Syed Quamer A. M. A. Hossain

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May 5, 2021 · via iPhone

This ramadan is not the same without you dearest uncle, may you be in the blessed company of the prophets in gardens of bliss.
With love and prayers always,

Elif

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March 18, 2021 · via iPhone

Just after the Friday Prayer at OCIS (09/11/2018).

My favourite picture of Uncle. Many moments spent in this particular spot catching up with old friends and being introduced to new ones. Asking how the week had passed for everyone and inevitably being... more

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Elif Kalın reacted on this.

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March 14, 2021

Dearest Uncle Quamer

There is a word that continually comes up when people speak of you. The word is “inspiration”. Surely the definition of inspiration is the motivation one gets to undertake a particular course of action. The source of that... moreDearest Uncle Quamer

There is a word that continually comes up when people speak of you. The word is “inspiration”. Surely the definition of inspiration is the motivation one gets to undertake a particular course of action. The source of that motivation would be regarded as inspirational. Your upright conduct, your humility, your faithful dedication, your boundless kindness, your considered wisdom – they are all inspirational. While I know you yourself would shy away from being referred to as such, for us to regard you as an inspiration is certainly no embellishment. In the time since you have departed I often find myself thinking: what would Uncle Quamer do in this situation, what would he say in this moment, how would he react to this development. With every such thought I become increasingly aware of the profound impact you had on me. And I see now that you were similarly inspirational to so many more.

Many of us in Oxford are physically distant from our families. You and Auntie Mary opened your home and your hearts to us all. You gave a home to students. You attended graduations. You hosted Eid gatherings and wedding receptions. You played matchmaker. In doing all this and more, you filled a void for so many of us. Unknowingly, you and Aunty Mary became like father and mother to a community you knitted together.

You were always a foodie at heart and I am so glad we had the opportunity to eat together as often as we did. Alhamdulilah there were abundant home-cooked meals full of flavour and blessings. We got you to try out sushi at Sticks & Sushi. And the wonderful oven baked meals at Za’atar. We managed to satisfy your craving for thaali at Dosa Park. And we certainly cannot forget the rather raucous experience at Antep.

Meals were not just about the food though, they were an opportunity to listen to your colourful stories. Like when you were hiking in the mountains and lost Aunty Mary. There were the stories about the best mangoes of your youth in Bihar or your eventful journey to Europe. You would recount episodes from your roadtrip holidays when Saad and Ahmad were little. A glance at your wall of books revealed your passion for Eastern literature, and you often referred to the Muqaddimah. I recall a couple of occasions when you regaled us with the Urdu poetry of Mohammed Iqbal and Mirza Ghalib at the dinner table. We learned of your interest in photography and that your hands made a special appearance in Peter Saunders’ book. We learned that you had a particular disdain for political discourse. And you certainly had a penchant for teasing Aunty Mary about her fabulous culinary skills, making the odd comment with a wry smile on your face followed by a child-like giggle when she looked away.

During one Ramadan a few years ago I would cycle daily to taraweeh and invariably I would cross paths with your VW Up as you drove to the masjid. I did not know you that well at this point yet you would always offer me the warmest of greetings, as though we may have been well acquainted for years.

There is an abiding memory from this Ramadan I will forever cherish. I recall one evening the rain was so heavy that I had to take a change of clothes. As I arrived, soaked to the bone, you said to me: “Young man I am pleased to see the rain has not kept you from the evening’s vigil”. I may have been cold and wet, but your words warmed and fortified me. The following evening you sought me out before the start of prayers and handed me some dates. “These are some very special dates from Mecca for you to break fast with” you said. You were right the dates were special, though perhaps not in the way you meant. Perhaps for you this was but a small gift. To me though, this was much more than a gift. That you had thought of me and taken the time to package the dates and then actively sought me out to hand deliver them. A thoughtful act with nothing expected in return, a most pure act of selflessness and kindness. I haven’t the words to express the impact this had on me, suffice to say it was profound. That evening’s taraweeh was perhaps the most vivid vigil I have ever experienced. In that moment you had my heart.

As I got to know you in the years since, I realised this is who you are, I realised your act of kindness was not confined to me. Rather you were kind and considerate to all whom you encountered. You welcomed unmet travellers to your home for dinner. You conversed at length with complete strangers on the street. You listened attentively to someone you had only met moments before. You were equally kind in your words to those you agreed or disagreed with. You were modest in your manner, but boundless in your kindness. I will be forever thankful for being amongst those to have received this kindness.

You never asked for anything in return, and you would only ever make the one request: “Please don’t forget an old man, come see me often” you would say. When Layla and I did visit, you would say “Thank you for remembering this old man” as though we were doing you a favour. Little did you realise that we were the ones who gained most, that it was in fact us who were thankful for having spent time in your company.

Layla and I are grateful for the conversations we had. We are grateful for the meals we shared. We are grateful for the memories we created. We are grateful little Aaliyah and you had opportunity to meet. We are grateful for the opportunity to learn at your feet. We are grateful for having known you. Dearest Uncle Quamer, we may not now hear your wisdom yet you continue to shape our lives; you may have departed but you will forever remain in our hearts. Thank you for your example, thank you for being an inspiration.

May Allah SWT accept your multitude of good deeds. May He reward you for inspiring us all. May He shower you with His mercy and blessing. May He usher you through the Gates into the Gardens of Abundance. Ameen. less

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Elif Kalın reacted on this.

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March 2, 2021

Dear Quamer,
It is many years since you introduced me to your colleague, Colin, at a curry dinner in Manchester. I married him just over a year later and he was the love of my life. Thank you.
Here I am sixty odd years later, with four children and... more

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Elif Kalın reacted on this.

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February 28, 2021 · via iPhone

Aunty holding Arshaan at age 4, Nawaz holding Ayaan at age 2 and Uncle holding baby Ahsaan who was two weeks old, January 2020.

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Elif Kalın reacted on this.

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February 28, 2021 · via iPhone

Our children adored going to visit Aunty and Uncle, just as much as we did!
Aunty and Uncle with Arshaan and Ayaan, July 2019

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Elif Kalın reacted on this.

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February 28, 2021

Asalaamu alaykum dear family and friends of Uncle Quamer,

It has been so wonderful and comforting to read everyone’s posts about Uncle, learn new things about him (he ran a marathon?!) and see everyone’s pictures of Uncle and Aunty.

Like so many... more

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Elif Kalın reacted on this.

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February 25, 2021 · via iPhone

Baba and I played a game of scrabble 3 years ago when me and my dad spent a lovely day up in Oxford with grandma Mary and Baba. Another delightful memory I share with Baba is waking up early in the morning to see him making muesli with such care and... more

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Elif Kalın reacted on this.

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February 25, 2021 · via iPhone

Me as a baby with Baba❤️

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Elif Kalın reacted on this.

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February 24, 2021 · via iPhone

Taken just before the Friday prayer on a beautiful summer’s day at OCIS.
(Friday 3rd August 2018)

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Shaheeda Shaikh reacted on this.

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February 24, 2021 · via iPhone

Uncle meeting our daughter Aaliyah Noor for the first time (December 2020)

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Elif Kalın reacted on this.

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February 24, 2021 · via iPhone

One of many after dinner tea and dessert (October 2019)

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February 24, 2021 · via iPhone

We were watching a Julia Child video from 1963 showing how to make the perfect French omelette (Feb 2020)

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February 24, 2021 · via iPhone

Uncle and Aunty’s 50th wedding anniversary dinner in July 2019 at Sticks ‘n Sushi

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February 24, 2021 · via iPhone

It was an absolute privilege getting to know uncle and aunty in such a short amount of time. As myself uncle enjoyed talking about food, how it was prepared and to which latest restaurant we have been to. A couple of pictures of a few places we had... more

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Hana Hossain reacted on this.

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February 24, 2021 · via iPhone

We spent our first Eid as a married couple with uncle Quamer and aunty Mary and the rest of their family (Eid 2019)

A beautiful memory....

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Elif Kalın reacted on this.

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February 24, 2021

Eid in Oxford with auntie Mary and uncle Quamer a few years ago...

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Zehra Hossain, Shaheeda Shaikh, and Elif Kalın reacted on this.

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February 23, 2021

Quamer, Mary and Noah playing in Morocco on a cold but very beautiful day.

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Elif Kalın reacted on this.

February 23, 2021

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February 23, 2021

Day's out in Ireland with the camper van. Ahmed in the camper van, Neshat (brother of Quamer) with Sa'ad on his shoulders, U.Quamer encouraging Zehra to let go. Slightly grainy but another great memory, alhamdA

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Anna Hossain and Elif Kalın reacted on this.

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February 23, 2021 · via iPhone

Walking home after a talk by Peter Sanders at Wadham College (01/03/2018)

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Shaheeda Shaikh, Anna Hossain, and Elif Kalın reacted on this.

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February 23, 2021 · via iPhone

At the allotment! Aunty working hard while Uncle dozed off on the chair next to the Apple tree! (Sept 2018).

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Shaheeda Shaikh, Anna Hossain, and Elif Kalın reacted on this.

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February 22, 2021

Ahmed and Quamer at the end of the Seven Sisters walk

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Anna Hossain and Elif Kalın reacted on this.

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February 22, 2021

Sa'ad encouraging his Dad in the Belfast marathon (1980s)

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Anna Hossain and Elif Kalın reacted on this.
Anna Hossain Like father like son xx
- February 23, 2021
- · 1 likes this

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February 22, 2021

Quamer with Ahmed and Ruth's youngest daughter, Laila.

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Anna Hossain and Elif Kalın reacted on this.

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February 22, 2021

We have been looking through old photos. Here are two from around 1992, the first outside the front garden in Belfast, and the second from my university graduation.

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Anna Hossain and Elif Kalın reacted on this.

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February 21, 2021

Amo Quamer and Mary were my rocks when I was at QUB in the late 90s. When my flat mates and later house mates would go home to their families, I would go "home" to Amo Quamer and Mary. During Ramadan I would just stay the whole month and not... more

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asli kalin reacted on this.

February 21, 2021

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February 21, 2021

I have so many memories of Uncle Quamer from when we were kids growing up in Belfast in the 70s and 80s.

Whether it was the many trips to the Mourne Mountains and racing to climb Slieve Donard, or road trips up to the Giants Causeway, first in an old... more

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Zehra Hossain reacted on this.

added 2 photo(s) to the memorial :

February 21, 2021

Elif Kalın reacted on this.
Sa’ad Hossain These are some photos of Quamer with grandchildren Noah and Zaki in Morocco c. 2004
- February 21, 2021
Sa’ad Hossain We all loved this holiday with Baba and Grandma in Oualidia. Remembering the fresh fish and kittens Quamer enjoyed each evening before bedtime - and the many happy stories ! (Anna )
- February 21, 2021
- · 1 likes this

February 21, 2021

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February 21, 2021

I have such happy memories of Quamer both as a friend and colleague in the Dept. of Electrical Engineering at the Queen's University of Belfast. He also taught me all I know about circuit analysis and signal processing. To this day I am still using his... more

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Zehra Hossain reacted on this.

February 20, 2021

February 18, 2021

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February 18, 2021 · via mobile

Dear Uncle Quamer,
Thank you so much for all the wonderful conversations about the Qur’an. I learned to live the Qur’an from you. I will always remember the time you told me that you felt like the Qur’an was burned on the inside of your eyelids.... more

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Hasan Khan reacted on this.

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February 18, 2021

I was incredibly fortunate to have had Uncle Quamer's serene presence during my childhood in Belfast. He was an unmatchable gem to the Muslim community there, and the community at large. It was in he and Auntie Mary's living room that I first heard of... more

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Hasan Khan reacted on this.

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February 17, 2021

"Hasan, I always remember you in all my duas, especially in fajr. I'm very proud of you and I am sure everything will work out."

His slightly raspy, but gentle voice would soothe the soul every time I met him and spoke to him over the phone.... more

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February 17, 2021

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February 17, 2021

The day we lost you uncle, was the day my world lost its spark. The fond memories in your presence keep replaying on my mind on repeat.

At each interaction, you couldn’t go without commenting on my outfit: ‘Is this new darling?’ you would say with... more