bismillah from the assalamualaikum we're
going from the streets to the studios of
Bosnia the D 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 Allah helped it up Nadeem how
are you somali KO i like the salami
nice to meet you at night again it's you
again let's start we got it we got a
unique connection we made I'm walking in
bed over that's a big of a jamia this
let's start there would beg of Adjara is
like the main journey is the main mosque
in bosnia it's over 500 years old and
it's locating this in the center-of-mass
joshiya the same the city center of
sorry yeah okay so I'm over there going
about Prelude her I think it was
something like that or coming out with
your father and what happens from there
very very interesting story I I came up
and I when I introduced myself and we
hugged it and I said something about
myself about my story and then you pull
out the camera and you said just said
this is the trailer and we will record
full movie full studio interview soon
inshallah 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 the
yes yeah so we got like a I wanted to
get to get 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 nading but it I
was born in a small town in the north of
Bosnia it's called Boston skidoo bitsa
it's a small town of will around 8,000
Muslims lived eight thousand Muslims and
around 20,000 Serbs
when the war began in 1992
the bosses cadeau bitsa BK came under
the control and all the Bosniaks played
you know running for their lives and all
the mosques 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 Bosnia do bitsa you
would think that they're employed in
that place no Muslims ever lived and
what do bitter yes do bit
my mother my aunt my grandmother they
lived there and we couldn't flee we
couldn't 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 well show you around that
time I was 8 years old 8 years old
multi-ball began and I remember some
some of the 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 be would 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
take my grandmother thank my uncle I was
afraid I was afraid from 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 you're only a child and you know
and you feel these things I went to the
elementary school in the bitter war to
all through the war and of course there
was no Islamic religious education there
was only Orthodox religious education
and I didn't want to stand out of the
crowd because if you stand out and you
were a Muslim you would be molested in
school bullied and again nobody nobody
could help so I went to the Orthodox
education and I learned there about the
Christianity and after the in 1995 there
was some for the quality war conflict
going on in do bitsa because the litsa
is on the border with Croatia and during
that time there was a war war action
called louia or the storm when the crow
had pursued Serbs all through the altar
disturbia
and so the crow had they attacked do
bitsa and they wanted into the city and
during these hard times our out house
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 was a house I can't
explain it for viewers who live in
normal places who live in security who
don't feel for their lives who have what
to eat what to drink because many people
in Bosnian now they don't have luxury of
these things and even tonight last night
in my hometown the beats up the
Bosniaks came to they are called public
needs they returned to their home ground
and they do build mosques and they are
living there but they don't have any
money that they don't have any salaries
so they are basically begging for food
and there's an action humanitarian
action to give those people one meal at
a day Emily and I saw one one granny who
who received it's a culture party it's a
traditional meal it's not like a
basically Bosnian version of bird and in
the yogurt and see she house holds this
into her hand and she 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 a
real warrior 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 I went a night game she borrowed
from the neighbor she borrowed Bo buds
basically bowels from bowels from sheep
do you cook it you cook those 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 first
time when I wore trousers regal
shoulders and a nice suit was in 2009
when I was much older and I didn't have
one
Vanka ham that's half a dollar yeah I
didn't have that to buy myself a can of
coke really really are really hard times
and I group 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 one
practice on your mother your father
nobody nobody nobody knew anything about
what you were going to school and you
were learning about Christianity yes I
was reading about that so you were more
you were more educated and Christianity
than Islam yes yes because but I didn't
find appealing the Christianity because
I didn't find 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 eight degree eight years
eighth grade of elementary school the
disease began the the problems of 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 that it wouldn'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 healthcare like in
the Western countries so this disease
this problem that I had went undetected
for around ten years from my eighth year
of elementary school until my second
year of faculty nobody recognized the
disease nor the nor was the diagnosed
put it has it was like a hell basically
I know what are some of the symptoms
that you started to experience you let
me mention a couple yes with your
stomach and the blood flowing and the
other things yes I had the problem when
I would eat yeah for example everything
the type of date with my book my 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 could be be around 15
times I went to toilet a day I think yes
I then I spent I spent around five hours
daily at at a toilet what was this
condition called again what do they call
it is also Rosa or or Crohn's disease
basically the same condition the same
time of treatment but my disease disease
in my case it affected my large bowel
yes and when I I now see the pictures
when I was a child and I was in that
toilet and I was screaming screaming of
pain
it was excruciating thing blood was
running from from my how to call it and
I would make what I just just my
estimate just to remember what what to
say
no worries yeah so from your from your
English and I don't know if I say
community yeah from your area that
you're screwed yeah yeah yes I can again
so basically the blood was flowing out
of the path of the area where I excrete
form it was very painful and a lot of
blood I was losing a lot of blood
and that made my knee knee even worse
and the main problem I had during that
disease was not the same no it 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 about
everything 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 1,000 absences from from from
lectures I always would have to come
after 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 in my life next and I asked my
teacher I said my teacher of German
language I said to her and one day I
will enroll in a faculty and she said
you're not for that this is not for you
you or should you should just stay home
you were not for the faculty or not you
now 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
is 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 horrible
conditions I grew up in there and I went
to spent my teenage years in that house
you know if I only show you the picture
then you would understand what kind of
vent 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 it were a 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 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
air to that to that childhood that
these that house these problems were 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 Alec I
get me to the Islam and I event first
time for them to new mosque and I
experienced a penis I experienced
happiness like never before and if
anybody told me ten years ago because
ten years ago or 12 years ago while it
was my first time I went Idol mosque if
anybody told me then something you will
be this this dissing you really healthy
that I wouldn't believe them and when I
look at now when I look from this
perspective to my child for them teenage
years and my growing up I under my eye I
ask myself where would I be if I didn't
have that disease if I was healthy I had
everything in my life would I ever come
to the mosque when I ever would I ever
question myself about this life did I
question my my religion would like
question everything the other people
were doing with I would I change my life
today if it didn't if I don't have that
disease what I still be in my hometown
maybe in some coffee shop drinking
alcohol going after girls like all the
all the other boys were doing would I
ever read coupon but would even entice
me to read the Quran what would be mine
activation to read Quran but because
everything is drawing me away from that
and I can't thank Allah enough for that
disease and for those tribulations and
those problems I had because they
brought him 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
don't you and the one thing I came was
Allah he 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
father maybe you'll have a problem
trouble trouble of problems in childhood
maybe you had this problem that problem
this and that but all through that when
Allah takes who takes you out of that
problems you see he was 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 good as
new yes basically it was when I'd as in
Belgrade after I finished my high school
I'd come in 2002 and 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 there I
for the first time I have seen something
that is today are pretty more than a
pretty standard thing it was a PC and
internet it's the first time I saw that
and on that one brother he was reading
something from Islamic magazine and I
Ronnie being taught was that what
reading while you're reading that and I
read the sentence about says damn how
said that frustration is something the
most beautiful thing the world
prostrating your prostate in yourself
helps again yes I was wondering what is
so special about that let me see that
and so I went to the sujood and
something clicked I can't explain it had
something I was I was I felt yearning in
my heart for this that something that my
heart was wanting this yeah so I hiding
Li secretively I found a copy of the
Quran and I start started reading it
copy of the Quran in translation of the
Quran and in the start I didn't
understand much but didn't want to but I
didn't want to give up but I wanted to
find out what is this book talking about
because in my hometown I said all the
most broken destroyed
there was no practicing Muslims at that
time I couldn't ask and it's anybody
because there was no Imams there were no
shades there were no religious
authorities there I couldn't ask anybody
where I will or on the contrary I would
be maybe laughed at ridiculed I didn't
want to go through that so I hid the
book and I brought it back to do bitsa
and I started reading it reading it and
I started memorizing I started
memorizing the translation of the Quran
and on sometime somehow I was drawn to
that to memorization and the Quran and
in 2003 the first mosque in my town was
rebuilt
it's called Graz Katowice the town
mosque of dough pizza it's located in
the very center of this town and that's
the first time John was killed in that
town after 11 years 11 years something
came to me and
aye aye I was thinking about going to
mosque but shaytans usually stopped me
there because you don't want to go there
somebody will see you somebody will
speak of battery about you while you're
going to you these are the like the 70
that was reserved yes that's the mr.
stuff satan liked i got in that period
the uni-balls will see you that you are
going to mosque they will tell you that
your this and that they will make fun of
you you you are all your friends are
Serbs Orthodox if they see you coming
coming to mosque nobody be going to know
nobody will ever sit down with you
nobody will ever drink coffee with you
never would even be your friend anymore
he will be alone and the problem is that
those were whispers that had some true
connotation because that was the real
fact when I came back to Dean and I came
back to the mosque that was friends most
of them vent what of the previous
friends left but alhamdulillah I knew
who were the real friends the one the
ones who loved me before and after and
when I came back to do pizza I started
to memorize the Quran the memory I
memorized the translation of the last
sutras it was a fellows Falak and nos
and I used to recite it whenever I would
go besides that mosque and that was were
some rituals that I for that was my my
my when when you know you actually so
you went to this ailment at this time we
only had 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 to look in
Islam was your condition cured no not
yet
no I basically did like
first time I went in my skin was in 2004
yeah it was something something the most
beautiful moment in my life was that if
there's the Ramadan 20s day I went to
the mosque in debita I asked them mark
and 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 was we do I didn't
know anything not one half but I just
wanted to go to the mosque and I went to
home I forced all of myself everything
because they didn't know what was we do
it what would I miss trance I splashed
water all of myself and I invented the
mosque in might get my shoes on yeah
with people saw me in the shoes go out
go out I came back and a guy when Imam
appointed one guy to show me how to pray
and he showed me but I didn't understand
so that's side to myself this first
Salah even it won't be good but I'm
another the river community yes I were
committed but when I came to the mosque
and when I just planted and day into the
praying area I was like yeah Here I am I
came to you I came to you Allah it was
it was the success in my eyes it is so
much so much success all the whispers
were gone all the whispers were beaten
2005 I enrolled in the Islamic faculty
in be Hajj that the only play the name
is placed to me and that that's the
first time in my life I have been in a
place where Muslims live majority
Muslims live and I didn't have any money
to buy the the tuition but I was hard
hard hard working I don't know how were
you at this time
22 yeah and then I was 21 when I vented
in mosque 22 when I roll in the faculty
but some good people they paid my
tuition and they financed me during my
demise during my student years
into in 20 when I had when I was 22
years old in the faculty I starting to
learn Arabic letters yeah and I started
to learn to read and I started to
memorize the last Jews of Quran because
that was the exam you had to learn the
entire last Jews and you recite it to
get a grade in the exam that has the
exam it took me around 3 to 4 months to
finish Arabic letters that read and
memorization of the last Jews 2006 was a
pretty normal year I was a good student
I finished my first year I resolved in
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 internals and
when the disease would appear and then
would retreat but this time I was in the
faculty I 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 late and I did everything to do
to heal myself but I it would wouldn't
go away the disease wouldn't go away in
April of the 2007 event to home into
bitsa my mother saw me she was like oh
what was 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 type
really the I finished the second year of
faculty I gave all my exams and then
I've at home I couldn't move I couldn't
walk I feel something heavy in the left
side of my body like a like
this in this place you know in my
left part of the large bowel like 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 any
do anything else during one of those
nights I was woken up with a large pain
excruciating pain pain like never
anything else I felt before I can't
describe it and I woke up that paint
broke 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 later I found out that my large
bowel it popped it exploded in me and I
asked the doctor what was happening he
said this the kidney stone is moving
Mahalo and professor from my faculty
sonic that Islamic pedagogical faculty
from B hatch was a faculty for me of
faculty for Islamic Pythagorean because
they came to my town to give lectures in
mosque and the diastema did with Nadine
and he said he is at home he's sick and
I didn't have health insurance then
birthday so the professors helped me to
get health insurance and be Hajj so the
Imam of the town suffered began which he
drove me to be Hajj they put me to
hospital I was just drawn from man from
an apartment to vote the second
department from gastroenterology to cure
G trip basically idea 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 everything I had
we're on the on the brink my our island
islands were one I had 14 different
diagnoses because the thing is affected
my my stomach
I had ulcer cavities I had problems with
long side problems with heart problems
with kidneys problems with the liver
problems had prostate problems with leg
because this leg which I'm standing now
I could have moved that leg
I couldn't remove that leg I promise 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 there to cut the shorter this
to cut the story short I was left to die
in the hospital that the December of
2007 I was taken off all of all meds of
all of all medicines yeah and just
waiting for me to die and then I called
the Imam of the bitsa the heavy mom of
Boston's Katowice shaft began which to
helped me to go to Sarajevo the few
other two to get I wanted to pursue
healing and somehow alhamdulillah Allah
gave me that I was moved from be Hajj to
Sarajevo in the that's called community
centers a level clinical center of
Sarajevo
it's the biggest basically the biggest
Hospital in Bosnia the biggest and the
best Hospital in Bosnia I draw a right
there and 14th of December in 2007 and
when they saw me the doctors were afraid
I remembered when they saw me like what
is this I stand there 19 days before the
operation the operation took place at 30
January of 2008 and remember today is
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 has
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
live she was prepared for that that I
want to survive the operation but during
those dies during those days the Dean
Islam that was the only thing that kept
me alive a normal basic that was the
only thing that gave me hope
how many how many years passed now that
you finally got cured nine years so nine
years and now you've officially today
your so you went from being diagnosed
yes pretty much left to die yeah - now
how's your health now I'm just thinking
about with that but I I don't I I went
out from the hospital in Sarajevo in 28
February of 2008 I was I had 48 kilos
yeah I was how many kilos you have now
19 - yeah 92
yes night so I'm pro at the 8 - 90 -
yeah so wrapping up work yeah we're out
of time tell us now so you you made it
and in that time you actually memorize
the entire card yes yes it took me two
months of rehabilitation process to get
my leg moving to get my health private
like a baby I wore diapers for two
months so you're like a you're like a
living miracle yes no it just Allah this
is the I'm speaking about this not about
my it's not so much about myself but it
is about the religion but the power of
the Deen the power of Allah and any I
believe 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 world and you
committed to that you didn't give up
hope right because I I would give hope
but unlocking is strengthened at times I
can't describe it any any immunise 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 I from the guy who was told that
he would never finish the faculty I
think as myself in 2010 as with the
highest grade average in the history of
faculty and rolled in the master degree
I started to learn the memorization of
the Quran I had stops I had pauses I
finished the memorization of the Quran I
married in 2013 I've moved to Sarajevo
and dentals the the time when I started
to prepare for the Commission of the for
the hips
you've seen the Bosnia we have a unique
way of approving or giving 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 from
the commission of the seven forefathers
in the Islamic community so you passed
all that yes it took me it took me a
while my wife helped it she was my
biggest support and my MA Hafiz and I
recited the entire Quran from memory by
heart
in during the 18th of May and the 1st of
June last year and there's the the
ending of the story
what advice now we got a crapper yes
what advice do you have for people who
think their struggles are hard to listen
to years you were almost left to die
you're here with us today my my special
memory is when I received a diploma the
time heart is in my hometown in this in
the same mosque when I've where I first
came to the mosque there's the same
mosque that I received in Java when I
mother 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 and it's not
always easy because shaitaan' works you
have you are employed by other people
society etc 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
beam everything this Deen is for your
own good if you don't drink alcohol if
you don't do this if you don't gamble if
you are if you don't do these horrible
things you are doing good to yourself
you are doing good to your health you
are doing good to your body because if
you don't put harm 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 taala basically
if you go to sleep after Isha we go to
sleep early wake up early if you live
productively if you are in company of
good people if you love if you have a
lock 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 me from eating
poor preventing bad needs from drinking
alcohol and alhamdulillah never drank
alcohol I never did zina I never did
never went to gambling shops I never
went to night clubs 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 prey and I believed and if anybody
can have a healthy body and a healthy
mind in many ds in these tough days well
end with that never give up keep the
hope alive and rely on a lot yes thank
you thank you very much is no claw
hydramat 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 the people who are
struggling out there
and they compared their struggles to
yours where you were 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 gonna give up I'm
gonna what rely on the creator of the
heavens and the earth and keep pushing
forwards just so hard and thank you guys
for tuning in
hope you enjoyed this week's show from
Bosnia count 5 so I'll make them peace
be with you