Remembering Brother Nayaz Pasha: A Man of Simplicity, Sincerity, and Service

By: Fouzia Usman 

Bismillah-ir-Rahman-ir-Raheem.

I want to share a story about how Allah places people in our lives at the right time, in the most unexpected ways. I first met brother Nayaz and his family during Eid gatherings and at community events. He was always someone you could recognize for his warm presence and his willingness to step forward whenever there was a chance to help.

In 2016, I was in a very difficult place. I was working full time, and at the same time, trying to manage the development of the Ummah Stars app — a project very close to my heart, meant to bring the stories of the Seerah and our beloved Prophet ﷺ to life for children. But I was struggling. The team I had in Jordan was using technology I wasn’t familiar with, and though I had the vision, I didn’t have the technical confidence to guide them properly. I remember making sincere du‘a to Allah, asking Him to send me help.

And subhanAllah, Allah answered in a way I could never have planned. One Sunday, exhausted and unable to cook, I asked my husband to pick up food from a nearby Uyghur restaurant. That’s where he met Nayaz bhai. While waiting for food, my husband mentioned Ummah Stars — and it was as if Allah had written this meeting long before. Nayaz bhai immediately shared that he had his own IT company and a team that built apps. He was inspired by the vision, and more than that, he wanted to be part of the khair, to contribute in whatever way he could.

From that moment on, he became the cornerstone of Ummah Stars. He sat with me, reviewed the requirements, and even met with the Jordan team. Soon after, I knew without a doubt that the project needed his leadership and expertise, and I handed it over to him. It was one of the best decisions I ever made — and it was only possible because Allah placed Nayaz bhai in my path at exactly the right time.

For the next three years, brother Nayaz worked closely with my team and his team to bring Ummah Stars to life. It was not easy—my team was spread across Jordan and Australia, his team was in India, and we were here in the Pacific timezone. Meeting after meeting, late nights, and long calls—slowly, the app began to take shape. Through it all, his patience, calmness, and dedication never wavered. 

When I put “Nayaz” in my messages today, I have to scroll for more than a minute just to reach the very first message he sent me—dated April 11, 2016—inviting us to his office for a meeting. SubhanAllah, I have pages and pages of emails and conversations with him, each one a reminder of his commitment, his encouragement, and his presence in that journey.

During the final ten nights of Ramadan in the summer of 2017, my family and I had the privilege of performing Umrah. I remember sending him a message that I had made du‘a for him there. He was so touched by that. In return, he asked me to also make du‘a for another project he was working on. Later, he shared with so much joy how that project had taken off, and I could sense how deeply grateful he was to Allah for that blessing.

Even though Ummah Stars eventually could not be sustained, I will always remain grateful to him for his guidance, his generosity, and the support he showed me in that chapter of my life.

He had a way of staying connected. He loved reading my emails and picture stories, and if I hadn’t sent one for a while, he would ask me why I hadn’t written anything recently. When I launched Muslim Nation Builders, he was so inspired by the vision, and every time we met, he would ask how it was going. Just before this past summer, I shared with him about the Turkey trip I was coordinating through MNB Trailblazers. He was very interested and asked me all about it.

Although he couldn’t travel himself because of his restricted diet, he told me that in the future he wanted to send both of his children on the MNB Trailblazers trip to Istanbul. That was his way—always thinking about how opportunities could benefit not only himself but especially his children.

He had such an interest in living according to the Sunnah—I still remember when he gifted us a book on the Sunnah way of eating and shared how he was trying to implement it in his life.

Whenever we had a get-together, we would invite him to our home, and he always appreciated the authentic South Indian vegetarian dishes and biryanis I would make.

One moment that really showed his heart was when he had the opportunity to meet Shaykh Yusuf Estes at Darul Falah masjid. Right away, he messaged me, excited to share the news, and even went so far as to arrange a meeting for me with the Shaykh. When Shaykh Yusuf spoke about Guide Us TV, Nayaz bhai didn’t hesitate for a moment—he immediately offered his full support. That was his nature. He was always on the lookout for opportunities to contribute to the deen and to earn reward, whether the effort was big or small. His sincerity was in seizing those moments, never letting them pass by.

Above all, his children held a special place in his heart. He was so proud of them. I remember how he arranged for his daughter to shadow my husband at the clinic because he wanted her to learn, to grow, and to see opportunities. His love for his children was one of the clearest reflections of who he was—a father who cared deeply about their future and wanted the best for them in both dunya and akhirah.

As I reflect on brother Nayaz’s life, what stands out most is his sincerity. He was not a man who sought recognition, but a man who sought reward with Allah. Whether it was guiding a project, sharing a book on the Sunnah, enjoying meals together, supporting his children, or arranging meetings with scholars, every effort was driven by his desire to contribute, to help, and to be part of khair.

He leaves behind a legacy of kindness, generosity, and service. His simplicity was a reminder that true greatness does not lie in titles or wealth, but in the hearts we touch and the lives we impact. For me personally, he was a cornerstone during an important chapter of my life, and for so many others, he was a source of encouragement and quiet strength.

To his beloved family: I pray that Allah grants you sabr and comforts your hearts. Your husband and father was a man who loved you deeply, who took pride in you, and whose every action reflected his care for your future.

May Allah forgive brother Nayaz, shower His mercy upon him, and grant him Jannatul Firdaus without reckoning. May his good deeds continue to multiply through his family, his children, and all the lives he touched. And may we all take inspiration from his example — to live simply, to give sincerely, and to always seek the pleasure of Allah in whatever we do.

Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji‘oon. Verily, to Allah we belong and to Him we shall return.