Khilafat Centenary Souvenir 1908-2008 — Page 146
Khilafat Centenary Dr. Ahsanullah Zafar: Current Amir of United States Jama'at ---------------------------- Dr. Hanna Zafar Ahsanullah Zafar, the current Amir ofjama 'at Ahmadi yy a, USA, was born in Sargodha, Pakis tan on April 15, 194 3 to Chaudhry Zafrullah Khan and Nazir Begum. His early childhood was spent mostly in the United Provinces of India and Rawalpindi, Pakistan with his two younger brothers Ikramullah and Sarniullah Zafar. Starting at a y oung age his parents consciously emphasized the importance of Islam, education, and hard work to all three children. One of his earliest memories is reciting namaz (prescribed prayer in Arabic) to his mother, which was followed by a treat, such as a banana, and permission to play outside. was inspired by the teachers, all of whom were motiv ated Ahmadis, and many of whom were devotees (Waqifeen-e- Zindagi). Tbis inspiration came also from the student bod y which included a wide cross section of Ahmadi bo ys from affluent as well as simple backgrounds. According to the principles of equality that the Promised Messiah as promoted, TI School sought to provide an excellent education for bo ys at a cost that even the average farmer from Punjab could afford. In 1959, Ahsanullah Zafar returned to Lahore and attended Government College of Lahore where he obtained his FSC. Subsequently he studied at King His first formal religious training was at Talimul Islam (Tl) Edwards Medical College from 1961-1966 where he High School in Rabwah , which he attended from 1957 to obtained his MBBS. During one summer vacation 1959. He arrived at TI serendipitously after his father, a at King Edwards, he experienced his first spiritual policeman, was assigned to work in East Pakistan. Given awakening during a trip to Gilgit. For 6 weeks he and his stage of education his parents decided it would be a friend hiked through the Himalayas, often without better to enroll him in boarding school in Pakistan while seeing another human for da y s. Against this backdrop the rest of the family moved with his father. The y chose he began to reflect in earnest on the relationship TI High School because it was run by thejama'at, which between man and God. When he returned to Lahore, his parents had confidence in, and it offered a change he started reading the writings of the Promised from his previous British schooling. The experience was Messiah as and spent hours walking alone on the roof of unprecedented, not only in that it was his first time living his dormitory memorizing and reciting large portions away from his family but, as his ----------------- of the Qur'an. parents had desired, the focus of At the end of medical the school was wholly different. Classes at TI were held in Urdu school he was one of three ~~~~~ ~~~~ studies included a focus on Educational Commission for the teachings of the Promised Foreign Medical Graduates Messiah as. Even beyond the (ECFMG) exam. He was offered several residencies in classroom, the teachings oflslam and of the Promised Messiah as the US, eventually settling on influenced every aspect of the University of Medicine student life from the boarding rooms to the playing fields. and Dentistry of New Jerse y (UMDI'ffi in Newark. He remembers waking up for Fajr salaat and performing Shortly before leaving for the US in December of wudhu (ablution) with the other boarding students in an 1967 he married Qaneta Azam who joined him one outdoor courtyard every morning; no small feat for a year later. By the time he completed his radiology 14-year old during the winter. residency in 1974 , he was also the proud father of three children, Subooha, Abrahim Ikramullah and Hanna In great part this dedication to Islam and Ahmadiyya Mar y am. Subsequently he joined the staff at Palisades 146