The Dallas Muslim community is grieving the loss of Syed Habeebur Rahman Quadri, affectionately known as Brother Habeeb, who died Saturday, July 12, 2025, at the age of 57. A founding member of SEED USA (Support for Educational & Economic Development), Quadri dedicated more than three decades to serving both his adopted Texas community and underserved populations in India. His funeral prayer drew thousands of mourners to the Islamic Association of North Texas (IANT) in Richardson, where he had been a longtime member, before his burial at Farmersville Muslim Cemetery.
A Life of Service Across Continents
Brother Habeeb's journey to becoming a pillar of the Dallas Muslim community began in the early 1990s when he made Dallas his permanent home. Over the course of more than 30 years, he became deeply embedded in the local Islamic community, moving through various congregations, including IANT Richardson in Garland, and eventually joining the EPIC community.
His commitment to service extended far beyond local boundaries. Through SEED USA, the organization he helped establish, Quadri focused on improving literacy rates and enhancing quality of life in economically disadvantaged areas of India. The mission represented a bridge between his life in America and his dedication to uplifting communities in his homeland.
Personal Tragedy and Resilience
"He went through a personal loss last year when he lost his wife to cancer after fighting for 10 years."
Community statement on Brother Habeeb's recent struggles
The past year had been particularly challenging for Brother Habeeb, who lost his wife to cancer after a decade-long battle with the disease. Despite this profound personal loss, community members noted his continued dedication to helping others, embodying the resilience that had defined his character throughout his life.
The SEED USA Legacy
While specific details about SEED USA's operations remain limited in public records, the organization's mission aligns with similar development efforts working in India. According to the World Economic Forum, organizations like the Sustainable Environment and Ecological Development Society (SEEDS) have demonstrated the significant impact that focused development work can have on underserved communities.
The established SEEDS organization, which has been operating since 1994, has "impacted over 3 million lives" through its work in disaster relief, community resilience, and development programs across India. While this is a different organization from Brother Habeeb's SEED USA, it illustrates the scale and importance of the type of work to which he was committed.
A Legacy of Helping
Brother Habeeb's approach to community service was characterized by consistent, hands-on involvement wherever he lived. Community members described him as someone who "always helped people in need wherever he was," suggesting a philosophy of service that transcended organizational boundaries.
His work through SEED USA reportedly helped thousands of people, with a particular focus on educational initiatives and economic development in regions of India that lacked adequate resources. This type of diaspora-led development work has become increasingly important as immigrant communities maintain connections to their countries of origin while establishing new lives in the United States.
The Dallas Muslim Community's Response
The outpouring of support for Brother Habeeb's family and the massive turnout at his funeral prayer demonstrated the deep impact he had on the Dallas Muslim community. The fact that thousands of people gathered at IANT Richardson for his funeral service speaks to the breadth of his influence and the respect he commanded across different segments of the community.
The choice of IANT Richardson for the funeral prayer was particularly significant, as it represented a return to one of the communities where Brother Habeeb had been most active during his decades in Dallas. IANT Richardson serves as one of the oldest and most established Muslim communities in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, making it a fitting location for honoring someone who had been so deeply involved in community building.
Muslim Philanthropy in America
Brother Habeeb's work exemplifies a broader trend among Muslim Americans who maintain strong connections to philanthropic causes both domestically and internationally. The concept of charitable giving, or zakat in Islamic tradition, emphasizes the importance of supporting those in need, particularly in areas such as education and economic development.
Organizations focused on educational and economic development in India have shown a significant impact over the past several decades. The SEED organization documented by the World Economic Forum noted that they have "reached over 470,000 people with 9.4 million meals, 24,000 hygiene kits, and 11,500 personal protection equipment (PPE) kits in 13 states in India in 2020". This type of comprehensive support demonstrates the potential reach and effectiveness of well-organized development efforts.
A Family's Loss, A Community's Grief
Brother Habeeb's death leaves behind four children: one son and three daughters. The loss comes at a particularly difficult time for the family, given the recent death of his wife from cancer. The community's response has emphasized not only mourning his passing but also celebrating his life of service and supporting his surviving family members.
The decision to lay him to rest at Farmersville Muslim Cemetery reflects the growing Muslim population in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and the establishment of dedicated spaces for the community's religious and cultural practices.
The Ripple Effect of Individual Service
"His contribution to the Indian underserved community will be missed."
Community statement on Brother Habeeb's legacy
The statement from the community highlighting Brother Habeeb's contributions to underserved communities in India underscores the international dimension of his work. This type of transnational philanthropy represents a significant aspect of how immigrant communities maintain connections to their countries of origin while establishing new lives in America.
Development organizations working in India have documented the significant challenges facing underserved communities, particularly in areas such as education and economic opportunities. The SEED organization's work, for example, has focused on "building climate resilience and advancing socio-economic equity among underserved communities pan India". Brother Habeeb's SEED USA likely addressed similar challenges through its educational and economic development programs.
Lessons in Community Building
Brother Habeeb's life offers insights into effective community building across cultural and geographical boundaries. His progression through different Muslim communities in Dallas—from IANT Richardson to Garland to EPIC—demonstrates how individuals can maintain connections and contribute to multiple communities simultaneously.
This pattern of multi-community involvement is increasingly common among Muslim Americans, who often participate in both neighborhood mosques and larger Islamic centers, creating networks of mutual support and shared purpose. Brother Habeeb's ability to maintain these connections while also focusing on international development work illustrates the potential for individual impact across multiple spheres.
The Role of Faith in Service
The community's prayer for Brother Habeeb—"We pray that God grant him Maghfirah and make him among the people of Paradise. Ameen"—reflects the Islamic understanding of service as a form of worship and the belief that charitable work contributes to one's spiritual well-being.
This perspective helps explain the sustained commitment that Brother Habeeb showed to both his local Dallas community and to development work in India. The Islamic concept of sadaqah jariyah, or continuing charity, emphasizes the importance of good works that continue to benefit others even after one's death.
Institutional Memory and Continuity
The challenge facing both SEED USA and the Dallas Muslim communities that Brother Habeeb served will be maintaining the momentum of his work while adapting to his absence. Community organizations often face difficulties when longtime leaders pass away, particularly when those leaders have been central to the organization's operations and fundraising efforts.
However, the massive turnout at his funeral suggests that his work had created a broad base of support that may help sustain the organizations and communities he served. The presence of thousands of mourners indicates that his influence extended well beyond a small circle of close collaborators.
Looking Forward: Sustaining the Mission
As the Dallas Muslim community processes this loss, questions arise about how to continue Brother Habeeb's work both locally and internationally. The sustainability of SEED USA's programs will depend on whether other community members can step forward to provide leadership and maintain the organization's connections to projects in India.
The broader challenge for the Dallas Muslim community will be maintaining the culture of service and mutual support that Brother Habeeb helped foster. His example of moving between different communities while maintaining a consistent commitment to helping others provides a model for how individuals can contribute to community resilience and growth.
A Model for Diaspora Engagement
Brother Habeeb's life represents a successful model of diaspora engagement that many immigrant communities strive to achieve. His ability to build a meaningful life in Dallas while maintaining an active commitment to development work in India demonstrates how individuals can honor their origins while fully participating in their adopted communities.
This type of engagement becomes increasingly important as immigrant communities mature and seek ways to contribute both locally and globally. Brother Habeeb's work through SEED USA exemplifies how a focused, long-term commitment can create a meaningful impact across geographical boundaries.
The Continuing Impact of Individual Leadership
The response to Brother Habeeb's death illustrates the significant impact that individual leaders can have within community organizations. His role as a founding member of SEED USA and his decades of service in Dallas Muslim communities created ripple effects that touched thousands of lives both locally and internationally.
The challenge for the communities and organizations he served will be institutionalizing the values and practices he embodied, ensuring that his approach to service continues to inspire others even in his absence. The massive attendance at his funeral suggests that his example had already influenced many others to embrace similar commitments to service.
A Legacy of Service Across Borders
Syed Habeebur Rahman Quadri's death represents a significant loss for both the Dallas Muslim community and the underserved communities in India that benefited from his work through SEED USA. His life exemplified the potential for individuals to create meaningful impact across multiple communities and geographical boundaries, demonstrating how personal commitment to service can generate lasting change.
The thousands who gathered to honor his memory at IANT Richardson reflect the broad influence he had developed over more than three decades of service. As his family grieves and the communities he served adapt to his absence, Brother Habeeb's legacy provides a model for how individuals can build bridges between their adopted homes and their countries of origin while maintaining deep commitments to helping those in need.
His work through SEED USA and his consistent service to Dallas Muslim communities illustrate the potential for diaspora-led development efforts to create meaningful change. As the Dallas Muslim community continues to grow and evolve, Brother Habeeb's example of multi-community engagement and international service provides a template for how individuals can contribute to both local resilience and global development. The prayer offered by his community—that he be granted divine mercy and paradise—reflects not only their grief but also their recognition of a life well-lived in service to others.
All the communities need people like brother Syed Habeebur Rahman. He was a gem of a person. May Allah bless him