Mrs. Attiya Iqbal Malik

Our dear mother passed away November 8, 2009, lovingly embraced by her family. She is survived by her husband, M. Iqbal Malik, M.D.; her daughters Nazli Khan and Neelum Safdar of Indianapolis; and her sons Ayaz Malik of Fort Wayne, Fayaz Malik, M.D. of Peoria, IL, and Shahbaz Malik of Washington D.C. All of them, including her 13 grandchildren, miss her dearly. Our Mom lived a richly blessed life. God gave her the fortitude to raise five children, help them through college, and see them married. She lived for her grandchildren, ages 3 to 29, and was very involved in their upbringing. Mom left us a legacy of love, compassion, and unity.

Our mother was born in Sialkot and raised in Lahore, Pakistan. She met our father when he was doing his Internship and she was in the final year of her Nursing Training at the Mayo Hospital Lahore. They married and began raising a family while he pursued his early career in Medicine in various Medical Colleges and their Associated Teaching Hospitals in Pakistan. In 1961 they came to Indianapolis, IN where our father did his Residency in Pathology at the Indiana University Medical Center. After his American Board Certification they went back to Pakistan for 5 years. They had two more children and, in 1970, our family officially emigrated to the U.S. when our father was offered the opportunity to teach and practice at the Indiana University Medical Center. We became US citizens in 1975. Our family was among the very first Muslims in the Indianapolis region and our mother was an intimate part of the growth and development of the local Islamic community up until her death. Because of her concern and affection, she touched countless lives along the way among Muslims and non-Muslims alike. She was revered as a loving parent figure to everyone who encountered her.

She was small in stature but she left an enormous footprint wherever she went. Mom's devotion to her family and her relentless service to the Muslim community of Greater Indianapolis will be greatly missed. We pray that God Almighty will bless her with His Grace and grants her a very special place in heaven.

Ameen.