We thank our Creator, in blessed Ramadan, for His manifold blessings - the air we breathe, the earth we inhabit, the water and the foods that nurture us, the love of our parents and cherished ones, the functioning of our bodies. I'm grateful, in particular, for the blessings that Allah has bestowed on me in special ways. One of my greatest pleasures is to pray on Friday at the Haram - not easy for someone living in Canada. Once, many years ago, we visited relatives in Pakistan but went through Saudi Arabia. We planned arrival in Jeddah on Thursday and prayer on Friday in Makkah. But our flights were delayed and we reached Makkah after the prayers were over. Heartbroken, I told my wife and children that I didn't know if I'd be able to offer Friday prayers in Makkah ever again. Miraculously, I offered Friday prayers in Makkah two weeks later. We went to Madinah and later to Karachi. Keith Spicer, the editor of Ottawa Citizen, phoned me saying Saudi Ambassador Ziad Sawaf had told him that Prince Saud Al-Faisal had invited me to the Gulf summit in Riyadh. Mr. Spicer said that if I went and wrote about the summit the newspaper would give me extra time off because I was on holiday, but the decision was mine. I told him I'd go. I had met Prince Saud in Ottawa when he met with Muslim leaders and then prominent Canadian journalists, and I wrote about his visit in the Citizen. So I went to Riyadh. After the summit I went to Madinah and offered Friday prayers. The following week I prayed on Friday in Makkah. I thanked Allah with all my heart and prayed for Prince Saud for his invitation. I recall too the time Allah saved my life. I enjoy excellent health but one evening many years ago, I suddenly started to bleed. I called my doctor, a surgeon, and he told me to rush to the hospital. My wife drove me there immediately. I started bleeding again and passed out. Dr. John Clark operated on me straightaway. He told my wife that a major vein had burst, I had lost a third of my blood and would have died within minutes. Allah saved me by ensuring that I was home and had access to a surgeon and a top hospital where I could have immediate surgery. My first job in Canada was another blessing. I had my journalism degree from the US and had worked with Pakistani and American newspapers. I migrated to Canada because I felt it was better for my family. I submitted articles to the Citizen and other Canadian papers. They said they'd try me out if they had a vacancy when I arrived. We landed in Ottawa on a Monday and I saw the Citizen's editor the next day. He told me he and the managing editor would like to meet me on Wednesday. They interviewed me and asked me to return the next day. They told me on Thursday they had no vacancy and did not expect one soon but would hire me anyway. They said I could join on Friday (Saturday and Sunday are holidays), meet the staff and hunt for an apartment. I was flabbergasted. I thanked Allah for bringing me to a country where people are farsighted and big-hearted. This success came because I had degrees from top universities, another blessing. I had tried in Pakistan to get a scholarship to study in the West. I was only able to get one from the University of the Philippines. I was disappointed initially but discovered that UP was a top-notch school and that a year in the Philippines was useful and enjoyable. After getting my degree I worked in Pakistan as a journalist. Then came the elating news - a two-year scholarship from the University of Michigan and the Press Club of Michigan that was given to only two journalists from around the world. It included three-month internships with three newspapers in Michigan, in my case the Flint Journal, Grand Rapids Press and Holland Evening Sentinel. A foundation paid for my travel. Those two years were fabulous. But to earn an MA I needed two more semesters after my scholarship expired. The University offered me free tuition while the Flint Journal gave me a job for six months to enable me to get my MA. Allah's blessings have been countless. But the biggest has been the parents He gave me. They taught me the beauty of Islam - the prayers, fasting, compassion, good manners, helping others, integrity, keeping your word, honesty and love and respect for others. As Ramadan enters its final stretch I thank Allah humbly and pray to Him to guide and bless all of His creations.
— Mohammed Azhar Ali Khan is a former Canadian journalist, civil servant and refugee judge. He has received the Order of Canada, Order of Ontario, the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal and the Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal.
