Burhana Islam - Amazing Muslims Who Changed the World

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First published 2020

Text copyright Burhana Islam, 2020
Illustrations copyright Reya Ahmed, Deema Alawa, Nabi H. Ali,
Saffa Khan, Aaliya Jaleel and Aghnia Mardiyah, 2020

The moral right of the author and illustrators has been asserted

Illustrated by Reya Ahmed, Deema Alawa, Nabi H. Ali, Saffa Khan, Aaliya Jaleel and Aghnia Mardiyah

ISBN: 978-0-241-44182-4

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Amazing Muslims Who Changed the World

Burhana Islam

Illustrated By

Reya Ahmed, Deema Alawa, Nabi H. Ali, Saffa Khan, Aaliya Jaleel and Aghnia Mardiyah

Abbreviated to (PBUH) going forward

These stories are for all the students Ive ever taught. Theyre for my nieces, for my nephews, for my cousins and my siblings. Theyre for my family in deen wherever they may be. These stories are for you.

If at any point you feel lonely, or left out, or just completely lost if you ever think that the world works against you and that you dont belong anywhere spread open these pages and find yourself in here.

Despite what they tell you, Muslim history is rich and full of reminders. Know that we come from a long line of powerful leaders, great thinkers and skilled warriors. We are adventurers and explorers; we are teachers and learners; we are fighters and believers. We are so many things and we do not give up. We do not lose hope even when its hard. Even when there are those out there building walls instead of bridges, sowing hate instead of peace, and spreading lies and deceit. We are unapologetically Muslim. We will make our mark on this world and we will do better. Remember that we come from greatness, we are capable of greatness and we are greater than the stereotypes that bind us. So have faith it does get better.

Burhana Islam

1947
Mogadishu, Somalia

Hawa Abdi grew up under the gaze of the sun in 1950s Somalia. It was peacetime, and things were good. Children laughed in the fields, elders let their stories travel far and wide, and fresh meat, fresh milk and fresh air were part of daily life.

Hawa had a big family with even bigger dreams. Her parents always knew that Hawa would rise like a star and make something of herself. In a place where it seemed that women were mostly seen, not heard, Hawas family believed that she would somehow make her mark on the world. They taught her the importance of standing up for what you believe in, even if its scary to do so. And they taught her the power of a female voice, even in a society that seemed deaf to it.

However, one day Hawas pregnant mother grew weak and ill. Soon she passed away. Hawa knew that she couldnt grieve forever, and that no matter what she had to stay strong. It was up to her to be a light, not only for her family, but for all the women of her land as well. She was desperate to understand why her mother had died, desperate to know why so many had lost their lives when pregnant from illnesses that could have been cured, and desperate to make sure that nobody felt the grief she had endured as a child. So she studied hard and became a doctor, healing her patients of all manner of ills.

But when war broke out in Somalia in the early 1990s, life at home began to change. Childrens laughter was heard a lot less. The elders became quieter in their tales. It seemed that the old way of life had disappeared forever. In less than four months, 14,000 people in Hawas city had been killed, 27,000 wounded and almost 200,000 forced to move away. Famine slowly began to cast dark shadows over the land.

Hawa had no choice but to work harder, speak louder and dream bigger. She used her familys ancestral land to open a small clinic on the outskirts of the city. She worked tirelessly to raise funds to keep it running, turning a little practice into a 400-bed hospital. And right in the middle of all the fighting and the famine, she set up a camp for shelter, helping 90,000 of her people when few others could.

When one day soldiers came with their guns blazing, threatening Hawa with violence and death, she stood her ground. When they tried to make her feel small for being a woman, she stood tall instead.

You are a young man, Hawa said, unarmed and without fear, to one of them. What have you done for your people?

Bewildered, the soldiers walked away, leaving Hawa unharmed.

Unfortunately, that wasnt the last Hawa saw of them. For years afterwards, the soldiers came back, continuing to threaten her and, on one occasion, arrest her. Despite this, Hawa didnt buckle. To this day, she stays strong. Hawa now has daughters of her own. Together she and these brave women oversee Hope Village, a sanctuary they have built for Somali families who, due to conflict and famine, have had to leave their homes. Even though Somalia is still war-torn, even though its buildings and its people have fallen, and even though it seems like everything is lost, Hawa still hopes for the day when the Somalia she once played in emerges once more into the sunlight.