Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Ahmed Nur Ali

Sad news out of Minneapolis.


From Allah we come and to Allah do we return.



From the depths of civil war

to apartments in the sky

a boy turned into a man

and at twenty, he did die.



For what? A girl asked simply.

A newsman filmed her sigh.

Viewers watched and observed,

"Somalis sure did multiply."



They didn't see the bravery

he had to hope and to dream

to study hard and make good;

to maintain some self-esteem.




He wanted just to give back;

to mentor a younger one,

they were the last to see him

he was shot down with a gun.



Who could Ahmed have become?

God, why did it have to be?

A college freshman is gone

His family in misery.



Pray for Ahmed Nur Ali

who started today in prayer

his first day as a tutor

His sad death was most unfair.





9/23 Fear, Questions after Augsberg Student Ambushed
11/7 This would have been Ahmed Nur Ali's birthday. Though, in Islam, we don't celebrate birthdays (only the two eids), it is a time to remember young man who can never grow older.
I talk about him in my class every time some child pretends to play guns.

"Guns hurt people. We come here in peace, so no guns!"
Inshahallah, there doesn't have to be more bloodshed in the world among Somali youth.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Inna Lillahi Wa ina Ilaihi Raji'oon, Alhamdullilah for everything, he came from Allah and yesterday Allah decided to take the soul he created back- so Alhamduillah Alhamduillah Alhamduillah. It seems like yesterday when we picked him up from the Airport. I'll miss you cousin. My Condolences to my uncle, aunt and cousins. Alhamdullilah

Yosra said...

Asalamalaykom Cousin,

Alhumdulillah.

You said it all from your heart beautifully.

My writing doesn't match yours, just as my pain doesn't match yours. I only know him as a part of the ummah, and you know him as a part of your family.

Please forgive me if I didn't say within my words that Allah knows best. There are different stages of grief, and maybe the first is the shock, which is more expressed here. His death is shocking and senseless and I'm sorry for your family.

May Allah ease the pain and accept Ahmed Nur Ali to the highest level of Paradise.

UmmAbdurRahman said...

I work about 5 blocks from where this occurred. This is the second college aged man who was murdered in this area in the previous months.

something must be done. someone must come forward. i pray that Allah ease his family's burden and grand ahmed the highest levels of jannah.

Anonymous said...

No doubt, the murder of Nur Ali, a promising 20 year old, college freshman, is heart breaking. It was sad enough that I felt my heart pump the blood through my veins faster and I found myself short of breath as if I had been running.
It was heinous, irrational cold blood murder reminiscence of the civil war horror in Somalia in 1991 where hundreds of thousands of innocent Somalis lost their lives and millions others became displaced refugees scattered throughout the world.
I'm sorry if I seem to imply correlations between Nur's murder and what happened or still happening in Somalia. However, there is, I believe, a 'cause and effect underneath this murder and the many that preceded it.
For that reason, or something similar, Nur's murder reveals a lot about us, Somalis, who escaped prosecutions at homeland and came to the States in search of peace. It seems as though prosecutions are beginning to surfice in the Twin Cities despite the distance between the two countries. Are the new Somali-American youth picking up what their older brotheren generation did or still doing in Somalia (killing each other both in the name of Islam and clan) or something else is at work here? Whatever it is I won't contribute this henious acts, no matter where they happen, to Allah who gave us the power to do whatever we wish to do in this world.

There is no doubt that we indeed found and continue to enjoy a profound peace here in America. Today, many of us have their own hopes and dreams about the world; a world that we almost gave up on it back in the hard time days. Furthermore, today many of us, who had lived lifeless refugee camps in Africa, were able to have a vision of a new future. Our kids can and do go to schools and have better chances of getting college degrees when they grew up.
Not straying from the point I want to make here, I feel I have a lot in common with Nur. He was Somali. I am Somali. He was an immigrant and I am too. He just began his first year of college and I just finished my four years of college a year ago. So I saw myself in Nur's. Unfortunately, my faith could end up like Nur's from the hand of another Somali. What could prevent that happening to me? I live a few blocks from where he was murdered.

To finish this commentary, I also, want to say that Allah didn't plan this, but it came from the hands of someone or some wicked minds who chose to stop someone's life as if they have the power of God. I would not say "Alhamdulilah" about Nur's death but for sure my heart is bleeding for the young life cut short. Allah said it in the Qur'an, though I don't remember the exact verse, that whoever takes the life of an innocent she or he must be killed also. I just want to say that Allah has given us the power of "will" it is upto the individual to choose. If someone gets killed we know that person's time in this world has been reached, according to Allah's destiny, but on the other hand we also know that whoever committed that killing made that choice; to end someone's life.
It is a sad and it is not gonna end there but it's just beginning. The question is when will it be the next incident, or is it gonna be a whole front clan warfare? Or is this just a copy of what's going on back home in Somalia? Gang rivalry is just the dress code of this endless animosity among Somalis.
Peace upon Nur.
MinniMugadishu

Yosra said...

Asalamlaykom UmmAbdurRahman,

It is very frightening to think of all the people who were close to the scene and were not hit, by the Grace of God.

Ameen to your du'a.

Asalamlaykom MinniMugadishu,

You have a lot to say. It seems like you are speaking from a mind very troubled by what's happened. On so many levels this is troubling. I know that you, being of the same generation as Ahmed Nur Ali, and the same ethnic background, living in the same place---well, it's so many simmilarities, of course.

This is the plan of God. It is the way life unfolded, so we say, "Alhumdulillah." As Muslims, we thank God for everything. Ahmed Nur Ali did die in Ramadan. He did die doing good. Inshahallah, he will be richly rewarded.

As for the future, I pray for that too. Someone fell that day, but it wasn't Ahmed Nur Ali. He is being carried by our prayers. The real person who fell is the shooter. Whoever they are, they need to step forward and accept the punishment in this life, for punishment in the next life is going to be more severe.

muslim girl said...

Allah ooo Naxxaristo Ahmed Nur

My condolences to the family of Ahmed Nur we are all deeply hurt by your lost and keepin you in our prayers and thoughts each day.

May Allah(s.a.w.) have mercy on you and reserve you a spot in Jannah!!!!! Inshallah

Yosra said...

Asalamalaykom Muslim Girl,

Ameen to your du'a for Allah's servant Ahmed Nur Ali.

Anonymous said...

I am a good friend of ahmed's brother, i also use to play basketball with him 2 years back. I hope allah has mercy on him and he enters paradise inshallah. He was a cool and nice guy who everybody liked i was shocked when i heard he got shot.

Yosra said...

Asalamalaykom Good Friend,

I bet Ahmed Nur Ali was a great basketball player! He was 6'4, from what I hear. I'm glad you have good memories.

Ameen to your du'a for him to enter Jennah.

No one should ever be killed unjustly. A young man full of promise is indeed even more shocking and sad.

What's even sadder for me, is to hear that a 16-year-old is under arrest for the murder. Astragferallah. Two lives thrown away for what? There can't be any good reason.

I received this comment, which included an email address. I didn't want to print the contact info (since the internet is a weird place, isn't it?) but here is the rest of the comment:

Salam yosra, I am the brother of Ahmednur Ali.. my name is Sheikhnur Ali and I want to thank for you taking your time writing about AHmednur ALi.. May Allah take care of him.

Back to me...

Asalamlaykom Brother Sheikhnur Ali,

Thank you for writing to me. I wish that I was better at expressing all I felt the day I heard the news. What I did write was the best I could do, but it is truly insufficient.

Your family has really suffered from this and I'm so sorry for your hardship. May Allah make it easier on you.