Wednesday, February 08, 2012

2008 November - Moaz Bajwa

Shining Star of the Month - November 2008
Muhammad Moaz Bajwa, Queens Majlis
On October 20th, 2008 our dear brother Muhammad Moaz Bajwa of Queens, NY passed away.  Moaz was only 33 years of age.  Full of life and always ready for a challenge, his sudden death shocked his family, friends, and the community.  His exemplary selflessness, enthusiasm, and dedication to the jamaat will be missed.  

     Moaz came to the US from a village in Pakistan a little over a decade ago.  Hardly able to speak English due to little exposure to the language, Moaz started working to support himself and his family.  Thrown into this foreign world of New York City with little education, the odds were stacked against him to advance in a career.  Through perseverance and dedication, he learned English, earned his certification in heating and air conditioning and was in the middle of a successful career.   “He was a role model to our many brothers who came from abroad with little education but aspired to something more than a minimum wage job,” stated Asad Bajwa, Qaid of the Queens majlis.

     The technical skills he acquired were an invaluable asset to the Jamaat.  If a member of the community lost their heating in the middle of a wintery night, they knew Moaz would be available and happily restore them to warmth.  Moaz could always be found at the masjid, Bait-uz-Zafr, fixing anything that was broken.  His “handyman” reputation made him a favorite among the community.

      But it was more his personality than his technical skills that attracted people to him.  “He had a charming nature and always carried a smile on his face,” remembered Nazir Ayaz, President of the Queens jamaat.  His friends knew that nothing could rattle him.  Even in the heat of competition or in the face of adversity, his smile was contagious. 

     Physical fitness had a special place in Moaz’s life.  As a black belt in karate, he would give demonstrations at the masjid to his fellow Khuddam.  He ran several miles each day and was a regular in the weight room.  Even sports he was not particularly skilled at attracted his interest.  One day after an Adopt-a-Highway clean up a few khuddam decided to go to the golf driving range.   Even though this was Moaz’s first time swinging a club, he started airing the ball well past the 250 yard barrier.  On one swing, he hit the ball so hard that the head of the club broke off and followed the ball in the air.  There he stood with just the shaft of the club in this hand and an innocent smile of “that wasn’t supposed to happen” on his face.

     As a young Musi, Moaz lived a life of sacrifice and gratitude.  On the day preceding his death, he was busy at work at the new Bait-uz-Zafr putting the final touches on the fire alarm system for an upcoming inspection.  The inspection was a success, just like the life he had lived. 

     Moaz is survived by his father, two brothers, three sisters, wife and 14 month old son. 

Story by Ahmad Chaudhry

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