Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un (Surely to Allah we belong and to Him we will all return).
Hajj Hisham Ali Krayem (raḥimahullāh), 90, founder of Zakat House based in Sydney passed away on Wednesday 15 January 2025 (15 Rajab 1446), his janaza prayer was offered at Lakemba Mosque followed by burial at Rookwood Cemetery on the same day.
I write this obituary with a great sense of grief, gratitude and hope all at the same time. Where do we start with a such giant of the Australian Muslim community.
Hajj Hisham was a man I have known for 40 of my 52 years, encouraging me as a child to ‘be good’, ‘follow the deen (religion)’, be ‘good to your parents’ right through my nearly 15 years as an adult serving on the board of Zakat House.
He was a loving, patient, spiritual man, ambitious for his community, in addition to being a man of the world who made things happen with always a sense of purpose, honour and doing ‘the right thing’.
The Hajj lived to age 90, leading inspiring and building the Australian Muslim community – not to mention his beautiful and civically engaged children and grand children, who stand as pillars of the community – continuing his legacy of kind empathetic leadership.
He instilled in all his children the duty to serve, to stand firm in our faith, and above all, to do what is right, no matter how difficult the path may be. He taught us all that our strength comes not from this dunya (world) but from our connection to Allah.
He was man of action, a man of service. He understood that Islam is not just about personal worship but about carrying the responsibility of our Ummah.
Through his tireless work, he built institutions, strengthened communities, and ensured that the most vulnerable were not forgotten.
The hours, days and weeks I spent with him at Zakat House, inspired me to give with out account, to serve with ehssan and above all never to give up.
Hajj Hisham and his partners at the time, built Zakat House from a simple idea to the institution where honesty, integrity and charity were the guiding principles of the organisation and it remains the case to this day.
As a real leader, from the day he arrived in Australia till the day he passed, his focus was to take care of his family and his community.
Those he helped, advised, guided and assisted are countless, as the flow of condolences and the stories at his wake, showed so clearly.
I am glad and privileged to be amongst this group.
In his passing we are reminded the Hajj Krayem was not just the father of his children , he was a father to this community.
We are also reminded of the transience of this world and that we all have finite time to put our best forward and contribute.
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