Dome of the Rock, Al-Aqsa, Palestine, 2022 · © @FotoKahani
“The example of those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah is like a seed [of grain] which grows seven spikes; in each spike is a hundred grains. And Allah multiplies [His reward] for whom He wills. And Allah is all-Encompassing and Knowing.” Qur’an 2:261
Ali Khan will be remembered for how he treated others. He was selfless and gracious, generous with his means and his time. He showed up for his friends, his neighbors, and every cause he believed in, and he never asked for anything in return.
Ali at the Dome of the Rock, Palestine, 2022 · © @FotoKahani
He traveled widely, drawn to new places, cultures, and people, and returned from every journey with a broader perspective. He was blessed to visit multiple continents and prided himself on visiting all three holy sites in Islam. In 2022, he traveled to Palestine with his parents.
Inside Qibli Mosque, the main Al-Aqsa prayer hall, Palestine, 2022 · © @FotoKahani
He had the patience the night sky asks for
Astrophotography asks for more patience than most people have: finding darkness far from city lights, setting up with care, and waiting hours for the right conditions. Ali had that patience. His photographs capture stars and distant galaxies most of us will never see with our own eyes.
The Milky Way over Washington State, 2024 · © @FotoKahani
The light of those stars keeps traveling long after it leaves its source, and Ali’s light will keep reaching us in the same way.
He brought the same patience to Arabic calligraphy. Ali loved how discipline and care could turn a single phrase into a work of art. In it he found what he also found in the night sky: order, beauty, and a sense of something greater than himself.
After the rain, Al-Aqsa, Palestine, 2022 · © @FotoKahani
What Ali noticed
Ali lived a short but full life, and the good he set in motion will not end with him. When Ali was first diagnosed with cancer, he spoke about how fortunate he was, not only to have a strong support system, but to have access to the best medical care available. He returned to that thought often: that so many people around the world were living with illness without access to medical care.
Because this is so close to our family, we are asking for your support. Ali’s family is hoping to raise $10,000 through the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund for children with cancer in Gaza and the West Bank. Hundreds of children there are diagnosed with cancer each year, many without access to treatment.
This is the work your donation funds
Palestine Children’s Relief Fund · @thepcrf
Razan is one of hundreds of children in Gaza living with cancer. Your gift supports the care behind stories like hers.Watch Razan’s story on Instagram →
Thank you for giving in Ali’s memory — your generosity will benefit children who would otherwise go without care.
With God’s blessings, this will be a form of Sadaqah Jariyah, ongoing charity, in Ali Khan’s name.
Every photograph here was taken by Ali Khan. To see more of his work, including the 2024 solar eclipse, follow him on Instagram.@FotoKahani
