Our beloved, Adil (Farid) Mansuri, 72, passed away this morning at 7.05 am at Hackensack Medical Center, Hackensack, NJ due to a Heart Attack.

Innalillahi wa inna ilaihi raji’un
To Allah we belong and truly to Him we shall return

He was a poet, an artist, a calligrapher, a play-writer, a great husband and a kind father.

He is survived by his wife of 44 years, Bismillah, 5 children; Sons – Sarfaraz (Saf), Ali Imran, and daughters Batul, Kauser, Tasneem  and 9 grandchildren. His loving presence will be truly missed!

We thank his extended family, friends and fans for their sympathy and kind words.

 We ask you to please pray for him.  Thank You.

Visitation hours are scheduled for tomorrow Friday, November 7, 2008 from 9AM to 12PM, at Dar Ul Islah, 320 Fabry Terrace (Teaneck Mosque), Teaneck, NJ, 07666

Please find the location and directions below.

From Route 80 West:
Take Exit 70-B (for Teaneck), go over the highway, make first right on Glenwood Avenue, cross traffic light make right
(i.e. second right turn) on Fabry Terrace. Mosque is at the end of the street.

From NJ Turnpike (I-95) North:
Take Exit 70-B (for Teaneck), go over the highway, make first right on Glenwood Avenue, make right on Fabry Terrace.
Mosque is at the end of the street.

From NJ Turnpike (I-95) South:
After crossing Washington Bridge stay in the local lanes, take Exit 70 for Teaneck, make right at the traffic light (in front
of Glenpointe Marriott Hotel) on Glenwood Avenue, make right on Fabry Terrace. Mosque is at the end of the street.

Map: http://maps.google.com/maps?oi=map&q=320+Fabry+Terrace,+Teaneck,+NJ

Please park in the parking lot on Hemlock Terrace.

You can also visit www.mansuri.com for direction and more information.

Namaz-e-Janaza will be held at after Jumma Prayer (Jumma Prayer starts 1.00 pm)  After that, he will be taken to Jersey State Memorial Park (aka Makbarat As-Salam), 600 County Road 520, Millstone, New Jersey 07046

Direction to Jersey State Memorial Park, Millstone, New Jersey:  Take the NJ Turnpike to Exit 8, Proceed down Route 33 East, towards Freehold.  Go 6.2 miles, passing through six (6) traffic lights, and make your first right turn onto Conover Road. (Across from Academy Bus Station)  Proceed down Conover Road 0.2 miles and Jersey State Memorial Park is on your right-hand side.

A father is a gift, a mercy a blessing, a kindness Masha Allah.  He was our everything!

The following is a statement written by Adil Mansuri for the Indo-American Arts Council Art Exhibition:

An Endless Journey into Curiosity – Adil Mansuri

Born in 1936 in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India, Gujarati is both my native language and mother tongue. I later learned Arabic, the language of the Quran, in a local Madrassa. The very same year of my birth, my Father performed the Hajj pilgrimage in Makkah. He was led by a Moallim (teacher), Syed Abdullah Ba’Faqih, who would later play a key role in my journey into curiosity.

In 1947, a country divided and become two and prompted my father’s curiosity. The following year, in 1948, he embarked on a direct train to Karachi to discover opportunities in a newly born country. He settled there for 8 years with 10 children – 5 girls and 5 boys. Of those 10, I am the eldest amongst boys.

I began attending school in Karachi and a new language, Urdu, curiously entered my world. In 1952, My father’s Moallim, Syed Abdullah Ba’Faqih visited us in Karachi and stayed with us. It was at this time that I would learn Calligraphy from him, and later on begin writing poems, especially Urdu Ghazals Several years later in 1955, having suffered a stroke and heart attack, my father returned to India and struggled to resettle in our native land.

After we returned to India, I continued writing, poems, and now plays – this time in Gujarati. I published several collections, many of which were well received and bestowed several awards. Around the same time, I spent time with Piraji Sagara and became inspired to experiment with art and oil paintings on canvas. This led to solo shows in Jehangir Art Gallery in Mumbai and Sansakar Kendra in Ahmedabad, sponsored by Sarabhai’s Darpan Academy.

1985 brought us new opportunities for curiosity with our migration to the United States. Settled in New Jersey, I participated in shows and poetry recital programs (mushaira) across the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Middle East, and India.

O ’Adil, We wish you peace and the highest levels of paradise in the next stage of your endless journey.

 

Allah humma anta rab-buha, wa-anta Khalaqtaha, wa anta razaqtaha,
wa anta hadaytaha lil islam, wa anta qabadta ruhaha.l
wa anta a’lamu bisir-riha wa ‘ala niyyatiha,
ji’naa shufa’a, faghfir lahu Zan – bahu

O Allah! You are its Lord, you have created it,
and you have guided it towards Islam, and you have taken out his soul,
and you know best about its secret and open deeds.
We have come as intercessors, so forgive him.