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9:09am Friday 7th March 2008
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THE family of Mohammed Shafiq have spoken of their loss and paid tribute to the 'best dad in the world'.
Relatives as far as America, Denmark and Canada have travelled to the family home in York Street, Nelson, to pay their respects to Mr Shafiq.
Mr Shafiq, who also has family in the UK from Manchester and Blackburn, was born in Gujarat, Pakistan.
He moved to England at the age of three with his family.
During his life he worked as a taxi driver and latterly as a building contractor.
Wife Shagufta Shafiq, 38, who married Mohammed in Pakistan in 1986 before moving to the UK two years later, said: "He was a good man, a good father and a husband.
"It is a big loss. He would do anything for anyone."
Daughter Komal Shafiq, 16, said: "There was no other father like him.
"He always wanted us to stick together."
His daughter from his first marriage, Afshaa Shafiq, 30, who lives in Denmark but was born in Nelson, said: "It is a really big loss to the whole family.
"I was supposed to visit my father on March 16, but nobody knew this was going to happen.
"I never had contact with my father until eight years ago.
"After my son was born, I got in touch.
"I found he was the best father. The best man in the whole wide world.
"He always wanted all of us to be together.
"All his life he did things for us.
"We want the person who did this to get punished.
"He used to help people all the time with all sorts of things."
His cousin Mohammed Attique, 41, of Reedley, said he was at Mr Shafiq's bedside when he died in the Royal Blackburn Hospital.
Mr Attique said: "He was a really nice, happy man who really cared for his family.
"Obviously his family are very distraught at this time and hopefully we will find out what happened in the park.
"He will be greatly missed by everyone who knew him."
Family friend Shokat Malik, 42, of Burnley, said Mr Shafiq was "a happy soul, a happy character".
He said: "He got on with everybody. He was a well-integrated member of society and the comm-unity.
"He was a devoted family man and general good guy.
"It's a sad loss to the family, who are just devastated.
"He is going to be irreplaceable.
"It's the manner in which he was taken away.
"It's just shocking."
Neighbour Mohammed Ibrar told how Mr Shafiq had saved the lives of two of his daughters.
Mr Ibrar, of York Street, Nelson, said his kitchen caught fire in the early hours one morning in 2004, trapping his two daughters upstairs.
Mr Shafiq was first beaten back by the flames and unsuccessfully attempted to find a ladder to rescue the girls.
In the end Mr Ibrar said his neighbour threw a mattress on the floor, enabling his daughters to jump to safety.
Mr Ibrar, a taxi driver who had known Mr Shafiq for 15 years, said: "He was a really good man.
"He saved my daughters' lives.
"I am very sad at what has happened to him.
"We were very good friends, almost like brothers.
"We will always remember him as a good, loyal family man."
Shazeen Khan, 24, was one of the daughters rescued from the fire and she said: "It's so sad to hear about his death especially when he saved our lives.
"He was a good father and a loyal family man who will be missed."
Safir Wahid, 51, of Barkerhouse Road, Nelson, said he had known Mr Shafiq for a long time.
Mr Wahid said: "He was a very nice person.
"I often spoke to him when I came to visit my brother who lives next door.
"It's just so sad and shocking to hear about his death and you can only pray for him and his family."
Another neighbour, who did not want to be named, said: "It is a real shock.
"We have only just found out what has happened.
"We can't believe this has happened to him."
The family says Mohammed Shafiq will be buried in the UK.
If you would like to pay tribute to Mr Shafiq, please add your comments below.
* Please do not comment on the circumstances surrounding Mr Shafiq's death as this may prejudice any legal proceedings.
Jasmin S, Denmark says...
11:43pm Sat 7 Jun 08
Last Words Of Mr Raja .m. Shafiq, Burnley, Paramedics says...
11:34pm Fri 6 Jun 08
Think!, Saudia Arabia, Riyald says...
2:00am Tue 3 Jun 08
Nazneen/Nazzy /Ashraf, Pakistan Jango says...
1:41am Tue 3 Jun 08
Nagina Raja, Canada, Ontario says...
1:26am Tue 3 Jun 08
Raman Prakash, India,Goa says...
1:20am Tue 3 Jun 08
Raja Umar Shafiq, Nelson, York Street, Lancashire says...
1:11am Tue 3 Jun 08
MAY ALLAH ALMIGHTY GIVE YOU THE BRAINS, NELSON says...
12:03am Mon 2 Jun 08
DILLY, nelson says...
10:30pm Wed 14 May 08
QAIS IQBAL, BLKBURN says...
7:30pm Wed 9 Apr 08
Qais Iqbal, BLKBURN BUT HME TWN NELSON says...
7:13pm Wed 9 Apr 08
famida/basharat ali, birmingham says...
12:17pm Tue 18 Mar 08
JJ, Birmingham says...
12:23pm Sat 15 Mar 08
hussain raja, aberdeen says...
4:42pm Wed 12 Mar 08
David, Nelson, Nelson says...
8:09am Tue 11 Mar 08
samina, middlesbrough says...
12:49pm Mon 10 Mar 08
aishah, burnley says...
10:31am Mon 10 Mar 08
JJ wrote:JJ i am afraid he has not been burried yet and the funeral service date has not been mentioned at the moment, due to the medical reasons.
May allah grant you peace in heaven. has mr shafiq bin buried ?? any1 no wen his funereal is
kashif khan, Holland says...
8:12am Mon 10 Mar 08
bushra, NELSON says...
9:13pm Sun 9 Mar 08
j, bly says...
6:56pm Sun 9 Mar 08
nazia, says...
6:02pm Sun 9 Mar 08
nazia, nelson says...
3:32pm Sun 9 Mar 08
JJ, Birmingham says...
11:09am Sun 9 Mar 08
shahid, burnley says...
11:09pm Sat 8 Mar 08
Mu'minah, Nelson says...
10:13pm Sat 8 Mar 08
SAB wrote:A park is a park. It's a place where children play and a place of good childhood memories, and where dogs go for walks. Its the PEOPLE who ruin a good place. If the park was closed the scum who are always looking for trouble will find someplace else to deal their drugs, and have fights and do other things. Are we going to go closing every place now, which they pollute with their bad actions?
THAT PARK SHOULD BE CLOSED,ITS NOWT BUT TROUBLE,DEALERS,FIGH TS,AND NOW THIS,THE COLLEDGE IS TO BLAME,FOR THIS,THERES LOADS OF STUFF GOING ON THERE...PARKS ARE MEANT TO BE FOR KIDS..THERES BEEN MUGGINGS IN THERE BEFORE AND A LOT..THE POLICE AND BURNLEY COLLEDGE HAVE TO GET A GRIP BEFORE ANY1 ELSE IS KILLED BY SCUM...
faz, nelson says...
9:55pm Sat 8 Mar 08
Mu'minah, Nelson says...
9:47pm Sat 8 Mar 08
Khawar, Herts says...
8:42pm Sat 8 Mar 08
Burnley, Lancashire says...
7:50pm Sat 8 Mar 08
DiMmY, Nelson says...
6:06pm Sat 8 Mar 08
waseem, burnley says...
4:31pm Sat 8 Mar 08
SAB, burnley says...
2:21pm Sat 8 Mar 08
iram, Brierfield says...
1:26am Sat 8 Mar 08
dudeAZN, nelson says...
1:12am Sat 8 Mar 08
nabeela, duke bar says...
10:57pm Fri 7 Mar 08
puthar, burnley says...
10:53pm Fri 7 Mar 08
Rahila and students at Burnley College, Brierfield/Burnley says...
10:29pm Fri 7 Mar 08
Rahila, brierfield says...
10:19pm Fri 7 Mar 08
Cuk, Manchester, says...
9:55pm Fri 7 Mar 08
Mrs Phillips, says...
9:48pm Fri 7 Mar 08
Uzma, Nelson says...
9:48pm Fri 7 Mar 08
maryam, nelson says...
9:16pm Fri 7 Mar 08
Sam, Manchester says...
9:07pm Fri 7 Mar 08
mohammed shafi, birmingham says...
8:48pm Fri 7 Mar 08
Gulz, Nelson says...
8:26pm Fri 7 Mar 08
famida/basharat ali, birmingham says...
7:44pm Fri 7 Mar 08
quote
sofia, lancs says...
7:21pm Fri 7 Mar 08
Wasim Khan, Nelson-on-Trent says...
6:49pm Fri 7 Mar 08
C, Bacup says...
5:47pm Fri 7 Mar 08
ash (star plumbing ), nelson says...
5:47pm Fri 7 Mar 08
Izzy, Ozzy says...
4:22pm Fri 7 Mar 08
kamran khan, Blackburn says...
4:09pm Fri 7 Mar 08
nas, burnley says...
3:00pm Fri 7 Mar 08
faz, burnley says...
2:49pm Fri 7 Mar 08
BJ wrote:jannat means heaven paradise
I\'m not normally moved to comment on events such as this, but I think that Mr. Shafiq\'s senseless death prompts it. I wasn\'t privileged to know him personally, but from the comments that have been made it seems that he was only doing what any devoted and concerned parent would have done to protect their offspring. Perhaps if the parents of the perpetrators of this shocking crime had taken a more active interest in their offspring, this incident needn\'t have occured. My sincere condolences to Mr. Shafiq\'s family. As an afterthought, could someone perhaps explain what \"jannah\" or \"jannat\" is? As a non-muslim it is not a term with which I am familiar.
<<<<<
<<<<SHAZ
EEN KHAN>>>>
>>>>, nelson says...
1:12pm Fri 7 Mar 08
mubarak, london says...
12:11pm Fri 7 Mar 08
Maryam wrote:I couldn't have said it any better-well said
May Allah swt grant this doting father, loving husband, and shaheed - Mr Mohamed Shafiq - the highest station of Jannah - Jannatul-Firdaws - and reward his courage in this world with eternal contentment in the Next. To his family: May you be rewarded in this world and the Next for your sabr. Offer supplications on behalf of this man and never forget the good he has done for you. Maybe go to Jamaat for a while. Spend some time with the poor, the orphans, the sick, the war victims and the elderly. Give in charity. Travel. Read plenty of Quraan especially Surah Yasin. Support one another. Be there for one another in this time of grief. Children, be strong for your mother. Allah is with you! But remember one thing: this life is a test and this world is overrated. Don\'t get too attached to material things, - for ultimately we all belong to Allah, we are accountable only to Him, and we are to return to Him alone. May you inshallah be united on the Day of Qiyamah by the Almighty Grace of God as one big happy family in the company of our Prophet Mohamed salalahu-alayhi-wasa lam. I make dua for you guys and for your father.
kelly, blackburn says...
12:10pm Fri 7 Mar 08
Qais- My Uncle R.I.P, Blackburn says...
9:58am Wed 11 Jun 08
Wateva Happened Az Happened
We will Have 2 Live with That
We Miss U ~Mamu
It Iz Not The Same
We Want u BAk
Allah Jannat Nasseeb Karai
Inshallah x
Ameen x[