In the name of Allah the Most Merciful the Ever Merciful<\/p>\n
24 Rabi al-Awwal 1437 \/ 5th<\/sup> January 2016<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Greetings<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Inna lillahi ma akhadha wa lillahi ma a\u2018ta wa kullun \u2018indahu<\/em><\/p>\n bi-ajalin musamman fal tasbir wal tahtasib<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTo God belongs what He takes and to Him belongs what He gives. There is a set time by Him for everything. So do exercise patience and expect a reward (from Allah).\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n On behalf of the Dockrat family our heartfelt condolences are with you and your family on this sad occasion. Yet there is comfort in knowing that the deceased has reached closer to his final destination: \u201cDeath is but a bridge uniting the lover to his beloved.\u201d Death does not signal the end, it is only the start of a fresh and more eternal phase of life.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Surely, to Allah belongs everything. Our life, wealth and families are wonderful gifts from Him loaned to us, so that we may derive benefit therefrom for a fixed period of time. Thus, gratitude becomes binding upon us when He gives, and patience obligatory when He takes away. Let this occasion be a means for you and your family of attaining great rewards by exercising the desired patience. Whatever is to happen, will happen.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n My dear Professor Gerrie\u2019s loss in not only your loss or mine. It is the loss of the nation and humanity at large. It is seldom that people of such integrity and virtue walk the earth. He epitomised for me what a good teacher should be. He was a good academic who truly understood and lived a life that promoted understanding and justice. The invaluable lessons he thought will be etched in my memory forever.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n His office had a copy of the Qur\u2019an on display and on his retirement he gifted me a frame containing the entire Qur\u2019an. This frame has pride of place in my lounge and is an enduring reminder of the gift of a compassionate Christian pastor. This same Qur\u2019an reminds us that nothing of this world endures. Wa mal hayatud dunya illa mata\u2018 al-gharur<\/em>.\u201d (3:185) [And this worldly life is nothing but deception]. It is good deeds and impressions we leave behind that immortalise us. Gerrie\u2019s legacy endures as my friend. If a friend is a second self, then I feel blessed to have had a good, wise friend and I celebrate his life.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n My parents, Ebrahim and Jamila Dockrat and my wife Aamena, join me in passing our heartfelt condolences to Mrs Jeanetta Lubbe, the children and the extended family. We pray that you be blessed with every goodness. Ameen.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Wassalam<\/em><\/p>\n Ashraf Dockrat<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In the name of Allah the Most Merciful the Ever Merciful 24 Rabi al-Awwal 1437 \/ 5th January 2016 The family of the Respected Professor Rev Gerrie Lubbe Greetings Inna lillahi ma akhadha wa lillahi ma a\u2018ta wa kullun \u2018indahu bi-ajalin musamman fal tasbir wal tahtasib\u201d \u201cTo God belongs what He takes and … Continue reading Ashraf Dockrat<\/span> The family of the Respected Professor Rev Gerrie Lubbe<\/h1>\n
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