A Tribute to Sister Yasmeen Kazmi
By Anjum Majeed
As Muslims, whenever we hear of an individual’s passing away, we spontaneously utter: “Inna Lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un (Holy Qur’an 2:156), acknowledging “Indeed, to Allah we belong and to Allah we shall return”. With great sadness we learned of the passing on of our beloved Yasmeen Kazmi. How could that have happened? Only a few days earlier, I had learned that her recent surgery went well, her family had visited her in the hospital, and she was in good spirits.
The news of her death was a shock, difficult to grasp that she was indeed gone. Since I first heard the news of her departure, I have been unable to stop thinking of the person we fondly knew as Yasmeen and her life here, on this earth.
“We can shed tears that she is gone or smile that she has lived. We can close our eyes and pray that she’ll come back, or we can open our eyes and see all she has left” (McNamee). Indeed, an amazing legacy she has left behind!
I first met Yasmeen in 1992. Asif, my husband, and I were newcomers to Arizona and we were introduced to the Kazmis. With open arms they welcomed us to the Pakistani community. The Kazmis hosted countless dinners facilitating us to meet many people of the community. We noted how Yasmin would graciously cook for several people, numerous times, each month. That is when I became aware of this amazing woman’s extraordinary talents of not only cooking delicious dishes but presenting those dishes with delightful, decorative details.
Regardless of the size of the dinner gatherings, Yasmeen insisted on using real china plates for guests – “no paper plates” was the rule. Unmindful of how cumbersome the cleanup task would be afterwards, she wanted her guests to be treated royally. She used her aesthetic prowess for presentation of food and setting the table.
In fact, Yasmeen had quite an aesthetic sense. She applied her artistic talent when she worked as an event decorator, giving ideas on how to set the tables and coordinate the decorations. Like an artist, she paid attention to the details in everything she did, including designing her own clothes. She used to own a boutique, which I frequented when I first came to Arizona. Much to my liking, many of the outfits had the understated elegance that I found appealing. Yasmeen lived a life which focused on doing things well.
The really important thing is not just to live, but to live well. And to live well includes living according to your principles (Socrates). Yasmeen’s life exemplified this principle. She respected her heritage and celebrated her childhood culture by helping establish PICO, working tirelessly with her husband, Arif Kazmi, as cofounders of the organization. PICO continues to bring a plethora of Pakistani cultural events to Arizona and provides social service programs to the needy.
Yasmeen was a devoted wife to her adoring husband of 48 years, Arif Kazmi; an affectionate mother to her three children, Farakuh, Farah, and Fawad; and a doting grandmother to her two loving granddaughters, Reem and Maya. She loved those two granddaughters and looked after their needs till the very end of her life.
She was full of compassion for her family and friends. Although she was hospitalized for months and fighting her own battle, she never overlooked the needs of Reem and Maya. With her devotion to details, she would ask her family if they were attending to the needs of those two darling children. Yasmeen would remind her family that both Reem and Maya were at a fast-growing stage. Their fast-growing feet required changes in shoes sizes every so many months. The family should make sure to buy new shoes in larger sizes for the girls, so they could always be comfortable. Before Yasmeen passed away, one of her last requests to the family was to do their best to nurture the two granddaughters because they were the family’s future. Such was her dedication to those grandchildren, concerned more about them than about her own very delicate condition!
What stood out most about Yasmeen was that I never heard her say anything negative about anybody – indeed a rare quality in our society. She believed in being “nicer than necessary” to the individuals she would meet. If somebody would make a negative comment about another person, she would assert: “You don’t know what is happening in that person’s life, have compassion, be understanding.” For that and more, I hold Yasmeen in the highest of esteem.
Yasmeen, in her short life, faced many challenges, but she remained calm, cool, and composed. It was not because she did not feel the pain, but because she was a person of laudable disposition. She often told her family that the way to overcome adversities in life is through sincere efforts, good intentions, and skilled mitigations while doing the best one could. Indeed, she walked her talk. She viewed the challenges she faced as hurdles that could be overcome with perseverance. She remained poised and unruffled. The beauty of her inner self always sparkled, undeterred by the events in her life.
The life on earth is “but a moment in eternal life”. We find solace in the words of Khalil Gibran that life’s “ beginning is not in the womb, and its ending is not in the grave.” We must cherish our good times together, recognize her good deeds, and pray for Yasmeen’s “maghfirat.”
Yasmeen will be dearly missed. May Allah rest her soul in peace and give her the highest place in Jannah. Amen.
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