Ann Ahamed
The Inevitable from the Devotional Qur’an Beloved Surahs and Verses
Selected and translated by Shawkat M. Toorawa
In the name of God
ever Compassionate and full of Compassion
When the Inevitable happens – and none can deny it will-
raising high and casting out
When the land is ravaged by tremors
and the mountains shattered
and scattered about
You will be in three companies-
The Companions of the Right?
Oh, those companions of the Right!
The companions of the Left?
Woe for those companions of the Left!
And the Surpassing-surpassing all!-
will be in God’s close company
in Gardens of felicity,
some from distant times,
a few from more recently
Gazing at one another
on jeweled beds of gold,
served cups of nectar
by ageless youths-
ambrosia’s decanter,
carafes of innocuous wine,
any fruit at their beck and call,
any fowl or flesh at all,
and dark-eyed girls
like hidden pearls.
All this a reward for their deeds,
no empty words or blasphemy,
only tender words of peace.
The Companions of the Right -blessed companions these!-
Will be in groves of thornless lote trees
and clustered acacias
In boundless shade,
fountains brimming over,
any fruit in season
ripe and free to taste
Beds raised high,
and ideal virgin companions
of exclusive creation,
eternally young, devoted.
All this favor for
the Companions of the Right!
Some from distant times
some from more recently.
Prami Nathan
Dear Family and Friends
Having had many conversations with Sully over the years, I came to know and appreciate his deep interest in philosophy and his thoughtful curiosity about the meaning of life and death. In keeping with that spirit, I have chosen readings from Rumi and the Bhagavad Gita for this occasion
Rumi, the 13th-century Sufi poet and mystic, spoke of death not as an ending, but as a passage into eternal love. His words seem especially fitting for this moment:
When I die
when my coffin
is being taken out
you must never think
I am missing this world.
Don’t shed any tears,
don’t lament or
feel sorry.
I’m not falling
into a monster’s abyss.
When you see
my corpse is being carried,
don’t cry for my leaving.
I’m not leaving—
I’m arriving at eternal love.
— Rumi, from When I Die, translated by Nader Khalili
In the second chapter of the Bhagavad Gita, Sloka 20 speaks of the soul as something that is beyond birth and death:
न जायते म्रियते वा कदाचिन्
नायं भूत्वा भविता वा न भूयः ।
अजो नित्यः शाश्वतोऽयं पुराणो
न हन्यते हन्यमाने शरीरे ॥ २.२० ॥
“The soul was never born, and it never dies.
It is unborn, eternal, everlasting, and immutable.
It is not destroyed when the body is destroyed.”
In other words, the body changes and eventually comes to an end, but the deeper essence of who we are is eternal. What is most fundamental within us is not created at birth, nor destroyed at death.
And so, as we remember Sully, we can take comfort in the thought that his energy does not simply disappear. It continues—eternally—beyond the physical form that we knew as Sully.
It continues in the love he shared, in the ideas and questions he brought into our lives, in the memories we carry, and in the lives he touched.
Sully is no longer with us in body, but the energy that was Sully remains part of the larger, eternal reality of which we are all a part.
Viswa Nathan
Mark Svencer
Nadhira Ramirez
Gary Streimer
Sultan “Sully” Ahamed
(1943-2026)
I am honored to stand here among Ann, family & friends from so many different traditions and
walks of life, all united by our love for Sully.
In the Jewish tradition, when we face profound grief, we turn to an ancient prayer called
the Mourner’s Kaddish. What often surprises people who hear it for the first time is that it does
not mention death, loss, or grief at all. Instead, it is a declaration of praise, life, and enduring
peace. In our deepest sorrow, reciting it is a way of affirming that the goodness and light our
loved one brought into the world will never be extinguished.
I offer these words today for Sully, starting in Hebrew and then the prayer in English:
אבר המש שדקתיו לדגתי
Yitgadal v’yitkadash sh’mei raba,
English Translation:
“Exalted and sanctified be God’s great name throughout the world
created according to divine will.
May God’s realm be established in your lifetime and in your days,
and within the life of all the community, speedily and soon; and we
say, Amen.
May God’s great name be blessed forever and ever.
Blessed, praised, glorified, exalted, extolled, honored, lifted up, and
acclaimed be the name of the Holy One, beyond all blessings, hymns,
praises, and consolations that are spoken in the world, and we say,
Amen.
May the One who creates peace on high bring peace upon us, and
upon all the world; and we say Amen.”
May Sully’s memory always be a blessing and a comfort to us all.
Bill Turner
May The Road Rise Up To Meet You May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face; the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of His hand.
Jim Kirker
Good Morning
Blessed is the one who hungers
and thirsts for righteousness //
and shines its bright light into
every darkness.
Blessed is the healer and
caregiver, whose hands gave far
more than they ever received.
Blessed is the merciful heart…
for mercy shall be his shroud
Blessed is the peacemaker…
whose spirit shall eternally
abound in peace. For no peace
lies in the future which is not
hidden in the present.
Blessed is the one who lived
with a quiet strength, imbued
with his truths, his just morals
and values // steadfast as a tree
planted beside sacred waters.
Blessed are we to have known
him as a loving and caring
husband, father, grandfather,
and father-in-law… whose love,
wisdom, and gentleness
anchored a family and nurtured
its roots for boundless growth.
And blessed are we to have
known him as the truest of
friends, whose kindness, humor
and generosity of spirit
brightened every day.
It will not come as a surprise
to some… that Sully left a
message with me to share with
you!
If I should go, while you’re
still here // know that I live on.
Dancing and humming to a
yet to be discovered Mozart
opera…behind a veil you
cannot see through.
Though you may not see
me // you must keep the faith!
The gloom of the world is
but a shadow.
Behind it… within your
reach is joy…be joyful
Let kindness be your
touchstone in all you do…
and honor the Han- u -man //
the revered monkey deity of
Hindu mythology //
celebrated for his courage,
strength and unwavering
dedication to selfless service.
I wait for a time when
we can soar together
again…each aware of the other.
Until then, welcome
life…grasp and safeguard
it…you each will touch the
angel’s hand that brings it to
you.
And if you need me…just
whisper my name in your
heart…I will always be there
for you!
By the way // the best things do
happen while you’re dancing!
Yasser Vavanan
Bobby Moran
Elizabeth Windhom
Sully, a Life Lived 