Kanji, a certain
Ismaili was an origin of Limadi, Kathiawar. His son, Visram was
a prominent person. Punja, the son of Visram was a famous
merchant in Limadi, and his son Amarsi had three sons, Nur
Muhammad, Pirbhai, Saboor and two daughters, Mannibai and Satbai.
Among them, Saboor or Saboor Chatoor was most prominent in the
Ismaili world.
Wazir Saboor Chatoor, also known as Chabur Chatoor was born
on March 13, 1899 in Limadi, Kathiawar. His family moved towards
Bombay in 1908, where he acquired his formal education.
Accompanied by his elder brother, Nur Muhammad, he proceeded to
Java in search of green pasture, but failed. The sudden illness
of his elder brother forced him to return to Bombay. In 1915, he
betrothed with Fatima and left Bombay alone and proceeded to
Colombo, Sri Lanka. He started his labour work in a shop to
procure his bread and butter. After being well settled, he
called for his wife from Bombay.
Wazir Saboor Chatoor gained much experience in local business
and ventured into the field. He established an export house in
1918 under the name of
Saboor Chatoor & Co. at 72, Old Moor Street, Colombo, which
was incorporated in 1957 and exists today. He was a leading
exporter of rubber and sole crepe rubber, tea, cinnamon, copra,
coconut oil, desiccated coconuts, citronella oil, kapok,
cardamoms, cardamom seeds, cincona bark, mattress fibre,
cocobeans, agecanuts, black pepper and other products of Sri
Lanka He also was an importer of all kinds of manure, bone meal,
oilcakes, blood manure. Besides, he also supervised dry fish
consignments on commission basis.
In Colombo, no adequate facility subsisted for the Jamatkhana.
He parted a big portion of his residence voluntarily for the
purpose of the Jamatkhana from 1933 to 1952. In 1934, he came in
Bombay for Imam’s didar
and got the first chance in the
mehmani. The Imam
asked much about his business activities. Then, the Imam
attended the next mehmani.
His wife was much anxious to invite the Imam in Colombo, but she
forgot. When the Imam turned to the third
mehmani, his wife
recollected and uttered loudly, saying, “Please make a holy
visit of Colombo.” The Imam said, “Colombo
is too far. Khanavadan.”
Soon after 15 days, they returned to Colombo, where they
surprisingly received a telegram of the Imam that he would visit
Colombo very soon. The Imam arrived in Colombo on March 20,
1934. Looking the wife of Wazir Saboor Chatoor at a little
distance, the Imam said,
“You invited me with heart and I came.” The Imam graced them
an audience on next day at his residence, and said to his wife,
“Did you bring kanak?”
She didn’t understand it. The Imam said, ”Did you bring wheat?”
She replied
affirmatively and brought wheat in a plate. The Imam took the
plate and gave it to Wazir Saboor Chatoor, and said, “I appoint
you the Mukhi for my Colombo
jamat.” The Imam also
said, “Today is a Navroz. I give you the
rozi for world and
religion. You will be prosperous in both worlds.
Khanavadan.” The Imam
also graced them with a group photograph. Hence, he was
appointed the Mukhi with Ibrahim Ismail Virji Madhani as a
Kamadia.
During the visit of the Imam in Colombo, he asked the Imam in
a mehmani on March
21, 1934 whether the Indian Ismailis should be encouraged to
arrive in Colombo for business purpose. The Imam acceded to his
plan and said that he would also guide the incoming Ismailis in
the business field. Mukhi Saboor Chatoor, therefore, published
an advertisement in the weekly
“Ismaili” on April
29, 1934, inviting the interested Ismailis to venture into the
business of tea, rubber and coconut in Colombo.
He was also included as a member on behalf of Colombo in the
H.H. The Aga Khan Golden Jubilee All India Committee. He
attended its first meeting at Bombay on October 12, 1935.
In view of his outstanding services and princely donations,
he was awarded a gold medal during the Diamond Jubilee occasion
in 1946.
When the influx of the Ismailis drifted towards Colombo, a
colossal amount was raised for the new Jamatkhana, in which he
contributed handsome amount. He humbly submitted a report of the
construction to the Imam in May 27, 1952. The Imam graciously
sent his message on June 1, 1952 and blessed all the donors. The
Imam also stated that Prince Aly Khan would visit a week in
Colombo to attend the opening ceremony of the Jamatkhana. Sir
Oliver Gontal, the Minister of Foods & Agriculture, performed
the opening ceremony of the new Jamatkhana on November 30, 1952.
On that occasion, Kamadia Ibrahim Datoo Meru (1901-1982)
delivered a touching speech. The
jamat was repasted on
that day by Mukhi and Kamadia.
Wazir Mukhi
Saboor Chatoor was a zealous worker and devoted his life in the
services of the Ismailis in Colombo. The Imam had given him a
general power of attorney, authorizing him to deal all the legal
matters of the jamat
in Sri Lanka. He was invested the title of
Alijah in 1940,
Rai in 1950 and
Wazir in 1953.
He also made a tour of Europe with his wife Varasiani
Fatimabai and had an audience of the Imam and Mata Salamat. He
returned from Europe and arrived in Karachi before reaching to
Colombo. On November 11, 1953, Varas Abdul Aziz Ramzan Vali
hosted him a warm
reception in Hotel Metropole, Karachi in presence of the galaxy
of the leaders. His inestimable and meritorious services were
splashed before the audience.
In response to his letter of November 11, 1959, the Imam
mailed him a reply on November 14, 1959 at 128, Old Moor Street,
Colombo, advising him to continue his work in the way he had
performed in past. The Imam also graced him with best loving
blessings on October 22, 1959 and November 13, 1959.
The last few years of his life were marred by physical
affliction, which he bore with tranquility and peace of mind. He
submitted his humble services to the Imam for his retirement
from the post of the Mukhi on March 1, 1966. The Imam sent
following message on April 16, 1966 that:-
My dear spiritual child,
I have received your letter of 1st March, and I
give you my most affectionate paternal maternal loving blessings
for service with best loving blessings for the recovery of your
health.
You may submit new names for the appointment of Mukhi,
Kamadia, Mukhiani and Kamadiani of Colombo
jamat.
I would like you to write to Vazir Amirali Currim in
Karachi and you should submit your recommendation to me jointly.
After receiving your recommendations, I will make the new
appointment on the occasion of Imamate Day.
I am very sad that it has become necessary for you to
resign after 32 years of uninterrupted and exceptional service.
You have my warmest and most very loving blessings and I pray
for your continued happiness and good health.
In sum, he retired on July 11, 1966 after serving for 32
years as a Mukhi.
He made his business trips twice in Japan, thrice in Europe
and once in United States. He was noted for his piety and
philanthropy and donated princely funds to the Indian Ismailis
on many occasions in different fields.
Wazir Mukhi Saboor Chatoor expired in Colombo on July 11,
1967 at the age of 68 years. In the
Ruhani Mehmani in Bombay in 1967, Hazar Imam told to his
son, Alijah Ghulam Hussain that,
“Your late father was
like the rock of Gibraltar, and I now expect you to carry on his
good work.” The Imam also prayed for eternal peace to the
soul of Wazir Mukhi Saboor Chatoor.
Benignity in manner and speech, a bent of kindness and
compassion, which made him a person worthy of utmost respect,
characterized Wazir Mukhi Saboor Chatoor. The Ismailis were able
to scale the height of progress in Colombo under his mercantile
guidance. His fame loomed large inside and outside the
community. His personality was clothed in his transparent
sincerity. He had a rare ability to keep his mind fixed steadily
on the distance horizon and at the same time concentrated his
whole effort on what was practically possible. He was firm as a
mountain in his faith. Force of character, prodigious gift for
hard work and firm and patient adherence to the religion
distinguished him from his contemporaries. He was a man of quiet
and unassuming disposition. In short, he was a generous, humane
and charitable to the destitute.
Wazir Mukhi Saboor Chatoor left behind his wife, two sons and
three daughters. His son Alijah Ali Muhammad Saboor Chatoor
(1920-1971) had served as the Kamadia of the Jamatkhana
(1966-1971). His another son, Alijah Ghulam Hussain was the
Kamadia of Colombo Jamatkhana (1971-1980). It is to be noted
that Anwar Ali, the son of Alijah Ali Muhammd also served as the
Mukhi (1987-1993). Tasneem Akbar Musa, the daughter of Alijah
Ghulam Hussain was the Kamadiani of
Baitul Khiyal Brotherhod
in Toronto, the member of the religious education management
team and also served as the principle of Baitul Ilm (1997-1999).
Shireen, the daughter of Wazir Saboor Chatoor married to
Rajab Ali Jinnah, who died on December 30, 1994. Shireenbhai
also served in different fields, notably in the Aga Khan
Hospital, Karachi for 7 years. She also served as the Kamadiani
for Life Dedication Brotherhood, then the Kamadiani and Mukhiani
for Chand Raat Brotherhood. She also gave services to the
Mohammadi Girls Academy and the Aga Khan Health Board. She drove
car and brought the ladies in Jamatkhana at morning. Her
daughter, Kamadinani Anar continued the tradition of service in
different field. She joined the Garden East Girl Guides in 1964,
and was one of the founding members and the first Captain of
Garden West Girl Guides (1972-1977). Kamadiani Anar was a member
of the Libraries & Co-ordinating Department of the Ismailia
Association for Pakistan (1974) and also its Hon. Secretary
(1975). She was also a volunteer in Socio-Economic Survey
(1983-84) and in the Aga Khan Hospital (1988-1994). She also
served as a worker in the Life Dedication Brotherhood (1972-74),
and the Mukhiani for the Chand Raat Brotherhood in Clifton
Jamatkhana (1992). She was also a member of the Kharadhar Local
Health Board (1992), the member of the Kharadhar Education Board
(1993), worker of the Saf Safai Committee in Clifton Jamatkhana
(2000-01), where she also rendered her services in the Nandi-Reza
Committee, etc. She is the Kamadiani for
Baitul Khiyal Brotherhood
for Clifton Jamatkhana (2001-2002). She also worked as a
volunteer during the Convocation programme in 2000.
His second daughter, Malekbai Noor Ali Jaffer was also the
Kamadiani in Islamabad Jamatkhana in 1980. His third daughter,
Noorbanubai Faizullah Hooda resides in Dallas, Texas. She has
served as the Mukhiani of Andheri Jamatkhana in Bombay
(1966-1970)
