Master Mohammed Hussain a great teacher, mentor and leader

M H Koya (PhD)

I met Master Mohammed Hussain in his early forties at Lautoka Muslim Elementary School when I was 17 years old working as a licensed school teacher.

Master Hussain, who taught 8^th grade students preparing them for the Fiji Junior Examination, took a great interest in me and became my well-wisher. Soon he found my interest lay in Islam and learning the Urdu language.

My knowledge of Islam was very nominal but I longed to read and exp and my knowledge which Master Hussain readily noticed. Although I had heard about 73 sects in Islam and out of them one was going to go to heaven. I was somewhat skeptical of the traditions that existed in my Malayalam Muslim community and I needed a lot of answers to my questions for clarification.  I resented the practice of self-injuring Ratib that I found was not part of the practice of the Prophet of Islam. I was in search of true and pure Islam dissociated with man-made precepts and principles.

With my needs in mind, Master Hussain began providing me the basic literature on Islam that began to enlighten me and within a few months I came to possess a wealth of knowledge.  I began disseminating and sharing my knowledge with my family and friends who were amazed to find and overnight change in me.

As I read through all the literature Master Hussain provided me, I began seeing the clarity on a number of issues and misconceptions that clogged the thinking of small-time clerics (mullahs) in my family who were barely read in the Holy Quran and knew nothing about Islamic history.

For the first time I had access to English/Arabic side-by-side translation of the Holy Quran bound in hardcover that I read with immense pleasure. It put me 20 years ahead of the Mullahs who were making money reading the Quran at the demise of poor Muslims, at their death anniversaries and other minor occasions and made a fortune on the side.

Our friendship cost Master Hussain his lucrative career as principal in the teaching profession as Muslim League filed a complaint with Education department that we were Ahmadi Muslims. The complaint led to cessation of my services and Master Hussain’s transfer to a village school at Field 40 Andhra Sangam School.

As a devout man of God, Master Hussain displayed an undying faith and trust in God as I witness him succeed in dealing with most challenging and daunting issues that he faced. Although not an elected official of a newly formed Ahmadiyya Muslim Community chapter in Lautoka, Master Hussain displayed excellent leadership as many sought his trusted guidance.

Prophetic statements

One of the most powerful things I bear witness to is Master Hussain’s absolute trust in God as he was marginalized and severely opposed for his stand on acquiring a property for AMC in Lautoka. When the rich in the Jamaat defied a proposal, Master Hussain dared everyone  and declared,” If anyone of think that your abstention will defeat the project for want of your money, then let me tell God will descend money from heaven for His Jamaat.”

Following this declaration Master Hussain and I met with a very compassionate Mr. Mari Muttu a CSR land official who willingly assigned over 10 acres of land at a very remote hilly spot what was then known as Tawakubu back road. The following year, the foundation stone of the first Ahmadiyya Muslim School in Fiji was laid here. I had the good fortune of working in close association with Master Hussain and soon saw the school become operational.

Whenever anyone objected to the remote and neglected and almost inaccessible area, Master Hussain would respond with cheer and predict that God will make revolutionary changes and grant all amenities, road and power that will enliven the area as a prime estate of the city.

Master Hussain’s word turned prophetic when a massive expansion of new housing scheme in Lautoka opened up new roadways that linked Waiyavi settlement with the new Ahmadiyya School. This led to an influx of new residenst that meant an increase in the student population for the school.

First Ahmadiyya Mosque a dream-come true!

Our expulsion from the Muslim League School had silently paved a way not only for the first Ahmadiyya Muslim School but also first Ahmadiyya Mosque at one of the highest peaks in Lautoka. Many times when Mater Hussain would stand at his humble home located at the Similar Hills overlooking the valley and unfold his dreams to me and say, “Master Koya, you see that highest point there, we will have our first Ahmadiyya Mosque there.”

I could not believe myself when a few months later, I was part of a small group digging the earth for the foundation stone laid by Mr. Ahmad Kahlon a visiting Ahmadi from Dhaka, Pakistan ( now Bangladesh).

Translation of the first Fijian Holy Quran

Definitely the most admirable contributions of Master Hussain to the entire Fiji population will remain the final proof reading of the first Fijian Holy Quran that was accomplished under the guidance of our late caliph, Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad.

It is a monumental document that many will continue to read, examine and benefit from and with it remember Master Hussain for his matchless work.

Despite his advanced age and fragile health, Master Hussain visited Australia – just a few months ago – to witness the historic visit of the world leader of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Hazrat Mirza Masroor sahib that made international headlines.

Annals of Ahmadiyya history in Fiji will be incomplete without Master Hussain’s role it: both mutually inseparable.