Umar Malick Kamal Batcha

Obituary for Br. Umar Malick ----------------------------- December 13, 2021 will be remembered as the day when we lost a shining luminary when Br. Umar Malick returned to Allah SWT. Br. Umar Malick was an exceptional person. Those who knew him will remember Umar as a devoted husband, father, son, brother, and a passionate and dedicated advocate for human rights and social justice. Our thoughts and prayers are with his parents, family and friends. There are no words that can describe the feelings for your loss. Without a doubt, losing a child is painful. Our beloved prophet (SWS) wept at the loss of his child Ibrahim and he said "The eyes are shedding tears and the heart is grieved, and we will not say except what pleases our Lord. Oh, Ibrahim! Indeed we are grieved by your separation." No doubt this is a huge test from Allah, but a reminder to all of us of what Allah SWT says in the Quran [Surah al-Baqarah verse 155 to 157]: "And certainly, We shall test you with something of fear, hunger, loss of wealth, lives and fruits, but give glad tidings to As- Saabiroon (the patient). Who, when afflicted with calamity, say: ‘Truly, to Allah we belong and truly, to Him we shall return.' They are those who are blessed and will be forgiven from their Lord, and (they are those who) receive His Mercy, and it is they who are the guided ones." Our message to his family and parents is that "Your son had such an incredible personality and spirit, we are all saddened by his loss, and we will all miss him very much. We are thinking of you during this time and are here to support you in any way you'd like. While his time here was short, we believe that, through his many good deeds, he has rejoined Allah SWT. May Allah SWT accept his good deeds, give Sabr to all his loved ones, and enter him into Jannat-ul-Firdous (Ameen)." The news of his death has shocked and grieved all of us at IAMC who knew him personally and professionally. His loss fills us with grief and regret. We all had so much to learn from him and wish we could have spent more time with him, but Allah SWT knows what we don't and we submit to Him in humility. His life is inspiring but in his demise as well he has taught us many things, to value people most when they are still with us and to see this life for what it is, a very temporary abode and an opportunity to prepare for the abode that is permanent and towards which we are all headed. Br. Umar was one of the founding members of Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC), and his tenure in the board and as its president was both formative and defining, particularly because of the relationships that he nurtured and built with other organizations in the diaspora. He made significant contributions not only to the cause of peace and justice in India but also took the lead on several initiatives in both US and India, including in his local community in the San Francisco Bay Area. What we remember most about Br. Umar is the passion he had for always wanting to do what was right, never compromising on values or ethics for some short term gain and always keeping the intention pure. People who knew him personally and professionally described him as someone who was principled, ethical, disciplined, sincere, smart, forward thinking, deeply spiritual, and rock solid in his convictions with an unshakable personality. If Umar was in your team, you were assured of success. Whether it was implementing a project, executing a campaign or any other task. He alone was half the team, he singularly contributed to the success of countless initiatives. He was hard working and spent hundreds of hours tirelessly and never complained. At the same time, he was humble, not claiming credit and almost invisible from any kind of limelight. He was like a fearless silent warrior who toiled in the darkness, he was a true unsung hero. Every conversation with Umar was one in which his boundless compassion, and deep love for a plural world shone through. He was a gentle soul and built many beautiful friendships. His sincerity and commitment to justice was unparalleled that made him a luminary who dedicated his life so others could have a better life. Just before his demise, he was working on a critical project for IAMC. His loss is a loss not just for Indian Muslims but for the Muslim Ummah. At a moment such as this, we must resolve to uphold the memory of Umar in its most ambitious and glorious form. The relationships he built, and the vision of a diaspora working together with dedication to the cause, is his legacy. We must honor that in every way possible.