Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un
“Surely we belong to God and to Him we return” — Holy Qur’an, 2:156

“Life is a great and noble calling, not a mean and grovelling thing to be shuffled through as best as we can but a lofty and exalted destiny.” — Mawlana Sultan Mahomed Shah, His Highness the Aga Khan III (1877-1957), 48th Imam of the Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims.

By MALIK MERCHANT

It is with deep sadness that I share the news of the passing of my beloved aunt, Raisaheba Sakina Allibhoy Mahomed (nee Ali Prados), in Madrid, Spain, on Saturday, January 10, 2025, two weeks before her 99th birthday. She is survived by her four children, AbdulSultan, Gulam, Yasmin and Shamsah; grandchildren Jan Rashid, Omar, Yasmin, Nizar, Rebeca Laila, Gabriel Aziz, David Ali and Hana; sister Gulbanu Ali Prados; and brother Khanmahomed Ali Prados. Sakina was the granddaughter of the esteemed Ismaili missionary Jamal Meghji Mukhi and the daughter of Ashad Ali Haji, both of whom reflected her notable lineage. We will announce the details of her funeral, which will take place in Lisbon, once the date is confirmed in the coming days.

Sakina aunty died of old age, yet her ability to communicate with her family members until her last day highlights her enduring resilience, strength and courage. I personally spoke to her just a few weeks ago, when I discussed my visit to Houston for the opening of the Ismaili Center by Mawlana Hazar Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan, on November 6, 2025.

Regular readers of this website may have watched with great interest a YouTube video presented by the Ismaili a few years ago that familiarized our viewers with the history of the Spanish Jamat and its first settlement in Spain in 1914. This narrative is missing when discussing recent Ismaili migrations to Europe in the 20th century. Sakina Aunty, who was 93 when I first posted the film in 2020, introduced the film with great insight, wisdom, and passion, and one quickly realizes her immense faith and love for the Imam-of-the-Time, Mawlana Shah Karim, whose leadership continues to inspire us all. Of course, the news of his passing on February 4, 2025, was received by her with deep sadness, yet she found comfort in Mawlana Shah Rahim Hazar Imam’s pronouncement as the 50th Imam, which touched her deeply. Her wish to travel from Madrid to Lisbon for the recent Didar did not materialize due to mobility issues. Still, she was deeply gratified and touched that her son, Gulam, and daughter, Yasmin, were able to present themselves before Mawlana Hazar Imam on behalf of the Madrid Jamat.

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Must Watch YouTube Video on Jamat in Spain

As the YouTube story goes, Sakina Aunty, who was born in Madrid on January 25, 1927, accompanied her father, Ashad Ali Haji, to India in 1947. The trip lasted 3 months, and during this time she met my father Jehangir’s older brother, Abdulmahomed, whom she would marry 3 years later. They would spend the next 10 years in India, mainly in Kolkata (then Calcutta). The couple then lived in London, England, until the mid 1960’s before settling down with their four children — AbdulSultan, Yasmin, Gulammahomed and Shamsah — in Madrid.

While in London, my uncle Abdulmahomed served as Kamadiasaheb and Mukhisaheb of the Jamat at 5 Palace Gate. He and my father, Jehangir, both passed away six months apart, about 8 years ago. Apparently, because they used different surnames, many Jamati members do not know the family link — my uncle used the surname Allibhoy Mahomed, and my father used Merchant. Their father, Allibhoy Mohamed, manufactured leather goods and traded as a leather merchant, and I suspect that’s how I have Merchant as my surname.

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Over the past 50 years, I have had the privilege of meeting Sakina Aunty and my four cousins, as well as their families, several times. My family — my mother, Mrs. Merchant, my brother Alnoor and Shellina, and I — last met Sakina in Lisbon in July 2018, during Mawlana Shah Karim’s Diamond Jubilee visit. Abdulmahomed uncle is buried in Lisbon, and we joined the family at his burial site to pay our respects and pray for his soul, which always reminds me of our enduring family bonds.

Sakina aunty had a photographic memory, enabling her to recount every vital incident from her childhood onwards with precise detail. Once she began telling stories, you would want to keep listening. She accompanied her father and siblings to mulaqats with Mawlana Sultan Mahomed Shah. This blessing of mulaqats continued after Mawlana Shah Karim succeeded to the throne of Imamat in 1957. Incidents from these mulaqats are deeply touching in their own right, reminding us of our shared spiritual journey and connecting listeners to the ongoing legacy of the Imamat of Hazrat Ali. Some of these incidents, as articulated to me, highlight the continuity of the Imamat and the Imams as bearers of the same Noor (Light). Her stories changed how Jamati members felt about their faith.

Her exemplary service under three Imams, Mawlana Sultan Mahomed Shah, Mawlana Shah Karim and Mawlana Shah Rahim Hazar Imam, together with that of her late husband, is a strong pillar and a very important legacy for coming generations. It is impressive to think that of the 111 years of history of the Jamat of Spain, she was there for almost 99 of those years.

Sakina will be remembered by the Jamat in Spain with great affection for her kindness and generosity, which inspired feelings of gratitude and admiration. Her service to the Jamat and the Imam-of-the-Time exemplified her dedication, fostering a sense of respect and appreciation among community members and visitors alike.

Sakina Aunty’s children, who spent years with their beloved mum, will particularly miss her presence, and we pray for their courage and fortitude at this difficult time. We ask our readers to join us in praying for the peace of Raisaheba Sakina’s soul. Ameen.

Date posted: January 11, 2026.

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