Mind, Body, Soul

The media sensation around the Muslim cemetery in Upstate New York has been missing an important focus. The personal one.

While Bob McCartney’s been quoted as saying, “You can’t bury Grandma under the picnic table in the backyard…”, this national issue isn’t about elderly grandmas who lived full lives, but two individuals and families who experienced tragic loss of their young sons. These were young men who died at age 28 and 30.

In this article, I want to highlight a little information about Amir Celoski, who was the first to be buried at the Osmanli Naksibendi Dergahi.

Amir Celoski lived in Haledon, NJ running the family masonry business. He was a great talker, and he was so likable that people would trust his ability to do a job on sight.

I first met him at an event hosted by students of Sheikh Abdul Kerim at Columbia University, Amir attended because he was looking to learn about Islam. He was always looking to learn but never looking to teach, such people are by their very natures, the best teachers in life.

When he met Sheikh Abdul Kerim al-Kibrisi, he fell in love immediately. He dedicated his life from that point on to serving the community. The following is a video of his initiation into the Osmanli Naksibendi Sufi Way:

He went to the Dergah and to the Sheikh for spiritual satisfaction. And even in his New Jersey home, he put pictures and reminders all over to allow him to remember the place that he considered home, the Osmanli Naksibendi Dergahi in Sidney Center, NY.

At the Dergah, he was always light-hearted and knew how to keep everyone’s spirits up.

He loved weddings, breaking out into the traditional dances and even some not-so-traditional ones.

At the same time, he knew how to work hard. Not only the ultimate salesman, he was great at masonry itself, and he would volunteer hours upon hours upstate at the Dergah in Sidney Center to build stone walls, steps, stone floors, and make beautiful stream paths. We walk on his hard work every day.

At least once a week he would drive three hours to reach Sidney Center. His vehicle was often his heavy masonry truck which he used for his business. Every trip cost him a pretty penny just in gas.

He would focus, as the Sheikh taught, on his own mortality, and he worked hard to ensure that he considered every day his potential last. This focus helped him to remove evil characteristics such as pride, jealousy and anger. The topic of death, which some might find so odd for a healthy, energetic 28 year-old to discuss, was something he often brought up. This is also why he spoke often about his desire to be buried at the Osmanli Dergahi to his family and friends.

No matter his personal financial situation, he would never let anyone dining with him pick up the tab. Every time you sat with him, he shared his food.

And, although he had a very temperamental stomach, he ate whatever he was given at the dergah. He hated onions, but when Sheikh shared a few pieces of onion, his phobia fleeted away and he became an onion fan (at least, for that moment!).

Amir was the most generous with his time and his possessions. If someone saw something he was wearing and liked it, he literally took it off and gave it to you. Our brothers still wear his vests and shirts today.

He bought a 1997 Acura Integra a few weeks before he passed. He was very excited about being mobile without his work truck.

He died tragically at a stop light, when he was rear-ended by an out-of-control driver. He was on his way, as usual, to help someone in Sidney Center build a new masonry business.

When we saw him in the hospital he was tested for brain activity and soon pronounced brain dead. Investigations are still underway in that accident as to the state of mind of the driver and whether they were under the influence.

We will defend you Amir.