A short tribute to my teacher (Ahmed Sheikh Mahdi)
Expressing how it feels to lose someone with so much significance in your life is an overwhelming task. The heartache and grief that must accompany the loss is far beyond words. The pain is intense when the loss is someone so dear to you that had many impacts and unforgettable mark on your life.
I was browsing through facebook last night, when I stumbled the regretful, deplorable news of the sudden demise of my beloved and respected teacher, Ahmed Sheikh Mahdi. It was heartwrenching, unbearable and extreme shock to me. It was such a tragic and tremondous loss that I felt completely devastated. My first response was a grief and tears filled my eyes as I read the shocking news. Indeed, words are inadequate to express my feelings. We lost a hero, a legend, a star that brightened the future of many generations. We have lost some one who is precious beyond words.What a catastrophic loss!!! Ina lilah wa ina ilayhi rajicuun.
Ahmed Sheikh Mahdi was passionate, hard-working and commited teacher, putting his heart and soul into teaching, driven by a need to give his best in contributing to the betterment of his students. He had a way of communicating with his students that resonated far beyond what most teachers ever manage to achieve. Teaching was not just a job for him, it was a passion that flowed from his heart. Not only was he an English teacher, he also had a way of making you think critically, inspire you, and could make lessons resonate with you, even years afterward. This made him loved, appreciated, and respected by any generation including me that had the previledge to learn from him over the years.
He established the first ever reputable English Institute in Borama in 1990s. This institute represented the higher education at the time because all the secondary schools were put to a halt during the wars. I can describe that Institute as a University as it was the only hope and light Awdal generations had before Amoud University was launched. However, his unparallel profound impact upon Awdal students is hugely commendable and history will undeniably look favorably on him.
For me, he was one of the most exciting teachers I have come across in my academic career. I feel so grateful to have been taught so much by such a wonderful man and educator. He had a strong instrumental positive force in my life. Apart from my intermediate and high school, I had also the previledge to be one of his close students in Sh.Mahdi Institute. He was so friendly that he always inspired me with successful stories. His constant motivation and impetus left an indelible mark on my life; a remarkable mark that imprinted in my heart. I vividly remember his words when he gave me the certificate of his Institute almost a decade ago. “Mustafa, you have a bright future ahead, keep going and do whatever it takes to reach you goal”. As I move forward, I hold tight to those wholehearted words.
In a nutshell, Ahmed Sh.Mahdi was an extraordinary teacher in every sense of the word. He left behind a a real legacy of love; in his career, he touched more lives than some people do in lifetime. His loss profoundly impacts so many people who knew him well. Our grief is deep with the knowledge that will no longer be at the institutions with students who adored him and colleagues who respected him. Time is the healing agent. He will forever remain a hero, a legend and a role model in our eyes. My sincerest condolences to his family for his loss. I grieve with you and may allah bestow upon you his grace and mercy at this tragic time. And may allah grant him Jannah.
Dr. Mustafa Mohamed Ahmed ( The product of Ahmed Sh.Mahdi)
Amoud Medical School MBBS
Pediatric Resident at Jiamusi University
Heilongjiang Province, CHINA
