USA: Pioneer Ahmadi Muslim of Los Angeles passes away

Mohammad Ikramul Haq Jattala of Chino, California, who has been a member of the Los Angeles Jamā'ats for the past 45 years, passed away at the age of 85 on February 1, 2016 due to a combination of ailments stemming from his heart disease.

Mr Jattala is the younger brother of late Ch. Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq of Virginia/Lahore. Ahmadiyyat came in his family thorough their father, Ch Nabi Bakhsh who accepted the Promised Messiah in early 1920s.

In Pakistan, Mr Ikram Jattala had served in the Pakistan Air Force and later established an import/export business. He moved to the USA in 1970 and he was The first Ahmadi from Pakistan to settle in L.A. was my father Muzaffar Ahmad, who sadly passed away in Ramadan last year. My father settled in L.A. in 1963 when he got admitted to UCLA for his MS Computer Science degree. Actually, a gentleman named Inayat Sb can also be said to be the first Ahmadi in L.A., but  because he was almost alone, no setup of worship was established. My father arrived there shortly after and he immediately commenced some sort of Jamaat there. Our home was the first prayer center in L.A. and it was also guesthouse to numerous Ahmadis who either settled in L.A. and needed a play to stay to dignitaries such as Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad (ra) who along with his family stayed with us. People such as Hazrat Mirza Mubarak, Dr. Tahira Sadiqa, Maulana Abdul Malik Sb, many many others all stayed in our home. Our home was also venue of Jumaa and Eid Namaz. The late Rahmat Jamal Sb (may Allah be pleased with him) was my teacher. It was my mother who actually wrote to Hazrat Mirza Nasir Ahmad (ra) and proposed that a mosque should be built in LA and he was the first person to donate in this regard, $2000 at that time. I myself was born in L.A. in 1968 although I'm living in Pakistan now. I'm surprised no one in L.A. Jamaat told you about my father even today many people in L.A. know his name well. I just wanted to clarify this to you

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(Mr Ikram Jattala is father of Ahmadiyya Times Founder & Chief Editor, Imran Jattala)

-- Pioneer Ahmadi Muslim of Los Angeles passes away