Ahmadiyya Muslim Community USA Mourns the Loss of a Trailblazing American Muslim

[Merced, CA] — With heartfelt sorrow, Ahmadiyya Muslim Community USA announces the passing of Raqeeb Wali, a devoted elder, trailblazer, and spiritual leader within the American Muslim community, who peacefully passed away on April 26, 2025, at the age of 93. 

“Surely, to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return.” (Holy Qur’an, 2:157)

Born in 1932 in Philadelphia as James Green, the son of a steelworker and a devoted mother, Raqeeb Wali’s path to Islam began with a sincere conversation and a simple cup of tea. In 1957, at age 25, he accepted Islam through the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community after meeting Missionary Khalil Mahmood and was given the name Abdur Raqeeb Rashid Wali.

Over the next six decades, Raqeeb Wali served the community with humility, vision, and extraordinary dedication. He led local chapters in Boston, San Francisco, and Merced, California, and played a key role in the reorganization of Northern California’s chapters during the historic 1987 visit of Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih IV. For 35 years, he served as President of the Merced chapter before retiring in 2019. He was notably a keynote speaker at the first-ever West Coast Jalsa Salana (annual convention) in 1980.

Beyond administrative roles, Raqeeb Wali was a deeply committed preacher and educator. For 25 years, he served as a Muslim chaplain in four California state prisons, including the Central California Women’s Facility—the largest women’s prison in the world—where he introduced over 100,000 inmates to the peaceful teachings of Islam. He also taught English to non-native speakers at Merced Community College for 25 years, Islamic Studies at Basawa Teacher’s College in Nigeria, and English at the Saudi Arabian Naval Academy.

He was part of a historic seven-member U.S. delegation to Rabwah, Pakistan in 1973, and in 1976 became the first African American to be married in Qadian, India. His Nikah was performed at Masjid Mubarak by a companion of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him), Hazrat Abdur Rahman Jat.

Raqeeb Wali is survived by his wife, Rifat Wali, two sons (Hashim Wali and Nasir Wali), four daughters (Aliyah, Aleem, Sultana, and Attiya), and seven grandchildren. He was the uncle of Missionary Jalal Muzammal, currently serving in Milwaukee.

We pray that Allah the Almighty accepts his lifetime of devoted service, grants him a place in the highest ranks of Paradise, and brings peace and comfort to his family and all who mourn him.

“O thou soul at peace! Return to thy Lord, thou well-pleased with Him and He well-pleased with thee. So enter thou among My chosen servants, and enter thou My Garden.” (Holy Qur’an, 89:28-31)

We pray that, God-willing, Raqeeb Wali’s life serves as a source of inspiration for generations to come.

About the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community:

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is a dynamic, reformist and fast-growing international movement within Islam. Founded in 1889, the Community spans 213 countries with tens of millions of members. Ahmadiyya Muslim Community USA, established in 1920, is the oldest American-Muslim organization.

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is the only Islamic organization to believe that the long- awaited messiah has come in the person of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (1835-1908) of Qadian, India. Ahmad claimed to be the metaphorical second coming of Jesus of Nazareth and the divine guide, whose advent was foretold by the Prophet of Islam, Muhammad. The Community believes that God sent Ahmad, like Jesus, to end religious wars, condemn bloodshed and reinstitute morality, justice and peace. Ahmad’s advent has brought about an unprecedented era of Islamic revival and moderation. He divested Muslims of fanatical beliefs and practices by vigorously championing Islam’s true and essential teachings.

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