A few weeks ago, I came across a video on Dr. Yasir Qadhi’s YouTube channel titled "Remembering My Father: Dr. Mazhar Kazi."1 I had heard about the recent passing of our elder pioneer, Dr. Kazi, but I must admit that I knew very few details about his life. In the days that followed news of his return to Allah, many Islamic organizations expressed their condolences, sharing numerous tributes honoring him as a key figure in the history of American Muslims. Yet, as I listened intently to Sheikh Yasir’s reflections, it became clear that his devotion as a self-sacrificing father and educator was just as impactful, if not greater, than his many public achievements.
Our esteemed brother, Dr. Mazhar U. Kazi, passed away on November 23, 2025, but the legacy he leaves behind continues to inspire countless people, especially parents who hope to raise pious Muslim children. While he may not need an introduction, many among us are only now learning about the remarkable life he led and the impact he had on communities across the globe. Dr. Kazi was born in India in 1936 and later migrated to Karachi, Pakistan, where he pursued his university studies. After earning a Master of Science in biology, he moved to the United States in 1963, settling in Houston, Texas, where he later earned a second master’s degree at the University of Houston. It was there that the next chapter of his journey unfolded, as he began to bring light to the growing Muslim community in the United States.
During the 1960s, Dr. Kazi helped organize Muslim students so they could regularly hold Friday and Eid prayers. In 1970, he co-founded the Islamic Society of Greater Houston (ISGH), which eventually grew into one of the largest umbrella organizations for mosques, Islamic schools, and community service centers in the United States. Today, ISGH operates 21 Islamic centers across Houston. While in Houston, Dr. Kazi met his wife and began a family. His desire to raise his children in a fully Islamic environment led him to accept a position as a professor of medical technology at King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in the 80s. After nearly a decade abroad, he chose to retire from academia, return to Texas, and dedicate himself entirely to Islamic education and writing. By this time, both of his sons, including Sheikh Yasir, had completed memorizing the Quran and were in their teenage years.
In the heartfelt video tribute, Sheikh Yasir reflected on his late father's life and the lessons he left behind. Listening to his words, I was particularly moved by the intentional way he described how Dr. Kazi raised him and his brother upon faith, character, and love for Islam. I decided to compile some of the most inspiring parenting lessons we can draw from his example, hoping they will guide us in our own homes.
Key elements of Dr. Kazi’s approach to raising righteous, committed Muslim children:
1. Leading by example
Dr. Kazi practiced more than he preached. He consistently prayed five times a day and encouraged his children to follow suit out of love rather than out of fear or punishment. Sheikh Yasir describes praying next to his father “as far back as my memory goes.”
2. Instilling a love of the Quran in the household
It seems that Dr. Kazi understood and exemplified the advice of the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, when he said:
“The best deeds are those done regularly, even if they are few.” (Musnad Aḥmad 8600)
The dedicated father established a daily routine of reading one page of the Quran with the English translation alongside his family, making it a manageable and consistent practice.
3. Prioritizing an Islamic environment
Sheikh Yasir revealed that his father gave up a prestigious job opportunity in the US to move his family to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, specifically to provide his sons with an Islamic environment and schooling. For close to a decade, he ensured his family could reap the benefits of living in a Muslim country and memorizing the Quran.
4. Gentle encouragement in religious education
When his son cried after being hit with sticks at a public madrasa, Dr. Kazi hired a private Quran teacher to come to their home instead, ensuring a gentle and encouraging learning experience. This approach helped both his sons become huffadh, or preservers of the Quran.
5. Fostering Islamic activism from a young age
Dr. Kazi was actively involved in Islamic activism in Jeddah and the US, holding weekly gatherings for American Muslims and encouraging youth, including his own children, to give lectures. Sheikh Yasir described delivering his first lecture at around eight or nine years old, and Dr. Kazi encouraged him to speak from memory, cultivating his later speaking skills. If you are familiar with Sheikh Yasir’s work, as I am, then you can truly appreciate the magnitude of his father’s guidance and coaching.
6. Making constant dua
I learned from Sheikh Yasir that Dr. Kazi consistently made dua for his children, specifically praying that his sons memorize the Quran. Now that he is an influential scholar of Islam, he credits his father’s duas as a significant factor in his chosen path.
7. Leaving behind sadaqah jariyah, or ongoing charity
Not only are Dr. Kazi’s children a source of blessing for him and others, but countless people have benefited from his teaching, writing, and mentorship. In many ways, his former students and new Muslims he nurtured became an extension of his family, carrying his teachings forward and multiplying their impact.
Altogether, Dr. Kazi devoted more than sixty years to advancing and supporting Islamic causes. He authored more than a dozen books on Islam, many of which have been translated into multiple languages. He taught classes about Islam to a wide range of people, including curious seekers, new Muslims, and lifelong believers. He was also a devoted advocate for incarcerated Muslims, frequently visiting prisons and corresponding with inmates. If you also consider the impact of Dr. Kazi’s wife and children, which continues to this day, then his influence reaches into the millions. His son, Sheikh Dr. Yasir Qadhi, was even named one of the 500 most influential Muslims in the world in 2025.2 More than a pioneer and activist, Dr. Kazi was a devoted family man who raised two sons and lovingly cared for his wife. Now he inspires us, Muslim parents, as we search for better ways to reach our children.
May Allah have mercy on Dr. Kazi, make his grave spacious, and grant him the highest level of Paradise without reckoning. Ameen.
- https://youtu.be/kd9Po-SlAN8?si=3h8f5MXd6SvyH2Ek
- https://themuslim500.com/profiles/yasir-qadhi/
Bio:
Wendy Díaz is a Puerto Rican Muslim writer, award-winning poet, translator, former educator, and mother of six (ages ranging from toddler to teen). She is the co-founder of Hablamos Islam, a non-profit organization that produces educational resources about Islam in Spanish (hablamosislam.org). She has written, illustrated, and published over a dozen children’s books and currently lives with her family in Maryland. Follow Wendy Díaz on social media @authorwendydiaz and @hablamosislam.
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