I called him Chacha
Your loss has created a deep hole in our hearts. When we share stories about you with your grandchildren, we will describe you as one of the finest men. Khaja Mohammad Ghousuddin, 1958-2025.
By Uzma Jalaluddin
My father’s youngest brother. The one who loved dad jokes, even before he became a father, who loved cartoons, especially Inspector Gadget.
He had a sweet tooth, and he never drank chai until suddenly he picked up the habit, and then sheepishly asked for extra sugar.
Some of my earliest memories are of holding his hand - my fingers tiny in his grasp – on our way to Sunday school at the Islamic Foundation of Toronto, back when it was on Rhodes Avenue near Gerrard Street.
Afterwards, he would take me out for dosa or tandoori chicken or donuts.
He shied away from the spotlight, was always the one behind the camera, taking pictures and recording family events, including my high school graduation.
He constructed a balloon arch for my wedding, just because he thought I would like it.
He ran tax clinics at the mosque, helped with AV needs, and conducted community archiving.
He never showed up anywhere empty-handed.
He took my Chachi and cousins camping to soak in the beauty of Canada.
He was a pioneer and a pillar in the truest sense of the word: he supported, through his words and actions, an entire community, and refused to take any credit or praise or payment, even as he paid for supplies and treats from his own pocket.
He was one of the most gentle men I knew, and alongside my dad, showed me that men could be soft and kind and possess a tender loyalty that remained steady no matter what life threw at them.
His life was devoted to the pursuit of knowledge, for himself and for the many students he taught at the weekend Islamic schools in the GTA.
He never stopped learning, taking classes in the evenings and continuously improving his knowledge.
He began volunteering with the Islamic Foundation of Toronto in the 1980’s, shortly after he immigrated from Hyderabad, and didn’t stop until his sudden and unexpected death on Monday, June 23. Chacha, our family is bereft.
Your loss has left a crater in our hearts.
When we tell your grandchildren stories about you, we will describe you as among the best of men.
To God we belong and to him we return.
Khaja Mohammad Ghousuddin, 1958-2025.
He is survived by his wife Asima, children Safaa (married to Ahmed) and Saalik (married to Farha), and three grandchildren.
(Uzma Jalaluddin is a critically acclaimed and bestselling novelist, playwright, public speaker, and teacher. She writes authentic, nuanced and entertaining stories about Muslims, South Asians, and Canadians. She is the author of DETECTIVE AUNTY (2025), MUCH ADO ABOUT NADA (2023), THREE HOLIDAYS AND A WEDDING (2023), HANA KHAN CARRIES ON (2021) and AYESHA AT LAST (2019) as well as her first play, THE RISHTA (2023). Her novels have been optioned for film and television, including by Amazon Studios and Mindy Kaling).