Yesterday, Thursday, March 24, 2022, Italian Muslims bid farewell to Abdel Rahman Rosario Pasquini, one of the most prominent sheikhs of Islam in Italian homes in particular and Europe in general, who left the world at the age of 88 years.

Since his conversion to Islam 49 years ago, Pasquini has dedicated his life to serving Islam and Muslims in the West.

And fates wish that the adopted child who lived in Milan, Italy, becomes the adoptive spiritual father of many Muslim youths of the second generation.

Pasquini studied law at the University of Milan (the island)

Birth and upbringing

June 13, 1934: Sheikh Abd al-Rahman Paswini was born in the Croatian town of Fiume.

1953: Young Pasquini entered the Faculty of Law at the University of Milan.

1957: He graduated from the university and obtained a BA in Law.

1959: He passed the bar exam.

February 1960: His name is entered in the register of lawyers in Milan, a profession he held for 12 years until 1972.

Pasquini converted to Islam in 1973 (Al-Jazeera)

His Journey with Islam

1973: Abd al-Rahman Pasquini announced his conversion to Islam to dedicate his life only to the Islamic call, using his knowledge of Italian law.

1977: He issued the magazine "The Islamic Message" (Il Messaggero dell'Islam), which had a major role in introducing the message and the call of Islam.

Publications of Sheikh Abdul Rahman Pasquini (Al Jazeera)

1977: Contributed to the establishment of the Islamic Center in Milan and Lombardy.

In the same year, he founded, with others, the Al-Rahman Mosque in Milan, where the funeral prayer was held over his body, and fate wants him to be buried in a special cemetery attached to the mosque he participated in building.

The cemetery in which Sheikh Abd al-Rahman was buried (Al-Jazeera)

1989: Participated in the establishment of the Islamic Endowment Authority in Italy.

1990: Contributed to founding the Federation of Islamic Organizations in Italy.

1991: Founded the "Al-Qalam Publishing House", which became one of the main experiments in Islamic publishing in Italy, and it has more than 200 publications, including the translation of the meanings of the Holy Qur'an for the late.

expatriate youth shelter

Sheikh Abd al-Rahman Pasquini, "was a reference for us young people in Milan, and we used to head to him from different cities, towards the headquarters of the Islamic Center in Milano Lombardy at the Rahman Mosque, where we used to meet him," says Yassin Laferm, head of the Federation of Islamic Organizations in Italy, to Al Jazeera Net.

The deceased is considered a scientific beacon for expatriate youth, "We used to attend training courses with him on issues of faith and jurisprudence, and we were very attached to this man because he was a scholar and specialist, in addition to his Italian language, which helped us more in understanding our religion, especially since there were young people who were not fluent in understanding Arabic. Well," Yassin Laferm adds.

Many immigrants, fathers of Muslim youth in Italy, are not familiar with the culture of the host country and the problems that may encounter their children, in addition to the customs and norms that they bring with them away from Islam, so “the late had a great role in covering this void as a reference for Muslim youth where they sought refuge.” To him for advice, he was drawing on the tolerant Islamic law,” explains the head of the Islamic Association of Alps Muhammad Bahi in an interview with Al Jazeera Net.

Sheikh Abdul Rahman Pasquini (right) participates in one of the activities for Muslims in Italy (Al-Jazeera)

The young man in his thirties, Yassin Lafarm, did not hesitate to seek knowledge and advice from his Sheikh Abdul Rahman Pasquini, explaining that "my personal relationship with the deceased was wonderful and affected me a lot, because he was pious and pious and had very high faith. If you sit with Sheikh Pasquini you feel as if you are in a council of faith In the first place, and this is what increased my attachment to him and my love for him.”

"The man was jovial, had a good sense of humor, embraced the youth and understood all the questions they asked," Yassin Lafram continues.

Younis Bouweys (right) with Sheikh Abdul Rahman Pasquini (Al Jazeera)

Likewise, the youth and community activist Younes Bouwes keeps memories with Sheikh Pasquini, saying, "I met him in his participation in one of the seminars on Islam in Europe. He spoke in understandable Italian and Arabic, free of linguistic errors. He had an eloquence in understanding and speech, as he attracted you by the way he spoke to listen to him." .

"Sheikh Pasquini, may God have mercy on him, was known for his non-interference in political Islam and his lack of involvement in Islamic societies. His goal was to introduce Islam," confirms Bouwes.

Sheikh Abdul Rahman Pasquini (Al Jazeera)

The "godfather" who served Islam by law

Sheikh Abdul Rahman Pasquini took a legal path to his university studies, which had an impact on his Islamic missionary work.

This proposal is confirmed by the head of the Italian Islamic General Federation, Muhammad Bahr al-Din, in his speech to Al-Jazeera Net, saying, "We do not forget that Pasquini was a lawyer, and his legal formation, sobriety, and good handling helped him in politeness and rationalization of Islamic work in accordance with the laws of the country, especially through the Union of Islamic Organizations in Italy. The deceased contributed Through his legal experience in drafting basic laws for the establishment of associations, Islamic centers and charitable works in Italy.

The late Sheikh seems to be the godfather of the noble message, who paved the way for Islamic work and explained its content and significance to the competent departments, according to what Bahr al-Din explains, “The man contributed to transmitting a beautiful image of Islam to the judicial, security and governmental institutions, defining Islamic work as collective, not political. away from extremism or what threatens public security."

Sheikh Abd al-Rahman Pasquini was not a theoretical teacher of theology, but rather had the gift of imparting Islamic teachings through his “daily practice which we have all seen in his attitudes, his smile, his humility, his liveliness, and in his advice made up of few words of wisdom, all this translated into a light that always shines on his face.” And we ask God to light his grave, because his presence among us was illuminating us,” Dr. Doctor and preacher Abdel Hamid Zariat, one of the late’s students, tells Al Jazeera Net.

Hundreds attend the body of Sheikh Abdul Rahman to his final resting place (Al-Jazeera)

Hundreds came to the mosque to perform the funeral prayer for Sheikh Abdul Rahman (Al Jazeera)