My Travels to Bosnia Part 1: A story of immense resilience

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My heart was stirred from the very first step on to your blessed land…

I was invited to be the partner instructor at the Productive Muslim Retreat in Bosnia. We wrapped up a few days ago and now I’m hidden away somewhere on top of a mountain in the middle of nowhere to decompress and contemplate over the past week or so. Alhamdulilah the retreat itself was a perfect balance between exploration of a country with guided tours, spiritually uplifting themed workshops and travelling together with like minded individuals from all backgrounds. The retreat experience was filled with wonderful memories and people but there’s so much more to say.

I don’t know what to say about Bosnia except that it has stirred my soul in a way I never anticipated or imagined. I’m still very much processing all that I’ve seen and heard so please bear with me as I unfold my thoughts. Even though my mind is telling me that I should wait until my thoughts settle before posting on here, I feel the urge to share with you even just a snippet of what I walk away with InshaAllah.

Something wondrous can be right under your nose but you may never have the privilege of ever knowing it’s very existence unless Allah wills it for you.

This is why I begin by expressing immense gratitude to Allah azza wa jal, for He chose to unveil this small piece of land to me and expose its turbulent history but also its miraculous recovery. Bosnia and its people are a story of resilience, strength, character and spirituality.

It’s strange to think this country, so enriched in charm and history, is only a two hour flight away from my home. Although, at present there are no direct flights to Bosnia from the U.K. so the length of journey is slightly longer. However, I do hope that one day there will be a straight line of travel between our two lands. The thought of this somehow makes me feel happy, to know that it would be a little closer to reach.

Our tour guide described this place as “heaven on earth.” I find it hard to disagree given the plentifulness of raw untouched natural beauty spread throughout the land. The gigantic mountain structures that tower over every city are spectacular, the luscious rich greenery that covers 90% of Bosnia is breathtaking but it’s the mountain springs which flow in almost every direction that makes my heart flutter. From every corner, every valley and in every town I visited, there is a gushing river of aqua blue water weaving its way through, wherever it finds a path. I’ll let the photos speak for themselves, however, as we know a photo can never do justice to an original masterpiece. So I make a silent duaa that whoever is reading this right now, will get to witness Bosnia in all its glory with their own eyes one day InshaAllah.

Bosnia is the land of water and water in our Deen (religion) is usually symbolic of barakah. And just like the water that flows through this land touching every part, there is no doubt in my mind that barakah flows with it.

It’s a land of duality. It carries the extreme horrors of war and equally the extreme beauty in its natural land and people.

What struck me the most and what I will probably spend most of my time reflecting on is the strength and beauty of the character of our Bosnian brothers and sisters. I can’t say this is true of all people but it certainly was the case for every person that I was fortunate enough to meet during my travels here.

As another tour guide said to us, “Bosnia is a small piece of land that has more history than it can stand.” At the start of the twentieth century, it was the place that sparked the First World War and at the end of the century it endured the atrocities of a genocide. Thousands of lives were lost. They faced brutality that can’t be put into words, they were a nation lied to, deceived, manipulated, tortured and placed under siege. All this just thirty years ago. SubhanAllah, May Allah raise the shuhada (martyrs) to the highest ranks and reward the ones left behind without measure. Allahumma aameen.

Despite the pain, the immense loss and scars of war, they retained their faith. In fact, many say it was the only thing that kept them going, knowing that Allah was there with them and that His justice will come to pass no matter what. Their resolve to hold tight to Allah, to help themselves, to rebuild, to recover and reconstruct their lands, to live life is nothing short of miraculous.

Thirty years ago, their towns were destroyed under a siege that lasted for three years. For three years people were blocked from entering or leaving their city, electricity was cut, food supplies stopped and they were completely surrounded by an enemy armed with tanks and snipers. Continuously they were bombed, shot at and hunted - for 3 years!

Did they surrender? Did they wait for saviours to come? They did not. They had Allah and they relied on themselves. They grew their own food, they banded together and formed communities, they dug a secret tunnel underground with their hands to access food and basic necessities and every day civilians - young and old - learnt to become soldiers overnight defending land, people and country. They showed juggernaut-like strength to survive and this resilience still threads through the people today.

Incredibly, they’re not bitter, resentful or hateful, even though there wouldn’t be blame on them if they were. I met with people who lived through the war and suffered great losses but yet their hearts are containers of Rahma (mercy), kindness, determination and spirituality. Their faces are lit with smiles and warmth. From the minute you walk into Bosnia, you feel welcomed, wanted and in the hands of gracious hosts.

From our tour guides and hotel staff to the ambitious young talents we met and the Muslim families who graciously opened their homes to host us for meals and to tell us their stories, they all display an admirable level of humility, resourcefulness and resilience unparalleled to anything or anyone else I have seen.

In a town close to the genocide site, we visited the home of a family who were affected by the war both historically and in more recent times. The wife had lost her father in the war and not too long ago her daughter was surrounded and attacked by 12 Serbian boys on her way home, all because at the tender age of 12 years she decided to wear hijab, this made her a target for the hate that still runs deep. There are no words. They live in a lovely home, grow their own organic produce, she works hard as the husband is too ill to bring in an income but their quality of life is impeded by the fear of attack at any moment. They don’t feel safe in their own home, I don’t think we can ever fully appreciate what living with fear can do on a daily basis both physically and mentally. But as she pours us traditional Bosnian coffee and with a smile on her face that radiates with nur (light), she says “We have Allah, that’s all we need and that’s all we have.” SubhanAllah!

As we leave her home, perhaps it’s the words of her husband that cuts the deepest, he said “Today you have met all my family but only myself in person” before he breaks down crying. We had just visited the graves of the fallen, 75 members of his family are buried there. Ya Allah! May You have mercy on their souls and place ease in the hearts of those who carry such heavy wounds of the past.

I asked myself how can they live amongst the very people who fought against them and in many ways still do? However, it was their spirituality that spoke the loudest and answered my question. Bosnia was brought to its knees but it was their faith and conviction in Allah that helped them stand back up and fight to defend their lives and land. They lost in the multitudes. The war wiped out thousands of innocent civilians, yet just thirty years on, they are future focused, determined to own and rebuild their lands. They embody the very definition of heroic survivors.

There’s so much more to say, InshaAllah I will continue writing and speaking their story as best as I can as they don’t want their history to die with this generation or to be rewritten with lies nor do they want to be a forgotten nation.