Abdirahman Adan Mohamoud (our father) was a remarkable man. He was a son, husband and loving father. He was a man of Deen, open- minded and had an engrossing view of the world. Aabo taught us many of the things we know, believe and treasure today. From a tender age, he planted in our hearts the love for the mosque, even though we are all girls and are not obligated to pray from the mosque. He imparted a lot of invaluable knowledge to us without making it boring, screaming or beating us. He always taught us in the most fun ways and in kind ways.
I remember a few years back when Israel was, just like today, brutally killing Palestinians. We asked him: “Aabo if the Palestinians don’t want to be killed then why don’t they just leave Palestine for Israel?” He looked at us calmly and replied “Imagine if someone enters our house with a knife and a gun, sits on the couch and orders us to get out of the house saying it is his from now on. We either leave or he will shoot us on the spot. Will you get out?” We shook our heads to imply that we could not obey his orders. He then added “Then imagine in the case of Palestinians it is not a house but the entire country. Their fathers and grandfathers were born there and it is their ancestral land.” And with that pep talk, our perspective on the ongoing genocide changed.
Even though he had held a senior position in the United Nations, he never exhibited any haughtiness. He treated everyone with love and kindness. Although we relocated from Somaliland, Aabo still cherished his roots and brought us back after every year. He had an unmatched love for his motherland and encouraged us to be equally patriotic.
He was not only a loving father but also a respectful son who loved his mother more than anything in this world. His mother was a crown he proudly wore daily. Anytime his mother was indisposed, he would hastily put her on the next available flight to Nairobi, Kenya for treatment. If it was not a serious ailment, he would buoyantly send medicine to her. Whenever he was on mission in Somaliland, he would take a few extra days to share precious moments with our grandmother. May his love for his mother be the reason for Allah to grant him the best in the hereafter, insha’Allah. On the night that Aabo’s soul departed to meet its creator, his mother Ayeeyo Maryan and our mother Ifraax raised their hands up and supplicated “Ya Allah, we are pleased with him, so be pleased with him.” That shows you that he was an incredible person.
With his passing on, there is a yawning void especially on Fridays. When he was alive, we would come from the khutbah and would always discuss our understanding of the khutbah, dissect the import of the sermon and derive lessons from it. Fridays no longer carry the same meaning with your departure Aabo. You would always encourage us to learn things saying “Aabo I won’t always be here…” It hurts most today as we reflect on the meaning of this statement…now that you are gone… for good.
There is nothing in this world that would truly prepare one for the loss of a loved one, let alone your parent. Our minds can’t fully grasp the fact that life will still go on without you, Aabo. The daily struggles with the fact that we shall never see or hear your voice again is a brutal reality we shall struggle to live with. We are with all veracity grateful to Allah for having blessed our lives with a supportive and loving Aabo. He was truly one of a kind.
Aabo, we will always look for you in every person we meet, every place we visit and every new chapter in our lives. We will never stop mentioning your name as long as Allah continues to give us the gift of life. Aabo, we are so grateful for all the great things you have done for all of us. We fondly cherish the years (short to us but Allah is the best of planners) of unconditional love and support. Life has been unbearable without you Aabo. You have truly inspired us to take after you and one day, insha’Allah, we hope to emulate your kindness, be caring as you were, only be half as good parents as you were to us and be obedient to hooyo as you were to Ayeeyo Maryan.
May Allah have mercy on your soul, illuminate your grave with light, widen it for you and raise your ranking. Aabo, may Allah forgive you for your lapses, grant your beloved soul Jannah tul Firdous. May he allow us to be a family once again in Jannah.