Zafar Bangash
Hamid Adams, a long-time activist of the Islamic movement, passed away early today (Monday September 1) in Cape Town, South Africa.
Inna lil Lah-e wa inna ilayh-e raji‘oon.
When this writer received a message from a mutual friend Abdul Mutalib this morning that Hamid Adams had passed away, I did not believe it at first.
So, I sent a message back to confirm that this was true.
Unfortunately, it was.
We lost a dear friend and a dedicated member of the Islamic movement.
Imam Al-Asi and I had visited South Africa almost exactly a year ago for the launch of the English only version of The Ascendant Qur’an.
We visited Cape Town as well and held several meetings with students and other activists that Hamid Adams and his colleagues had arranged.
He would always say to us (Imam Al-Asi and I) that next time we should come with our wives for a visit.
The hectic schedule that we follow, it is virtually impossible to afford the luxury of having a holiday with our wives but his gesture was appreciated.
Like Muslims of his era, Hamid Adams grew up under apartheid.
There were many restrictions for non-whites.
Like many South African Muslims, he went into business and became quite successful.
Apartheid in South Africa allowed few opportunities for non-whites.
Muslims were branded as ‘Indians’ or ‘Malays’, to separate them from the black majority in South Africa.
Apartheid forced Muslims to live in their own segregated areas under what was referred to as the ‘Group Areas Act’.
This turned out to be a blessing in disguise, at least for Muslims.
They were able to establish businesses in their own areas catering to Muslim needs.
They also set up mosques and schools of their own.
At the same time, many Muslims joined the struggle against apartheid.
Combining business and anti-apartheid activism was not easy.
The apartheid regime clamped down hard on those who actively supported the anti-apartheid struggle.
Yet, Hamid Adams managed to navigate these difficult times without ending in prison as some other Muslims did.
He was an ardent supporter of the Islamic revolution in Iran and tried hard to promote Muslim unity.
This was a challenge because anti-revolutionary forces were unleashed to promote hatred through disinformation to dissuade people from supporting the Islamic revolution.
As a consequence of his support for the Islamic revolution, this brought him closer to Crescent International, the writings of Dr Kalim Siddiqui as well as Imam Muhammad al Asi.
He found much material in the intellectual output of the Crescent International newsmagazine, especially the writings of Dr Kalim Siddiqui and Imam Al-Asi to counter the negative propaganda.
His passion for Muslim unity also led him to support the Fazilat Party led by Necmettin Erbakan in Turkey.
When some members of the party broke away, together with members of other conservative parties, to form the Justice and Development Party (A K Party), Hamid Adams pledged his support for the new party.
He cultivated close links with Dr Ahmet Davutoglu, who served as foreign minister in the early days of the party’s success in parliamentary elections.
Recep Tayip Erdogan, Turkey’s current president and chairman of the party, however, fell out with many of his colleagues because he wanted to cling to power.
While Erdogan’s politics has led him into troubling alliances, including with the zionists, Muslims around the world have looked on in disbelief and horror.
Hamid Adams, too, in later years realized this and expressed disappointment at Erdogan’s antics.
His passion for Muslim unity, support for the Islamic revolution in Iran and his support for Imam Al-Asi’s tafsir project, The Ascendant Qur’an never waivered.
May Allah receive him with mercy and shower His blessings upon him.
May He reward him for the good that he did and forgive his shortcomings.
His Salatul Janazah (funeral prayers) are scheduled for Tuesday September 2 at Masjid Furqaan at 11:30 am.
Thereafter, burial will take place in Mowbray Cemetery in Cape Town.
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