Humans of DAH: Dr. Mohamood Abdi Noor
By: Safa Hawash
Hajj Mohamood is no stranger to the Dar Al-Hijrah Community, for he is the very essence of it. There has not been a single event that was not blessed by his presence, undivided attention, and appreciation. Hajj Mohamood is someone that you can expect to see day and night around Dar Al-Hijrah with a warm smile and eyes that tell a story. I spoke to Hajj Mohamood about wanting to know his story, he simply handed me his business card and said: “let me tell you my background.” Meet Hajj Mohamood.
Born in Berbera, Somalia and raised in Aden, Yemen, Hajj Mohamood was an esteemed student who was more fluent in Arabic than the kids of Yemeni-origin. He comes from a skilled family of sea-goers but was the first of his younger brothers to deviate from this by taking interest in Agriculture. In 1962, he was selected to study in the United States under a scholarship for the University of Arizona (BSc), followed by an assistantship to study in the University of Wyoming (MSc), and the University of Massachusetts (Ph.D.) in plant breeding. His career kicked off after completing his studies and returning to Somalia to serve as the Head of the Central Agricultural Research Station (1971–73), Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture and Vice-President of the Somali National University (1973–80) and Vice-Minister of Agriculture (1980–90). Hajj Mohamood is a man of wonders, he is the epitome of what it means to seize the opportunity. But there’s still more.
“I came as a refugee with my family to Michigan. I was blessed. People who knew me from back home gave me work at the World Bank.” Hajj Mohamood began his work at the World Bank in 1992 as an Agricultural Consultant for 3 years before he was promoted to Senior Agriculturist. He retired from the World Bank in 2005 and continued to work as an Agricultural Consultant until 2015.
Hajj Mohamood recalls the experience of becoming a refugee as something he never thought of. He was really surprised to see that in the moments where matters reached peak difficulty, a new door would open, and so he iterates, “never give up.” He adds, “even when I was in a refugee camp in Kenya, I did consultancies for Kenya and Sudan.” Hajj Mohamood recalled the difficulties of being a Somali refugee and the struggles of not being allowed onto Yemeni ships. Yet he smiled and said, “you know, when a door closes, Allah opens another.” This hardship turned into an even greater opportunity, for he was able to network with coast guards for even more consultancies all the way in Germany and the US.
One thing Hajj Mohamood seemed so nostalgic for were the opportunities to travel the world. In fact, he has been blessed to visit almost every part of the Middle East and has yet to visit Algeria and Iraq.
“Would you want to travel today?” “No, Alhamdulillah, I have traveled enough.”
When he was moving to this area, Hajj Mohamood asked his real estate agent to make sure his home would be close to Dar Al-Hijrah.“I’m lucky to live across the street from there, I’ve been a registered member of Dar Al-Hijrah since then.” Hajj Mohamood, the father of 9 children (1 of whom is adopted), now dedicates the entirety of his time to perfecting the Quran. Back in 1986, it would take him 2 months to read the entire Quran; now, he is able to complete it every 5 days. Finally, Hajj Mohamood leaves us with this simple yet far-reaching advice:
“Stick to your religion and culture, maximize the amount of education you can achieve, rely on Allah and you will see success.”
My advice to you all — start conversations with your elders more often. See what they have to offer. It’s beyond amazing to get a glimpse of the decades of experience stored away in the hearts and minds of our elders. Next time you come to Dar Al-Hijrah, take some time and speak to someone like Hajj Mohamood, a true #HumanOfDAH.
