My name is Naqoy (A novel inspired by the writer’s true life events) Nanang Qosim Yusuf

My name is Naqoy (A novel inspired by the writer’s true life events)

Nanang Qosim Yusuf

Record breaker of Indonesia’s Museum Center for Record Breaking (MURI) and Indonesian speaker of the 7Awareness

Twitter: @naqoy

This novel is inspired by the writer’s true life events when he found the “One Minute Awareness”. A motivational novel that led him to give an enlightenment speech to as many as 18,000 audiences in the Senayan Sports Hall, Jakarta, in September 2009, so far recorded in Indonesian history as the biggest gathering in a motivational training. All the main characters mentioned in the story are the ones who have made the writer to become an inborn inspiring and motivational speaker.  

For my father who is called, “Bapak”, who gave me inspiration to create this book.

For my mother who is called, “Emak”, who always prays for me to be a successful person.

For my beloved wife, Dewi Umronih Yusuf, who changed everything from ordinary into extra ordinary.

For my twin kids, Zaara and Zyvaa, who have become the most wonderful gift from God to me.

For Zeliyaa, my third daughter, who has given me a refreshing spirit to finish this book.

Expression of Gratitude

Greetings of the 7Awareness from Indonesia

My greatest gratitude expression and blessed feelings is forwarded only to the Almighty Allah who has bestowed me His Blessing in the art of writing continuously, that I have the feeling of a tranquil and peaceful world when I enter it with full of ideas and thoughts. For my father, Supyan, who has given me a great One Minute Awareness (OMA), for my mother Daryu who keeps on performing her night prayer every night and allowed her only son to study at the Islamic boarding school for three years in Astanajapura, Cirebon, West Java. 

For my beloved wife,  Zaara’s, Zyvaa’s, and Zeeliya’s mom, who keeps on supporting in good times and bad times. Your beauty is everlasting and your moral support has changed me drastically not only to become good but also to become great.  For my twin daughters, Zaara and Zyvaa, who are my greatest bounties from Allah, and my youngest daughter, Zeliyaa,   which means: SPIRIT, her birth on November 16, 2012, has become a turning point for the birth of this book.  

To all my teachers, especially from my hometown, Losari, Brebes, Central Java, and from the Islamic boarding school  in Munjul, Astanajapura, Cirebon, West Java, Mr. Ikhsanuddin, Haji Zaenal Muttaqien, Mr. Amin, Mr. Ibnu Sirin, Mr. Nur Khotim, Mr. Dul (the late),  all the teachers at Islamic State University (UIN) Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta, especially Prof. Dr. Nasarudin Umar. We developed ICNIS at Fathullah Mosque,  UIN Jakarta.  My heartfelt thanks are also forwarded to Prof. Dr. Komarudin Hidayat, MA., Mrs. Rani A. Dewi, and (the late) Mrs. Pamugari Widyastuti.

I express my heartfelt gratitude to my wife’s family, the late Mr. H. Yunus, my father-in-law, Hj. Sami, my mother-in-law, and all my brothers in law, H. Sahudin, H. Fei, brother Mumung,   Mpo Haji, Brother Selih (the late), Syahlan Muhammad. Family from Losari who is watching my growth, Halimi, Yusuf & Susi, Zizah, Haekal, Hambali Arief Yusuf, Brother Ayad.

My supporting team who persistently keeps on helping me achieved this achievement,  M. Rosyidi Irvana,  Ary Haryati, Susilowati, S.Psi, Andi Desma, Santi Tini, Ahmad Suryatin, Nanda Ayu,  Halimi).

To the alumnae of the 7awareness training program in Asia, Europe, and worldwide,  Eka Shanty (WMB), Ibu Hanny Handrani (Perfoma Cendikia), Ibu Julia dan Pa Ridwan (Dunia), Mas Atho dan mas Rudhi (Postal Service of South Tangerang), Pak Suryatin dan istri, Pak Mustova (International Quran reciter), Pak Samsudin Dakman (Mickot), Pak Erwin Snada, Ibu Nina Nurlina Pramono, Hj. Airin Rachmi Diani ,SH.,MH., (the Mayor of South Tangerang), Al-Gotas Tasia Somadi (Head of  Regional Parliament of Cirebon), Bang Asrul Sani (BSD),Pak Ahmad Djuwaini (Dompet Dhuafa), Pak Cholid IPDN dan Bu Ismi (IPDN).

My great friends in Hong Kong, Ahmad Fauzi Qosim (DD Hong Kong),  Hongkong Awareness fighters (Lia, Nabeela, Tahajud). All my executive buddies at NPC-NAQOY POINT CENTER

INDONESIA, and my enthusiastic readers to all the works I’ve made.

To be honest, I cannot mention individually all those who have supported me. I believe everyone has the right to achieve success and happiness, because it is sometimes caused by our own mistake that we gain failure and fiasco.  Let us transform our failure into becoming One Minute Awareness to accomplish success and happiness.

Keep up the good work of maintaining your amazing heart

Love Hamesya

Nanang Qosim Yusuf (NAQOY)

Twitter @NAQOY

Fb @ NAQOY

BETWEEN SENAYAN SPORTS HALL AND LOSARI, BREBES, CENTRAL JAVA

Senayan Sports Hall (Istora Senayan), September 26-27, 2009

The seminar stage which had the size of 30x10 meters seemed to be a huge one for me. It was built by BSI (Bina Sarana Informatika), a private educational institution that has many branches nationwide. “That is the stage where I am going to deliver my motivational speech”, as I mumbled to myself. I sat at the back waiting for the master of ceremony to invite me to come to the stage. It was the time for me, the moment of truth, to speak in front of 18,000 audiences that broke the world record, according to MURI (Indonesia’s Museum Center for Record Breaking), back in September 2009.  As long as nobody in the world claimed a bigger number of audience in a single gathering of motivational training, this was, and will always be, the greatest gathering of motivational training ever held.   

I sat silently and was speechless. Suddenly tears fell on my cheek as I remembered the moment I left my hometown in Kalibuntu, Losari, Brebes, Central Java, leaving my ailing wife who had been resting for one week. The doctor told me of an unknown origin of her illness. I kept on confirming myself that everything would be OK and these 18,000 students in Jakarta needed to be enlightened and in return God will heal my wife as I only had a sincere and earnest intention to these students.   Suddenly I heard the voice, ”Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome, the youngest motivational speaker, the author of best selling motivational books nationwide, Nanang Qosim Yusuf!”. Loud applauses were thundered through the sports hall and echoed everywhere.

Flanked by four escorts I walked past the audience, with full of confidence.   Never in my whole life have I given a talk to more than 10,000 people in a single occasion. These new and fresh college students would listen to the best content of the 7Awareness program from me, which is the drive to get out of the comfort zone.      

I believe that everyone will be reluctant to jump out of his or her cozy comfort zone. Only when a person finds himself his own One Minute Awareness (OMA), he or she will believe that not a single minute is to be wasted for leisure. The twenty four hour given to us for a day seems to be insufficient. There will never be enough time to do good things and to develop the legacy of good deeds. These were the messages I conveyed to the 18,000 audiences who attended the two-day seminar, September 26-27, 2009, from 7am to 5pm.

As soon as the seminar ended, Mr. Jaya Suprana, the founder of MURI (Indonesia’s Museum Center for Record Breaking), conferred me the certificate stating that I have made the Indonesian record for becoming a public speaker to the biggest number of audience.  As I finished giving my motivational speech, I hurried directly to Kalibuntu, Losari, Brebes, Central Java, to meet my family, especially my ill wife. On the way to my hometown, a message buzzed, “Brother, thanks to Allah that your wife is now recovering’. I suddenly burst into tears, as another message buzzed,” Brother, your wife has now started to recognize everyone, including mom and dad!”  Another message buzzed, “Your wife wants to meet you”. Therefore spontaneously I replied,” Don’t worry; I am on my way home. Thanks Allah for this miracle!”

I read the message slowly, letter by letter. It was such a mixture of feelings that I had to endure at that moment. As I recalled it, I remembered it was sent by my younger brother, Hambali, who is ten years younger than I am. I was 29 years old at the time. I directly replied to him, “Please be patient, I am on my way home, thank Allah everything is OK”.

I really wanted to go home first to my home in Serpong, South Tangerang, but due to the urgency that I faced the only thing I had to do was to go home to Kalibuntu, Losari, Brebes, Central Java.

On the way to arrive at my hometown I recalled all that has happened in the past. In my 7Awareness book I wrote, ”we cannot change the past but we can learn from it”. My past is not attached as an accessory to my outer heart (my shadr), but it is truly engrossed deep inside my inner soul (my lubb).

 

****

Who  am I?

I am the first son in the family, and I have two younger brothers. My first brother’s name is Halimi Yusuf and my second brother’s name is Hambali Arief Yusuf. Our family’s name ends with Yusuf. People might think that our father’s name is Yusuf, but actually it is the combination of my father’s name and my mother’s name. Theirs are Sufyan and Siti Daryunah. When combined, it will become Yusuf. It starts with my mother’s name, as I recall Prophet Muhammad said that as Muslims we have to honor our mother three times higher than our father.

Previously before I had the last name Yusuf, people would call me, Nanang. It means a boy in Javanese language. When I was a little child I got sick easily, so my neighbors suggested an idea to my mother to conduct a peculiar method in the village to cure a little child illnesses: to bare the kid in the open air under the bright sunny day on a bamboo pan, so that neighbors would come and watch the kid with amazement.  It is hoped that by doing this act all relatives and neighbors will pray for the well being of the sick child.  

It really worked. All neighbors came to meet me and they all watched me with amazement. There was an old lady with the name Nyai Sadiyah who came and saw me, and she said that I was a really good looking boy and I will become a successful person in the future.  She even asked my mother to take me into her custody. “Since he is a boy he should be called: Nanang, which means a he is a young boy. He will become a successful person, more famous and prosperous than my descendants. “

My mother shed her tears when she heard this. That was really a moment she cannot forget, and that is why I heard about this story from her regarding my name’s background when she believed that I was mature enough to understand it.
When I reached the age of seven years old, my father enrolled me into the government primary school in Karang Tengah, Losari, Brebes, Central Java.  My father dropped me at the school’s gate and he told me to stay here while he would wait. “Don’t be scared as a young man, there is nothing to fear. I may not be able to read, but I want you to be the smartest boy, son”, said he confidently.

I kept on crying as I did not want my father to leave me alone at school.  However he keeps on asking me to be a strong and a brave boy so that I will not face the same fate like what he has become now, a pedicab driver.  My father’s words seemed to be like passwords for me to fight against my fear. The spirit to fight against meeting total strangers has become my inner strength ever since my father told me not to be scared. His words seemed to be my biggest boost as I grew bigger, that I am supposed to fear nobody but Allah.

Let me tell you a little bit about my father. He is a farmer who farmed on somebody else’s farmland. After plowing the rice field, he went on working as a pedicab driver in the city.  Definitely his income is far from sufficient to support his family. However, we never complained about the sufferings that we had to undergo under such conditions. The whole thing came for a reason. I may have a poor father, but I believe that the fate of everyone’s life is not inherited. Therefore, I believe that my fate can be changed, too.  

When I was a little boy, my father used to take me to spend the night in the makeshift hut in the middle of the rice field. It was located near the railway station. We could wait until midnight as the train passed by and watched the speedy glow of the light that the train brought. It was an unforgettable moment for me as the coldness of the shivering night caught us in the middle of the rice field. While we were watching the train passed accompanied by the thundering noise of the train’s engine, my father told me silently, “Son, as you grow I want you to be as fast as that train. Go forward with the lightning speed and forget about everything behind you!” My tears dropped as my father hugged me strongly while we were watching the speedy train passed in front of us.   

I asked my father whether Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia, is as bright and luxurious as told by my friends. My father said that Jakarta is bright and luxurious, but he told me to work hard to be able to live in the capital city.  He was only a bicycle rider in the old town area of Jakarta, who tried to find passengers who needed his service.   It was far from sufficient what he earned every night, but that was what he did when he stayed in the city.

As the morning dawn approached, we went into the nearby mosque which was quite far from our hut. We had to do the Morning Prayer (Subuh), and it has always been a wise advice from my parents not to abandon the compulsory prayers regardless of the situation. Even when we are sick, we also have to perform the prayers.

“If you want to be a successful person, never abandon our daily prayers,” said my mother to me one day. "As your parents we may be uneducated and illiterate, but we want you to grow up as educated as possible.