Leaving Mostar

Beautiful city, friendly people. Nothing motivates us more to continue our journey to the glamorous Sarajevo, which is next on our list. We can't thank our new friends enough for the hospitality and tourist-guidance they provided. Above all, it was the mercy of God Almighty, which translates into a form we could appreciate most. The prayers and supplications we made before and during the travel were certainly heard and answered by Him, Who loses nothing upon granting His needing slaves everything.

Praises be to God, our short visit to Mostar was nonetheless very educating. We spent less than 7 hours there and have seen much of its beauty, culture and underlying history. That was not all- we saw, and were given lectures on other aspects which will not be apparent to just anyone, i.e. Islamism. Our brother Nurudin took us to their main Islamic Centre, Darul Kuran, within which the movement is organised. Classes of al-Quran and ahadith are held regularly to feed the growing need of Mostar's Muslim community. True, everywhere in the world, people are turning to Islam. And Mostar hates to be left out.

Despite the many occasions where Mostar has won my heart, I was still short of its dakwah experiences. I wanted to see for myself the type of circles and classes they utilise. I wanted to listen to the depth of Arabic they integrate into their learning, analyse the class of audience they attract, the extent of al-Quran and ahadith they cover, their approach to the holy sciences, their attitude towards men-women relation, their fraternity and love for each other, and many more. The nature of my visit steered me away from these, but I wasn't frustrated. It was all the will of God, and He knows what is best for everyone. Perhaps, for me, there is a 'next time'. Again, such matter is only within Allah's boundless knowledge.

Our tour with Nurudin started from Karađoz Begova Džamija, and it was at the same point where we ended. In the quick farewell, I promised to find a man from Malaysia, an Islamic activist, to help strengthen Mostar's Islamic propagation. The idea might sound big, but without trying, we can never test its feasibility.

Just before asr, the afternoon prayer, we set off on foot to the bus station. A simple city with several parallel roads, Mostar is a hard place to be lost in. It didn't take us long to reach there, and soon after that it was time to wave Mostar a goodbye.

The oppressor died, but his legacy remains

The walk with Nurudin, despite us being tired, was definitely a fulfilling one. We passed no building or monuments without its history unearthed. The running commentary our new friend was giving us didn't seem at any point to want to expire. On foot we walked and hiked from one place to another, in the challenging hilly terrain of sunny Mostar.

Mostar is definitely a city of memories, be it pleasurable or painful. It could be, to the many tourists, a memory of the former nature, but it is less so for me. Much of the memories that remain are the painful ones. There was a point where we stopped at and saw a flat ground with only some geometrical markings if anything- and guess what; it used to bear the weight of a triumphant mosque. This was an immediate doing of Tito, right before my eyes; a mosque, demolished and unheard of. Nevertheless his name and recognisable face (criminal-like to me) could be seen almost everywhere today- on posters, t-shirts, hats, army knives- you name it. His lavish residence by the river is now a symbol of pride to some, ignorant of the hidden, perpetual damage he has done to Mostar. Too much love is given to this undeserving villain, that at some point I must have heard some people chanting, "Live Tito, live!"

Perhaps this ancient city, in the face of modernism, is divided. It simply does not know how to react, and hence everything is still experimental. On one hand we have a group of people working their nerves to ensure the elimination of God and religion. They claim that religion is a form of opiate and addiction, but in replacement of it they feed the masses with alcohol, sex, and destructive, unrestrained entertainment. On the other, another group burn the candle at both ends to maintain God's sovereignty in their land. They revive the mosques, spread good words, exchange advices, mark the boulders, and erect memorials of the martyrs- this, we came across at the very end of one of the bridges; there was a display of its architect-turn-martyr's name, with a brief explanation on how he was killed in his 20's. The fact that it was all in Bosnian convinced me that it was for them indeed (not us tourists). It is their memory, it is for their revival, and God willing it will one day become their reality.

By now I noticed the signs of terminal exhaustion in Nubli's face. His expressions turned solemn, his participation minimal, his words- if any- could be well mistaken as whispers. Often he lagged behind when his two unrelenting friends were still so deep in their boring discussions. Without waiting for anything serious to happen, we stopped at the nearest cafe for refreshments.

Ahl al-Masjid (People of the mosque)

The man turned out to be a professor (a word loosely used for teachers/lecturers in Bosna) of Arabic at a local University. As if Arabic was the common spoken language in the contemporary Muslim world, he continued to address us in Arabic- to which I had to tune my language box before I could respond. My Arabic was very much deficient, a product of informal learning for over 18 years. Nevertheless, the conversation seemed to go without as much difficulty as one would expect, until we were interrupted by the many other Muslims who wanted to share their hospitality to us.

I've been a foreigner in many other mosques, but had never been received so warmly as I had here in Mostar. It was in the middle of a busy wednesday, but everyone seemed to have some time to give. It is not too much to say that we felt being in the middle of the attention, in a positive way. We had a salesman working in a mobile company from whom we could get some advices on getting a new SIM card. Even the busy President of Darul Kuran Foundation, Džewad Gološ, stopped by to ask about us. He, who had earlier agreed to show us around, found Nurudin Pajević to replace him doing this totally voluntary work. How then, can we complain? Mostar had welcomed us.

Nurudin was a tall, married, 23 year old man who keeps a decent beard. Without a pause he started his tour-guiding, providing us with loads of details as we walked pass whatever was on our sides. Nubli did not wait to take his notebook out and jotted much of it down, at times making himself looked like a journalist, albeit an amateur one. I, on the other hand, focused my faculties to memorise and appreciate them, only to later admit my limitations. Nurudin surely knows much about his hometown. What a perfect guide, just as we needed.

Inevitably, the whole thing got me thinking again. The fact that Nurudin knows practically everything about Mostar, if this is not exclusive to him, is a wonder. So far there wasn't any one question we posed that he didn't answer satisfactorily- this phenomenon is hard to find amongst the youths of my country, and less so in my current country of residence. If- and it hasn't been tested yet- this same knowledge and acquaintance about one's own country is to be found in the larger general public, then it must've been a product of either of these two: the formal/informal institution, or the recent war- either way, it is still commendable.

Regardless, history does most in preserving identity. And with identity comes everything else.

Beautiful submission

It turned out that the young and youthful Izzudin was the muezzin in Karađoz-Begova Džamija (mosque), much like an MC in a ceremony. Before and after the prayers, he read out a few relevant verses of the Qur'an to invite the mosque-attenders to a beautiful rememberance of God. In fact the soothing call of prayer I previously described was a product of his sheer effort. It automatically prompted me to recall the sayings of the Prophet about the virtues of a sincere muezzin- a massive reward awaiting.

We waited with the whole congregation to finish an imam-led supplication, from whose tone and choice of words I could fairly recognise his mastery of arabic language. Well, the secret lies in him pleading- not just reading- to God. In this respect, our imams in Malaysia might need to learn from their Bosnian counterparts. Then, with the men dispersing, Nubli and I took to a silent corner to perform 'asr, the next obligatory prayer, a lenience allowed on us travelers. Our extra prayers were however almost indistinguishable, especially when the rest were also performing their additional, optional, supererogatory after-zuhr prayers- and the whole mosque was occupied with scattered worshippers.

Again, in a country distant to other self-declared Islamic giants, I would have expected a deep penetration of cultural practices into religion, if not a complete irreversible mixture of the two. But as much as my senses could gather, there was little of it, if any. Apart from the reading of the Qur'an by the muezzin before and after prayers, which is, while not recorded as the practice of the Prophet, justifiable, there was nothing else to note. What could have maintained this authenticity? I can be reasonably sure that if much of the circumstances are applied to the Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Malaysian, Indonesian, or many other communities, religion will be so intermixed with culture that it will no longer be distinct. Worse, they are taken as one and the same. Anyone who has his senses alerted can not miss coming to this same conclusion; take the majority of the Pakistani and Bangladeshi mosques in the UK- they are so culturally shaped and imbibed that often an 'outsider' will find it hard to adapt. This, I promised myself, is a question I have to answer before leaving Bosna.

After replenishing the spiritual needs, we felt fresh and somewhat anew. Our journey had to continue. Taking our bags (alhamdulillah nothing happened to them) and shaking hands with some random locals, we headed for the door. That was when we bumped into a smartly dressed man in his 60's, who first greeted us with the universal Islamic greeting; salam. Peace be to you!

A man with faith is a man without filth

Just after midday, in the streets of this beautiful city, the call of prayers echoed. Thus God is glorified and praised, His unity is declared open and unreservedly; these constitutes the meaning of the enchanting arabic melody of perfectly arranged proses. Since leaving my country last year, this was my first time walking in such atmosphere that gives undescribable experience- the ambience of communal submission and complete humility to the One and only Creator.

We made our ablutions, the ritual washing of our faces, arms, heads and feet before entering the state of prayers. Under the blazing sun, nothing could have been more refreshing. Now that we were physically clean, came the big part of preparing and purifying our souls and innerselves. I stood in the mosque compound contemplating and focusing my mind for these cherished moments with God I've longed for since the last prayer we made early in the morning. The soothing sound of another call of prayers from a mosque somewhere not too far away adds to the serenity already packed in my heart, as if it was also claiming its right to be there. As it happened, more and more people came answering the sublime call they have heard, passing almost unnoticed on my right and left. "We heard, and we submit. We heard, and we follow."

The next few minutes can never be described by words, not even with the most beautiful language ever existed on earth. About a hundred people filled the prayer hall in perfect lines, moving in complete order while expressing their uttermost adoration to the Owner of the heavens and earth. It is still a wonder to me that a land so disconnected from many other thriving Muslim communities could have the exact same practices, in great detail, with the ones I was taught since I was small. These people are Europeans, Slavs in origin, but their hearts are Muslims. They are as humble and submissive to God as other Muslims are.

Deep in the prayers, it was all too emotional for me. This opportunity, this one that God has granted me, was a golden one, if not anything better. To be with souls that are- not just willing- but want and feel the need to connect themselves to their Lord; nothing can be more fulfilling. I couldn't help asking myself; Why would they choose to believe in God, when the (majority of the) rest of the West don't? Why would they want to make God central, when they could have simply chosen alcohol, gambling and fornication? Why submission, when there is this widely publicized 'freedom'? Why choose Islam as your garment, when you can be a proud agnostic European?

Could it be that the answer lies in faith? They say that a man who has faith is a man without filth.

Is this meat halal?

It was one hour to Zuhr and we were exhausted. Nubli, who had no real breakfast in the morning, was now starving, insisting that we should make our way to a restaurant as soon as possible. We stopped at a restaurant Izzudin recommended, found ourselves seats, and started scanning the menu. I read it again and again. Unfortunately, at no point did it make me any sense.

We were attended by the same man who was at the cashier desk, who seemed very polite at first. However, as I should warn all other Bosnian shop-owners, Nubli and I make a very challenging pair to any businessman who wishes to sell us anything. We loved to take our time before making up our minds, and that could take ages to these people- indeed it is a test of patience! It is even worse if we first needed to exactly know what we were getting. The man at first stood beside us and tried answering our questions to no avail, because he knew no English (or rather, we understood no Bosnian!). When he had had enough, seeing no hope in helping us read through the menu, he simply walked away. His strategy worked.

"Iz-vini-te.." The word came out of my mouth inconfidently. It was supposed to mean 'excuse me' in English, but I really had no idea whether or not I pronounced it correctly. Usually my brain could appreciate and store words better if I've seen and heard its pronunciation back-to-back. I gathered my senses to detect any response from the waiter, but found none. Maybe I wasn't loud enough. Or perhaps it wasn't the right word. "Excuse me!" I raised my voice slightly. This time it did not fail me.

While 'enjoying' our lunch (a word that seemed to fit Nubli better for this occasion), we couldn't help but discuss about the issue of halality in Bosna. If you're not familiar with the word yet, you are going to be now. Halal food, as far as I'm concerned, always finds its way to make itself a key issue in any thriving Muslim community. From a majority Muslim-led country like mine in the East, to the minorities in the West, this issue receives unabated attention. For a meat to be halal, or simply permissible, according to traditional rulings, the animal has to be slaughtered by a believer in the name of God, with some specific methods as authentically traced back from the Prophet's exemplary practices. The codes of conduct in such action can be very detail, which includes an admonition from sharpening one's knife in front of the animal to be slaughtered, not to mention slaughtering one in front of another or using a not-sharp-enough knife. Its cutting through the arteries in the neck, a major requirement, diminishes the chance of systemic contimation after the animal becomes lifeless. Most importantly though, it is an act of obedience to God, a humble servitude, and a great show of thanks to the bounty He has provided His creation.

Obviously, there is a 50-50 chance of our source of meat to be from the non-Muslims. When talking to Izzudin earlier, Nubli asked him this question, wanting to know the Bosnians' attitude towards halality issues. Izzudin simply replied, "What is halal can be found in alcohol-free restaurants. Indeed, how can you say its food is halal if the restaurant sells alcohol?" We nodded. I smiled.

11th July: Srebrenica genocide- the fault of modernity

In commemoration of the genocide of at least 8,000 innocent Muslims exactly 14 years ago, mosques around the world had taken the initiative to word the khutbah on Bosna. Thus, yesterday، here in Sunderland Royal Hospital, I had the opportunity to deliver the following text;

ان الحمد لله، نحمده ونستعينه ونستغفروه، ونعوذ بالله من شرور انفسنا، ومن سيئات اعمالنا، من يهده الله فلا مضل له، ومن يضلله فلا هادي له، واشهد ان لا اله الا الله وهده لا شريك له، واشهد ان محمد عبده ورسوله. قال الله تعال في القران الحكيم

رَبَّنَا وَآتِنَا مَا وَعَدتَّنَا عَلَىٰ رُسُلِكَ وَلَا تُخْزِنَا يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ ۗ إِنَّكَ لَا تُخْلِفُ الْمِيعَادَفَاسْتَجَابَ لَهُمْ رَبُّهُمْ أَنِّي لَا أُضِيعُ عَمَلَ عَامِلٍ مِّنكُم مِّن ذَكَرٍ أَوْ أُنثَىٰ ۖ بَعْضُكُم مِّن بَعْضٍ ۖ فَالَّذِينَ هَاجَرُوا وَأُخْرِجُوا مِن دِيَارِهِمْ وَأُوذُوا فِي سَبِيلِي وَقَاتَلُوا وَقُتِلُوا لَأُكَفِّرَنَّ عَنْهُمْ سَيِّئَاتِهِمْ وَلَأُدْخِلَنَّهُمْ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ ثَوَابًا مِّنْ عِندِ اللَّهِ ۗ وَاللَّهُ عِندَهُ حُسْنُ الثَّوَابِ

Europe belongs to all

The arrival of Islam in Europe is as natural as the arrival of both Judaism and Christianity. None of the messengers of God are of the European origin. Hence, no one has the right to claim the priority of his/her faith of the land of Europe. All three Abrahamic traditions – Judaism, Christianity and Islam belong to Europe and thus Europe has the right, nay, an obligation to treat them as its own. The arrival of Islam into Europe has come via two main gates: the gate of the Iberian Peninsula in the 8th century and the Balkan Peninsula in the 14^th century. Eight centuries of the Islamic presence in Andalusia, Spain, have produced a unique tradition of religious and cultural tolerance as well as academic freedom which has greatly helped Europe on its way to humanism and renaissance. Unfortunately, the idea of the Andalusian tolerance did not survive in the European history.

Srebrenica genocide of Muslims

By the grace of Allah, Islam did survive in the Balkan Peninsula despite the hardship which the Muslims have witnessed over the last century. The most difficult one being genocide in July 1995 in the Bosnian town of Srebrenica, which was at that time a Protected Zone by a United Nations Security Council Resolution. During several days of carnage more than 8,000 Muslim men and boys, who had sought safety in this area under the protection of the United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR), were summarily executed by Serb forces commanded by General Mladić and by paramilitary units, including Serbian irregular police units which had entered Bosnian territory from Serbia. Nearly 25,000 women, children and elderly people were forcibly deported, making this event the biggest war crime to take place in Europe since the end of the Second World War.

Therefore, the European Parliament thought it appropriate that the institutionalisation of the 11th of July as a day of remembrance is the best means of paying tribute to the victims of the Srebrenica genocide. Thus, with the majority vote of its 565 members the European Parliament has adopted the resolution of 15 January 2009 on Srebrenica whereby it commemorates and honors all the victims of the atrocities; expresses its condolences to and solidarity with the families of the victims, many of whom are living without final confirmation of the fate of their relatives; recognizes that this continuing pain is aggravated by the failure to bring those responsible for these acts to justice. Also, the European Parliament calls on the Council and the Commission to commemorate appropriately the anniversary of the Srebrenica-Potočari act of genocide by supporting Parliament's recognition of 11 July as the day of commemoration of the Srebrenica genocide all over the EU, and to call on all the countries of the western Balkans to do the same. The victims of Srebrenica genocide are aware that the past cannot be changed, but they appreciate the recognition of their pain by EU as a good sign that genocide will not be repeated in the future to anyone. Not only Muslims in Europe, but all people of good faith are also appreciative of the fact that the lives of innocent boys of Bosnia were not in vain. It is exactly what the Holy Qur’an teaches us to say:

"O our Sustainer, grant us that which Thou hast promised us through Thy apostles, and disgrace us not on Resurrection Day! Verily, Thou never failest to fulfill Thy promise!"

"And thus does their Sustainer answer their prayer: - I shall not lose sight of the labour of any of you who labours [in My way], be it man or woman: each of you is an issue of the other. Hence, as for those who forsake the domain of evil, and are driven from their homelands, and suffer hurt in My cause, and fight [for it], and are slain - I shall most certainly efface their bad deeds, and shall most certainly bring them into gardens through which running waters flow, as a reward from God: for with God is the most beauteous of rewards" (Asad, 3:194-195)

الحَمْدُ ِللهِ الَّذِى تَتِمُّ الصَّالِحَاتِ , وَأَشْهَدُ أَنْ لا إِلهَ إِلا اللهُ وَحْدَهُ لا شَرِيْكَ لَهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ سَيِّدَنَا مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُوْلُهُ , اللّهُمَّ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ عَلى عَبْدِكَ وَرَسُوْلِكَ مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَصَحْبِهِ أَجْمَعِيْنَ أَمَّا بَعْدُ فَيَا أَيُّهَا المُؤْمِنُوْنَ اتَّقُوْا اللهَ أُوْصِيْكُمْ وَإِيَّايَ بِتَقْوَى اللهِ وَطَاعَتِهِ فَقَدْ فَازَ المُتَّقُوْنَ

It was only 14 years ago that these killings of unbelievable cruelty and atrocity happened. Many of us were old enough at that time to have memories on our own life; some of us were in our primary school, some high school, and university even, or had jobs, and we were busy with our own life. At that time, at the time when each of us thought that our hardship is the worst one can get, our brothers and sisters in Bosna were slain like they were never human beings. It was a genocide of a modern era, and it happened right in Europe, with so many so-called civilisations just watching it happen. The blood of Bosnian people spilled into their cup of tea and they took no bother. In this one-sided Bosnian war, when they intervened, they only did so to benefit the aggressor. When the Dayton agreement was signed in 1995, half of Bosna was given to the Serbs, as if they were rewarded for attacking the Muslims. Thus Bosna is forever a witness to the failure of contemporary modern civility.

They sought to extinguish the light of Allah, but Allah will complete His light, even if they don't like it. I was given by Allah the opportunity to visit our brothers and sisters in Bosna in Easter, and by Allah it was a wonderful experience. Islam, after being repressed for so many years, is now gaining momentum. You may wonder how, a land of absolutely European people, would choose to live Islam despite so many challenges on their right and left. In 1950s, under the communists, no one would have thought that Islam would survive in the land. In 1990s they were killed for being Muslims. But now in the 21^st century, more and more people are turning to Islam. This is the will of Allah, done by the works of the Muslims who spread good news and do righteous acts.

With or without our involvement, Islam will continue to have a future that it has been destined for by the Most Merciful. We have seen this in Bosna, and we will see the same everywhere else. Palestine, especially, should be our priority. Whether we remember them or not, they will soon be freed- only Allah knows when. Whether we help them or not, they will have victory. Whether we give donations and contributions to them or we keep our money to ourselves, Allah will eventually make their path glorious. The choice is on our own shoulders. If we participate, it is us who will benefit from it. And if we don't, it is us who will be left out, and no one else.

اللهم اغفر للمسلمين والمسلمت والمؤمنين والمؤمنات الاحياء منهم جميعا والاموات، اللهم اعز الاسلام والمسلمين واذل الشرك والمشركين والظلم والظلمين اللهم انصر الاسلام والمسلمين في كل مكان وفي كل زمان

Let's return Islam its real beauty

This was somewhere I wanted to be so badly since my first time reading about Bosna. Its water, its weather, its terrain- everything seemed to have been maintained in perfect order. Its history, on top of that all, was heart-touching, and it was still alive. Having reached here after so many hours of traveling, we wouldn't want to just pass by. It was our opportunity to spend more time exploring, contemplating, and learning from this ancient antiquity.

I, however, was still perturbed by how Islam is lagging behind social advancements, as demonstrated by this much of Mostar we have seen. Modernism is seen almost exclusively in the practices of the West, while Islam is associated with incivility and backwardness. Practising Muslims are often branded narrow-minded if not blind or ignorant. Usually if a man adopts the western culture, he will to one degree or another feel superior to the believers of 'Mohammedan' ideologies. This attitude is not only a phenomenan of the past, for I've seen much insults and hatred in the discussion threads I follow through some main news agencies' websites.

Maybe it's time to return Islam the real, beautiful image of itself. It's time to make it appealing to the masses once again; time to change its presentation. We have on one hand ceaseless efforts to paint a dark image on us, so hopefully, on the other, some counter-efforts are already in place. The late Professor Ismail Faruqi's idea for islamazation of knowledge is, to me, commendable. It has contributed to the philosophical growth of many universities including our own international Islamic university, IIUM. Another domestic example is the much respected ISTAC founded by Prof Faruqi's accomplice, Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas. Forget about the critics it had received- the achievements are real and tangible. Islam has to be emphasised and made central to the teachings in academic and non-academic institutions. Knowledge is to be used under the directives of the Divine- the sole Possessor of the universe, before it is manipulated by the ignorant proud and the greedy. Indeed knowledge is light, but it has to be itself guided by the Creator of light.

Should this happen, Islam will no longer be seen as a force that impedes learning. Rather, it will become the proponent and standard-bearer of scientific advancement, creating an esteemed and reputable civilisation on its own ground- a ground laden with divine teachings and earthly learnings, the former guiding the latter. This is the ultimate dream of us all, although obviously the routes are plenty.