Muslim who was left to die but Memorized the entire Quran
The Deen Show – Amazing Story
AI: Summary ©
The transcript describes the devastating experiences of Muslims during the cold war conflict in Bosnia, including struggles with their health and family, actions as a volunteer and community, and their experiences during the pandemic. They also discuss their struggles with naughty eating and the depletion of nutrients and reserves of nutrients. The speaker describes their experiences with a disease that affected their health and family, their success in learning Arabic letters and memorizing the last Jews, their struggles with injuries and health problems, and their desire to pursue healing. They encourage people to stay strong and stay positive.AI: Transcript ©
Bismillah Alhamdulillah wa salam aleikum, we're going from the streets to the studios of Bosnia. The de show must go on. We got to continue delivering this message and helping you connect with different Muslims from all over the globe. And particularly, we found one actually, he found us a lot hooked it up. Nadine, how are you still on echo Lake wa Salaam Nice to meet you again. Let's start we got it. We got a unique connection we made. I'm walking in Becca. Becca Jamia this. Let's start there was Becca Jamia is like the main ones army is the main mosque in Bosnia. It's over 500 years old. And it's located in the center of Bashar Shia, the same. The city center of Sarajevo.
Yeah. Okay. So I'm over there going about prayed over, I think it was something like that, or coming out with your father in what happens from there. Very, very interesting story. I came up and I went, I introduced myself and we hugged. And I said something about myself about my story, then you pull out the camera, and you just said, this is the trailer. And we will record full movie full studio interview soon. You took a chance? Yes. Right. You were telling me that, you know, you had recognized me and then Should I approach him? Should I not? But that that you know, just by doing that, look at what the what potential of good open up now people get to hear your story. I right
there, you know listening to the struggle you went through, right? You later on you ended up memorizing. So we got like a, I wanted to give people a little glimpse, right. And from what you were telling me, you went through some health issues, some struggles. Let's start from there. Let's start from the beginning again, and then go through that journey of your life to where you are today.
I'm Nadine. But I was born in a small town in the north of Bosnia. It's called boschetto pizza. It's a small town of around 8000 Muslims lived 8000 Muslims and around 20,000 Serbs.
When the war began in 1992, the bottles cubits came under the server control. And all the Bosniaks played, you know, running for their lives. And all the masks were burned down. The religious life was zero, you know, all traces of existence of Muslims and Islam in that, in that place, was destroyed. So after a few years after the war, if you would come to Bosnia boschetto pizza, you will think that they're in that place, no Muslims ever lived.
And
yes, dilbit and my mother, my aunt, my grandmother, lived there. And we couldn't flee. We can be we, we, we have stayed in that city, during the war, and after the war. And I can't explain how these days how those days around the time, I was
eight years old, got multiple began. And I remember some some of the stuff from that from that times. For example, the first time I remember nights, when the night came, and you as a child, you would deal with fear. And I would always think, is anybody going to come to us tonight? Is anybody going to come to us and take my mother, think my grandmother, think my uncle, I was afraid I was afraid for myself and I was afraid for for my family. And the worst feeling in that times was the helplessness. You feel helpless, you feel small, and you're your only child, and you and you feel these things. And I went to the elementary school in Topeka, or to overthrow the war. And of course,
there is no Islamic religious education, diverse, only orthodox religious education. And I didn't want to stand out of the crowd. Because if you stand out and you were Muslim, you would be molested in school bullied, and again, nobody, nobody could help. So I went to the Orthodox religious education and I learned there about the Christianity. And after the, in 1995,
there was some
for the Cold War conflict going on in Jupiter, because Demeter is on the board with Croatia. And in during that time, there was a war war action called lujah or the storm when the crow acts present
Wood serves all to the altar, the Serbia. And so the Croats, crew, they attacked the pizza. And they vented into the city. And during these
hard times, our outhouse was destroyed. It was hit with a grenade. And it was never rebuilt. We are actually rebuilding it right now. Yeah. So I grew up in that house, it has a house. I can't explain it. For viewers, who live in normal places, who live in security, who don't fear for their lives, who have fat to eat what to drink. Because many people in Boston, even now, they don't have luxury of these things. And even tonight, last night,
in my hometown to beat up the Wozniak scheme, they are called public needs, they return to their home ground, and they build mosques, and they are living there. But they don't have any money. They don't have any salaries. So they are basically begging for food. And there is an action humanitarian action to give those people one meal at a day. Emily and I saw one mon Granny, who who received
it's a culture of RP it's a traditional meal.
It's like a basically Bosnian version of burger. Yeah, and, and the yogurt. And see she held hold this in her hand. And she and she cries, some such small thing. But some to someone, it's such so big. And that was like that, like that was my childhood. Because I didn't have those things that normal children have.
Actually, I didn't have almost anything to eat. I remember my mom, my mother.
I grew up only with her and she was reversed here. Basically, she, she did everything to protect me and to give me care. And I remember one day, she couldn't give me anything. I didn't eat all day. And when the night came, she borrowed from the neighbor. she borrowed bow Bibles, basically Bibles from
Bibles from sheep. You cook it, you cook the bowels and you eat them, you fry them because you don't you don't have oil. You don't have flour, but just to you just boil them on fire and you eat them. You don't have any luxury than that. I couldn't when I went to school,
after the war, I only had the cheapest things, basically the cheapest shoes, the cheapest clothes. I only wore
t shirts and simple simple clothes. The first time that I wore trousers, regal trousers and a nice suit was in 2009.
When I was much older, and the I didn't have one, vodka him, that's half $1. Yeah, I didn't have that to buy myself a can of Coke. Really, really, really hard times. And I grew up I grew up in a family that didn't know much about religion. Basically, no one was practicing religion in my family. And it was something very strange to us all.
Especially No, no impact practice on your father. Nobody. Nobody. Nobody knew anything about what you are going to school and you were learning about Christianity. Yes, you were reading about that. So you are more you are more educated in Christianity and Islam. Yes, yes. Because, but I didn't find appealing the Christianity because I didn't find it practical and find anything. I didn't find anything that would give me practical solutions to my, to my problems because I have health issues. I have poverty. I have problems in family. I have all those issues. What is this going to help me so can we say you're a man without religion at this point? Yes. Yes. Right. So you're neutral kind?
Yes. I'm kind of neutral. Yeah, I didn't know. I didn't know what what to do next. And when I was at, at eighth grade of elementary school,
the disease began. The the problems in my stomach began. I didn't know what was happening. The first symptom was anemia. My blood was very, very, very weak. iron levels were very weak. And I didn't have energy I didn't I didn't have energy to eat, I didn't eat when I would eat, I would get diarrhea, and blood was flowing out of my body. And in Bosnia, you don't have such good health care like in the Western countries. So this disease, this problem that I had went undetected for around
Here's from my eighth year of elementary school until my second year of faculty.
Nobody recognized the disease nor the nor was the diagnose, put
it as it was like a health, basically, I wouldn't what are some of the symptoms that you started to experience? You let me mention a couple of words. Yes, with your stomach and the blood flowing and the other things. Yes, I had a problem when I would eat. Yeah, for example, everything that I did with my workmate would make my problems worse. For example, I would eat when I would drink water, just water immediately, I would have to go to the toilet. And in the in the beginning, there would be be around 15 times I went to toilet today it Yes, Ivan I spent I spent around five hours daily. At at the toilet bowl was this condition called again? What do they call it soul sarasa or,
or Crohn's disease? Basically the same condition? Same time of treatment, but my disease disease in my case, it affected my large bowel. Gotcha. Yes. And
when I see the pictures, when I was a child, and I was in that toilet,
and I was screaming, screaming of pain in this excruciating thing. Blood was flowing from from my how to call it. And I would make what I
just I
just do my best to just to remember what what to say. No worries. Yeah. So from your from your age?
I don't know if I say Can you hear from your that your screen? Yes.
I can again. So
basically, the blood was flowing out of the of the area that I excrete form. It was very painful. And a lot of blood I was winning, losing a lot of blood. And that made my anemia even worse. And the main problem I had during that disease was not the same not was not the only only the symptoms, what was the problem that my bowels my intestines couldn't take anything from the nutrients I taking, for example, a tablet thing, anything I eat, nothing will be stored. No minerals, no proteins, no carbs will be taken into my blood body. That's the main problem. You can give me infusion. But any tablet, any vitamin, any supplementation, my body won't take it. So it is the disease is depleting my
reserves of nutrients. And it's going to one point which I which I reached eventually, when everything broke, broke loose when the body couldn't take anything anymore. And it's just exploded, basically exploded. And
I hardly finished my high school. Because I was so sick, I had almost 1000 absences from from from lectures, I always would have to come
after a month of absence and trying to catch up with the other students but the other pupils I would fail at that times.
I wouldn't I wasn't very good in maths and many other subjects because I couldn't couldn't keep up. When I was in the fourth year of high school. I was thinking what would I do with my life next? And I asked my teacher said my teacher of German language I said to her
on one day, I will enroll in a faculty and she said
you're not for that. This is not for you. You should you should just stay home you will not for the faculty you are not, you know don't have the capacity, the capacity to become someone you're not that that shows really the power that the teachers have. I mean, instead of inspiring you. She was actually like, blocking you. Yes. And I remember those years and I even questioned myself. Is she right? Maybe she's right. You know she's older, more experienced. Maybe I am that guy, maybe I will be a failure. Maybe I won't succeed in anything.
And I lived in a small in that house. It was hit with the grenade during the war and we lived in in in a horrible conditions. I grew up until and I spent my teenage years in that house. You if I only showed you the picture, then you would understand what kind of paint kind of problems I was leaning in the case.
Basically, our electricity was cut off, we couldn't have the money to pay the bills. So we were cut off facticity we don't have water, we didn't have normal toilet, we didn't have heating.
The house was old, broken down.
And it was very hard. It was really very hard. But that disease I was talking about, and these conditions
I lived in, when I take my picture, or my take my memories to that, to that, to that childhood,
that disease, that house, these problems are my biggest blessing. Wow, that's really, for somebody, you know, and I said that before we met for people, they think they're going they got the latest iPad, they got the latest car, and they think they got some, you know, troubles. You're saying that that was the biggest blessing. How's that? Because I, later when, when Allah guided me to the Islam, and I went first time for them to the mosque and
I experienced happiness, I experienced happiness like never before. And if anybody told me 10 years ago, because 10 years ago, or 12 years ago, while it was my first time I went to the mosque, if anybody told me then someday you will be this, this this new really healthy that I wouldn't believe them.
And when I look at now, when I look from this perspective, to my childhood, and teenage years, and my growing up,
I wanted my I asked myself, there would I be if I didn't have that disease?
If I was healthy, I have everything in my life. Would I ever come to the mosque when I ever would ever question myself about this life? Without question my my religion? Would I question everything the other people were doing with I would I change my life?
Today, if it didn't, if I didn't have that disease? Would I still be in my hometown? Maybe in some coffee shop, drinking alcohol going after girls like all the all the other boys are doing?
Would I ever read
that would even enticed me to read the Quran, that would be my motivation to read Quran but because everything is drawing me a very from that. And I can't thank Allah enough for that disease, and for those tribulations, and those problems I had, because they brought me back to him.
And when I came back to him, I got everything ever I ever needed.
I was
on my way here to this studio and filming.
I was thinking about the stuff I went through.
And the one thing I came
was
Allah His sees me now. And Allah knows where I have been before. And that that idea that's knowing that you know that Allah sees you that Allah take care of you. It just makes you feel warm around the heart. And you know, you are not alone. You maybe you don't have other maybe you have a problem, trouble of problems in childhood. Maybe you had this problem that problem this that. But all too that
analytics takes you out of that problems. You see humans there all the time. Just you weren't there. You didn't know that. And my first
contact with Islam basically was
in Belgrade.
That's the that's your first contact with Islam? Yes, basically, it was when I was in Belgrade. After I finished my high school. I can't remember 2010 or 2003.
I made a three year
absence from anything else because I was so sick. And then he didn't have any money to enroll in faculty.
So I just stayed home. And in 2003, I had an opportunity to go to Belgrade for some short time. And beer I for the first time. I have seen something that is today a pretty modern, pretty standard thing. It was a PC and internet. The first time I saw that, and on that one brother
she was reading something from Islamic magazine.
diachronically thought was that What are you reading while you're reading that? And I read the sentence about such them. How sajida prestation is something the most beautiful thing in the world? prostrating your prostates in yourself? Yes. So I was wondering what is so special about that? Let me see that. And that so I went to the sujood. And something clicked. I can't explain it. That's something.
I was, I was, I felt
yearning in my heart for this. That something that my heart was
wanting this. Yeah. So I Headingley secretively, I found the copy of the Quran and I started reading it, copy of the Quran,
translation of the Quran. And in the start, I didn't understand much. I didn't want to, but I didn't want to give up. I didn't I wanted to find out what is this book talking about? Because in my hometown,
I said, all the monsters are broken, destroyed.
There was no practicing Muslims at that time. I couldn't ask any anybody because there were no Imams, there were no shade. There were no religious authorities there couldn't ask anybody or I will. Or, on the contrary, I would be maybe laughed at ridiculed. I didn't want to go through that. So I
hit the book. And I brought it back to Demeter and I started reading it, reading it. And I started memorizing, I started memorizing the translation of the Quran.
And sometimes Somehow, I was drawn to that to memorization and the Quran.
And in 2003, the first mosque in Maui town was rebuilt. It's called God's Gatto pizza, the town Mosque of the pizza. It's located in the very center of the town. And that's the first time I've done was cleared in that town after 11 years, 11 years.
Something came to me and I, I I was thinking about going to mosque. A shaytans usually stopped me there. Because you don't want to go there. Somebody will see you somebody will speak badly about you. While you're going there. These are the like the thoughts of a DaVinci Resolve? Yes, that's the visitor stuff Shakedown like that I got in that period,
the universe will see you that you are going to mosque, they will tell you that you are this and that they will make fun of you. You You are all your friends are Serbs, orthodox. If they see you coming, going to mosque, nobody will going to nobody will ever sit down with you. Nobody will ever drink coffee with you never they will be your friend anymore. He will be alone.
And the problem is that those were
whispers that had some shoe connotation because that was the real fact. And I came back to Dean and I came back to the mosque.
Those friends, most of them vent, most of the previous friends left. But Alhamdulillah I knew who were the real friends, the ones the ones who loved me, before and after. And
when I came back to Dubai,
I started to memorize the Quran, memorized memorize the translation of the last sutras. It was it was phallic enough. And I used to
recite it whenever I would go
besides that mosque,
and that was about some rituals that I for that was my, my, my
when you when you now
you actually So you went through this ailment at this time. We've only got a few more minutes. And I want to get these get these questions in because I mean this is amazing. Like at this time when you start looking at Islam, was your condition cured? No, not yet. No. I basically did like this. First time I went in last game was in 2004. Yeah.
It was something. Something the most beautiful moment in my life was that if there's the Ramadan 20th day, I went to the mosque in Dubai.
I asked the man can I come to mosque? He just said to me, yes, you can go back to home and take we do. I didn't know what to do. I didn't know anything. Not one half and I just wanted to go to the mosque and I went to home I
Vorst all of myself everything because they know what this will do what what would I miss chance I splashed water all over myself and I invented the mask. You might get my shoes on. Yeah. When people saw me in the shoes go out go. I came back and the guy, Imam appointed one guy to show me how to pray. And he showed me but I didn't understand. So I said to myself this first Salah it will it won't be good, but I'm over there you were committed. Yes, I will commit. But when I came to the mosque, and the man I just planted a day into the praying area.
I was like, yeah, here I am. I came to I came to you Allah. It was it was the success in my eyes. It's so much so much success. All the whispers would have gone. All the whispers are beaten 2005 I enrolled in the Islamic faculty in Bihar.
That's the only place the name is placed to me. And that is the first time in my life. I have been in a place where Muslims live majority Muslims live.
And
and then I didn't have any money to pay the tuition. But I was hard, hard, hard working. I don't how old are you at this time? 22 Yeah, and then I was 21 when I went to the mosque 22 when I enrolled in the faculty,
but some good people, they paid by tradition. And they finance me during my during my during my student tears into infinity when I had when I was 22 years old. In the faculty, I started to learn Arabic letters. Yeah. And I started to learn to read. And I started to memorize the last juice of Quran because that was the exam, you had to learn the entire last juice, and you recite it to get
a grade in the exam that does the exam. It took me around three to four months to finish Arabic letters did read and memorization of the last Jews.
2006 was a pretty normal year, I was a good student, I finished my first year I chosen the second year of the faculty.
The 2007 was the hardest, really hardest year of my life. Because in that year, the disease returned.
And this time, it took no casualties. Because it wouldn't stop. Usually before I had these intervals when and when the disease would appear, and then would retreat. But this time, I was in the faculty. It didn't retreat, and I was scared. I was really scared. Because the blood was again going out. And saliva was going out everything combined. And I had fevers. I had problems with eating I had I I lost weight, a lot of weight. And
I did everything to do to heal myself. But I wouldn't go away. The disease wouldn't go away. In April of 2700 to home into pizza. My mother saw me she was like, Oh, what is happening?
I went to the doctors and they gave me a wrong diagnosis. Basically they they treated my kidneys for around six months from that April.
I finished the second year of faculty. I gave all my exams and then I went home I couldn't move I couldn't walk I feel something heavy in the left side of my body like a like a rock this in this place in my left part of the Lord Val like a rock and it wouldn't move. I didn't know what was what was happening. What is this?
First day of Ramadan came I I fasted then I couldn't move then I couldn't do anything else.
During one of those nights, I was woken up with a large been excruciating pain, pain like never anything else I felt before. I can't describe it. And I woke up that pain woke me up and I felt something pop. Basically when I woke up the next morning, I saw a large
tumor in this part of body and later I found out that my large bowel
it popped it exploded in me.
And I asked the doctor what was happening she said
this the kidney stone is moving
mahalo
And the professor from my faculty Islamic, Islamic pedagogical faculty from the hatch was a faculty member of the faculty for Islamic pedagogy and because they came to my town to give lectures in mosques, and they asked demand, there is nothing. And he said he's at home. He's sick. And I didn't have health insurance then that day, so the professor's helped me to get health insurance and beehives. So the mom of the term soft began, which he drugged me to be harsh. They put me to hospital.
I was just drawn from man from an apartment to
the second department,
from gastroenterology
to killer G, basically.
Because nobody could help me again, I couldn't take any nutrients nutrients in and I had around that time, I had 40 kilos.
And all my levels
of anything I had
on the on the brink. My iron iron levels were one I had 14 different diagnosis. Because the thing is affected my
my stomach. I had also gastritis I had problems with clients, I have problems with heart problems with kidneys problems with the liver problems with prostate problems with like, because this leg, which I'm standing now, I couldn't move that like I couldn't move that like I probably had problems with depression, generalized anxiety, problems with dizziness.
Everything was falling apart. Basically, my body was falling apart. And nobody could help me nobody. People were just looking like this and
I was left to die. Basically, the cut the short, cut the story short, I was left to die in the hospital.
That was December of 2007. I was taken off of all beds of all of all
medicines. Yeah, and just waiting for me to die.
And then I called the mom of two pizza, the headmaster of Boston school to pizza soft began which to help me to go to Sarajevo, the few other to
to get, I wanted to pursue healing.
And somehow Alhamdulillah Allah gave me that I was moved from Bihar
to Sarajevo, in the that's called Community Center, Salah clinical center of Sarajevo. It's the biggest basically the biggest Hospital in Bosnia, the biggest and
the best Hospital in Bosnia.
I arrived there and the 14th of December in 2007.
When they saw me, the doctors were afraid. I remember when they saw me like, what is this?
I spent there 19 days before the operation, the operation took place in January of 2008.
And I remember the days
malarkey. I couldn't sit. I was a young man. 25 years old. I couldn't move. I couldn't sit up. Because I would sit up my because my stomach is exploded.
I couldn't breathe. It was pushing me pushing my lungs. And I was just if I would sit up. That was a success. I couldn't move. I couldn't walk.
The doctors told my mother that I won't sleep.
She was prepared for that, that I won't survive the operation.
But during those days during those days,
the dean, Islam, that was the only thing that kept me alive and normal. Basically, that was the only thing that gave me hope. How many how many years past now that you finally got cured nine years, so nine years, and now you've officially today you're cured of the season. So you went from being diagnosed? Pretty much left to die to now. How's your health now? I'm just thinking about that. When I I went I I went out from the hospital in San Diego in 28. February of 2008. I was I had 48 kilos. Yeah, I was how many kilos you have now. 92. Yeah. 92 is night. So ROM protease. 92. Yeah. So wrapping up. We're out of time. Tell us now. So you you made it and in that time, you actually
memorized the entire Quran? Yes. Yes. It took me two months of rehabilitation process to get my
leg moving to get my
Thought I'd have like a baby. I bought diapers for two months. So you're like, you're like living miracle Yes.
I can. Just Allah, this is this I'm speaking about this, not about. It's not so much about myself. But it is about the religion but the power of the deen the power of Allah and me I am believed that anybody can have such things in their life. If they put their trust in Allah, if they pray, if they see beyond the borders of this of this temporary bird and you committed to the you didn't give up hope, because I, I would give hope but
I'm lacking strength in that times. I can't describe it any, any any less. It took me one year to fully recuperate from the disease. And after that, I started memorizing the Quran. I finished my faculty I finished my faculty as the best student in the history of the faculty from the guy who was told that he would never finish the faculty I finished my tenure as with the highest grade average in the history of faculty enrolled in a master's degree, I started to learn the memorization of the Quran. I had stops, I had pauses.
I finished the memories restoration of the Quran. I married
in 2013, I moved to Sarajevo. And dentists the time when I started to prepare for the condition of the for the hips. You see in the bars now we have a unique way of
approving or getting ijazah or
to prove that you have to prove that your hips of the Quran is strong enough. And you have to recite in 15 days in front the commission of the seven for fires in the sonic community. So you passed all that? Yes, it took me took me a while my wife helped teachers my biggest support and my happiness. And I decided the entire Qur'an from memory by heart in during the 18th of May, and the first of June last year. And that's the the ending of the story. What advice now we got to wrap up? Yes. What advice do you have for people who think their struggles are hard to listen to yours you're almost left to die. You're here with us today.
My my special memory is when I received the diploma the time heart is in my hometown in this in the same mosque when I very first came to the mosque that is the same mosque that I received the jhaza
my mother my my mom came to me and she had hugged me. That was like something I I can't explain it. To go from one one extreme to the something that is the most beautiful thing in the world. And I have learned from my life
that's that's easy to say but not easy. It's not always easy. Because shaytan works. You have you're influenced by other people, society and cetera.
No, don't ever give up. Don't give up Don't give up and
you have to rely on Allah. You have to see that this Deen everything this Deen is for your own good.
And if you don't drink alcohol, if you don't do theater, if you don't gamble, if you are if you don't do these things, because you are doing good to yourself, you want to be doing good to your health. You are doing good to your body. Because if you don't put her on things in it, if you don't if you eat it, if you pray, if you if you live according to the Sunnah of the Prophet sallallahu Sallam basically if you go to sleep after Isha go to sleep early, wake up early, if you live productively, if you are in company of good people, if you laugh, if you have a laugh, if you read, if you eat healthy, and you live healthy, your body will be healthy. That's the main that's the
mind my combination for for healing. Basically, I the religion prohibited prohibited me from eating pork preventing bad knees from drinking alcohol and I've handled I never drank alcohol. I never did. I never did never never went to gambling shops.
I never went to nightclubs, etc. So it was the disease helped me also in that field because I couldn't do those things. But I don't have effects of those things today. And just you just give yourself
the best meal. Eat
rest pray
And I believe and anybody can have a healthy body and a healthy mind. Even in these in these tough days. We'll end with that. Never give up. Keep the hope alive and rely on online. Yes. Thank you. Thank you.
Man, thank you for being with us here on today's show. Insha Allah, your story can reach so many hearts, so many people's. So two people who are struggling out there and they compare their struggles to yours where you almost left to die. And they're like, well, I'm still alive and I'm healthy and I'm strong and I got all the latest gadgets Yes, I don't think my struggle is as bad nowhere near as bad as hit. I'm not going to give up. I'm going to what rely on the crater that heaven Earth and keep pushing forward. And thank you guys for tuning in. Hope you enjoy this week's show from bazian channel five. So I'm making peace be with you.
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