With a heavy heart, we bid farewell to a woman who was more than a relative, she was like a mother to us all. Affectionately known as Boba or Baebjee, she left us on March 30, 2025, at 9 PM, leaving behind an irreplaceable void. Inna Lillahi Wa Inna Ilaihi Raji’un.
She was the embodiment of love, warmth, and selflessness. Married to the late Ab Rashid Masoodi, a hardworking employee in the Department of Education, who toiled to provide for his family, and Boba in turn nurtured their home with boundless affection.
We once lived together in Hati Shah Sopore as a joint family, our homes lining the banks of the Jhelum. We were Yarbal peers for the rest of the inhabitants there. The mohalla, named after the revered Sufi saint Hayat Shah Sahib, which later became Hati Shah believed to have arrived on the back of an elephant—held the echoes of our childhood. As the family expanded, we moved to different parts of Sopore—Model Town, New Colony, Krankshivan, and Jalalabad. Yet, physical distance never diminished her warmth, kindness, or the sincerity in her heart.
Boba understood the sacredness of relationships. She extended hospitality in its truest sense. Dr. Ibrahim Masoodi, a close relation, recalls visiting her home in New Colony with his sister Muneera, where Boba always welcomed them with open arms. I, too, remember visiting Dr. Muzaffar along with Ibrahim when he returned from Iran, his place of posting then. The joy of those moments was immeasurable. “Shaf, tathae lagaw asal paeth chiyoo chai,” she would say in Kashmiri, her love woven into every word.
Her elder son, Dr. Muzaffar Masoodi, a noted neurologist in Birmingham, England, remembers her as the embodiment of love. To her younger son, Anwar Saleem, a dedicated medical practitioner, she was “Mouj”—kindness personified. For her son-in-law, Dr. Azhar Masoodi, she was a true mother, under whose shade he and his sons, Dr. Faisal and Dr. Faiz, found solace. Boba lived not just for her immediate family but for all who sought comfort in her presence. She was a pillar of strength for her daughters, sisters, nieces, and nephews, each carrying a piece of her legacy within them.
Her roots stretched deep into Tragpora, a small hamlet 15 kilometers from Sopore. Her brothers, particularly Mohammad Abdullah Masoodi, a fearless teacher, left a profound influence on her, writes Dr. Ibrahim Masoodi in his FB post.
As time passes, so do traditions and values. The deep love and unwavering bonds that defined our childhood now struggle to find space in an ever-rushing world. Yet, Boba’s legacy remains in the laughter of her grandchildren, in the prayers of those who loved her, and in memories etched in our hearts.
My wife, Muneera Ahmad, is shattered at her demise, having spent a night with Boba just two days before she slipped into a coma. Muneera was raised in that home, where Boba, her husband Rashid Mam, and their five children cherished her like a doll. That is what she often tells me. “Omow chahus bi ti Ibrahim khooni saeth Rachmitch.” (They have raised me and Ibrahim giving their blood.) The love and care she received there remain an inseparable part of her soul, making this loss even more profound for her.
Baebjee’s final journey was one of peace, surrounded by those who cherished her. Her Namaz-e-Janazah was attended by many whose lives she had touched.
To Boba, we say: Rest in peace, dear mother, aunt, sister, and friend. Your love will continue to light our paths, and your kindness will forever guide us. You were, and always will be, a mother to many.
May Allah (SWT) grant her the highest place in Jannah and give our family the patience and strength to bear this irreplaceable loss. Aameen.