hayat. Although calling him my grandfather never feels completely accurate, because he was so much more than that to me.

Allah blessed me with many things in this life, but one of the greatest blessings Allah ever gave me was the gift of being raised by Aslam Hayat.

When I think of my childhood, I only have beautiful memories.

I remember him teaching me how to ride a bike.

I remember him helping me with my homework. He would buy books on the subjects I was studying so he could learn them himself and then teach me.

I remember sitting beside him for countless hours while he patiently explained things to me.

I remember him believing in me long before I believed in myself.

He showed me how to dream.

When I was discouraged, he lifted me back up.

When I succeeded, he celebrated with me.

When I failed, he comforted me and reminded me to keep moving forward and to never give up.

As a child, I had endless questions. I wanted to know everything. I would sit beside him and ask him about the Prophets, about our beloved Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, about history, about the world, and about life itself.

No matter how many questions I asked, he always answered them.

He was the greatest wealth of knowledge.

And more importantly, he shared that knowledge with love.

One of the things I will miss most is simply the way he spoke to people.

Anyone who knew Nanaji knows exactly what I mean.

He had a warmth about him.

A gentleness.

A wisdom.

After speaking with him, you always felt better than before.

That was one of his greatest gifts.

Nanaji himself lived an extraordinary life. Born in Lahore in 1933, he witnessed some of the most important events of the last century. He survived Partition, pursued higher education in London, became a Chartered Accountant, and rose to senior leadership within the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority, where he served his country with distinction for over 30 years.

He was also a writer, a student of history, and someone deeply committed to preserving knowledge for future generations.

Yet despite all of those accomplishments, what I will remember most is not his career or titles.

I will remember his kindness.

His wisdom.

And the way he made every member of his family feel.

When I immigrated to Canada with my Grandparents, Nanaji left behind the life he had built in Pakistan and started over so that future generations could have opportunities.

He never complained.

He never focused on status.

He focused on his family.

He taught me that dignity does not come from your title.

Dignity comes from your character.

Every good quality people find in me was nurtured by him.

If I have shown patience, I learned it from him.

If I have shown perseverance, I learned it from him.

If I have shown compassion, I learned it from him.

If I have achieved any success in this life, the credit belongs first to Allah and then to the man who spent his life building me into the person I became.

One of the greatest gifts Nanaji gave me was my faith.

From a very early age, he taught me to love Allah.

He taught me to trust Allah.

He taught me to turn to Allah during difficult times.

He taught me how to read the Quran in Arabic.

It took years of patience.

Letter by letter.

Word by word.

Verse by verse.

He never gave up on me.

More importantly, he taught me a lesson that has carried me through my entire life.

Even today, when life becomes difficult, I can still hear his voice.

Those words carried me through challenges, disappointments, fears, and losses. And they are carrying me through his loss today.

Allah says in the Quran:

Today, I hold tightly to that promise.

Allah also teaches us:

Whenever I recite this verse, I think of Nanaji.

For more than four decades, Nanaji was part of nearly every day of my life. Even during the years we were apart, we spoke constantly.

My life has been shaped by his presence from the very beginning.

There is a space in my heart now that can never be filled by anyone else.

But as Muslims, we know that death is not the end.

Allah says:

Today, Nanaji has returned to the One who created him.

And while my heart is broken, it is also filled with hope.

Hope in Allah's mercy.

Hope in Allah's promises.

Hope that one day, by Allah's mercy, I will see my Nanaji again.

I ask Allah to reunite us in Jannatul Firdaus.

I ask Allah to place him among the righteous.

I ask Allah to expand his grave with light and tranquility.

I ask Allah to reward him for every sacrifice he made, every prayer he taught, every lesson he shared, and every act of kindness he performed.

The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said:

I believe Nanaji leaves behind all three.

The Prophet ﷺ also said:

That describes Nanaji perfectly.

He spent his entire life benefiting others.

His family.

His friends.

His community.

At this point, Nanaji would probably want us to stop crying for a moment and smile.

So I have to share a couple of things that everyone in the family knows.

Nanaji's doors were always open — especially the bathroom door.

Anyone who lived with him probably walked in by accident at least once.

And everyone knew that if Nanaji asked for a glass of water, it meant we were not leaving yet.

Because first came the glass of water. Then one last trip to the washroom before leaving the house.

I also want to say something to my family.

To Aliya Baji, Shazia Baji, Nina Baji, Kamran Bhai, Salma — all of his children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and everyone who loved him: Thank you.

I know every one of you did your best for him.

I witnessed the love, sacrifices, care, and devotion that surrounded him.

He was blessed with a family that loved him.

And we were blessed to have him.

Today, as I think about my own children, I realize even more clearly what Nanaji gave me.

I have told my son Azan that I hope to have the same relationship with him that I had with my Nanaji.

I pray that my daughters experience the same love, gentleness, wisdom, and guidance that Nanaji showed his children and his wife.

If I can become even a fraction of the man he was, I will consider my life a success.

Nanaji, if I could speak to you one more time, I would simply say thank you.

I will carry your lessons with me for the rest of my life.

I will never forget you.

I will love you for the rest of my life.

Our relationship was inseparable, but one day we all must return to our Creator.

Looking back now, I believe Allah prepared both Nanaji and me for this moment.

During the years we were apart in this dunya, our bond only grew stronger.

And now that he has returned to Allah, I will keep him even closer in my heart.

He will always be with me.

You always told me that Allah is with me.

Today, I hold onto those words more than ever.

And by Allah's mercy, I know that one day we will meet again.

Assalamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.