Appreciations
He Departed a Decade Before
But the Void Remains Unfilled
Justice M. Jameel
It was the 10th day of Ramadhaan. Soon after breaking fast, telephones started ringing carrying that stunning news. Sorrow over sorrow. End of an outstanding personage who contributed a lot for the betterment of the community behind the scenes. The hearts of all who received the news of the demise of Justice M. Jameel on 11.09.2008 found it difficult to accept it.
A few months before his death, he was ailing but not much. He could not reportedly recover fully from chikungunya fever that stroke him.
Justice Jameel was in fact a model of politeness, humility, simplicity, honesty, integrity and deliberation - superior attributes very hardly found in people of this era. He was a legend laden with knowledge, yet lived so quietly. It must be noted that while he was well versed in law and judiciary, he had knowledge of Islamic Jurisprudence.
There are a great deal of services rendered by Justice Jameel for the development of the Muslim community educationally, culturally and economically, but his yeomen service is not visible in his name for the simple reason that he did them all behind the scenes. Frankly speaking, leading institutions of repute involved in religious, educational, social and economical activities such as All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama, Ceylon Baithulmal, Ilma International School and Amana Investments Limited enormously benefitted from him. Justice Jameel left us while he was providing numerous multifaceted services to the society with no publicity at all.
Silence was one of the first-rate qualities he was adorned with. He talked very little; just a few meaningful sentences constructed of well-chosen words. He was loved by virtually everyone.
He rose in his career to the very exalted position of ‘Justice’, a position Muslims in Sri Lanka very barely reached, thus earning them a fame that will not vanish with the passage of time. Many responsible positions came to his feet. He had the honour of being a member of the Constitutional Council and ambassador of Sri Lanka in UAE. It is a fact that his presence illuminated the positions he held rather than the positions illuminating him.
He was keen on social service during his judicature and after his retirement he got deeply involved in it with much enthusiasm. As president of the Ceylon Baithulmal, president of the Board of Governors of the Ilma International School, member of the Shari’ah Supervisory Council of the Amana Investments Limited and holding many other responsible posts in various public organizations, he performed his duties with great patience and utmost prudence and thus set a good example to others who are in public life and social work.
In his last few years, he showed an intense interest in reading Islamic Shari’ah literature. Particularly Islamic Jurisprudence was his focal point. He never hesitated to get any doubts cleared by respected ulama.
I fondly recall the way we used to address each other. Though older than me by many years, he would address me ‘Sir’. I had the habit of addressing him ‘Your Lordship’.
All in all, Justice Jameel will definitely go down in the annals as a great seasoned scholar of piety, excellent attributes and social-mindedness.
Justice Jameel, a human being par excellence who proved himself an asset to the community by serving it in silence with sincerity, humility, simplicity and deliberation departed ten years ago. But the vacuum created by his passing is not yet filled. The society is unlimitedly indebted to him. It is my considered opinion that Justice Jameel is a chapter that should be researched in depth.
May Almighty Allah forgive his sins, accept his good deeds and honour him by granting him Jannat Al-Firdaws!
Aboo Awwaab Haniffa Abdul Nazar
1439.12.30
2018.09.11
A few months before his death, he was ailing but not much. He could not reportedly recover fully from chikungunya fever that stroke him.
Justice Jameel was in fact a model of politeness, humility, simplicity, honesty, integrity and deliberation - superior attributes very hardly found in people of this era. He was a legend laden with knowledge, yet lived so quietly. It must be noted that while he was well versed in law and judiciary, he had knowledge of Islamic Jurisprudence.
There are a great deal of services rendered by Justice Jameel for the development of the Muslim community educationally, culturally and economically, but his yeomen service is not visible in his name for the simple reason that he did them all behind the scenes. Frankly speaking, leading institutions of repute involved in religious, educational, social and economical activities such as All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama, Ceylon Baithulmal, Ilma International School and Amana Investments Limited enormously benefitted from him. Justice Jameel left us while he was providing numerous multifaceted services to the society with no publicity at all.
Silence was one of the first-rate qualities he was adorned with. He talked very little; just a few meaningful sentences constructed of well-chosen words. He was loved by virtually everyone.
He rose in his career to the very exalted position of ‘Justice’, a position Muslims in Sri Lanka very barely reached, thus earning them a fame that will not vanish with the passage of time. Many responsible positions came to his feet. He had the honour of being a member of the Constitutional Council and ambassador of Sri Lanka in UAE. It is a fact that his presence illuminated the positions he held rather than the positions illuminating him.
He was keen on social service during his judicature and after his retirement he got deeply involved in it with much enthusiasm. As president of the Ceylon Baithulmal, president of the Board of Governors of the Ilma International School, member of the Shari’ah Supervisory Council of the Amana Investments Limited and holding many other responsible posts in various public organizations, he performed his duties with great patience and utmost prudence and thus set a good example to others who are in public life and social work.
In his last few years, he showed an intense interest in reading Islamic Shari’ah literature. Particularly Islamic Jurisprudence was his focal point. He never hesitated to get any doubts cleared by respected ulama.
I fondly recall the way we used to address each other. Though older than me by many years, he would address me ‘Sir’. I had the habit of addressing him ‘Your Lordship’.
All in all, Justice Jameel will definitely go down in the annals as a great seasoned scholar of piety, excellent attributes and social-mindedness.
Justice Jameel, a human being par excellence who proved himself an asset to the community by serving it in silence with sincerity, humility, simplicity and deliberation departed ten years ago. But the vacuum created by his passing is not yet filled. The society is unlimitedly indebted to him. It is my considered opinion that Justice Jameel is a chapter that should be researched in depth.
May Almighty Allah forgive his sins, accept his good deeds and honour him by granting him Jannat Al-Firdaws!
Aboo Awwaab Haniffa Abdul Nazar
1439.12.30
2018.09.11
Jumuah Khutbah
Weekly Fiqh Class for Adults
Special address At prize-giving
