Ahmed Faisal Al-Thuwaini... When Men Depart, Lessons Remain

Kuwait bid farewell on May 29 last year to a rare man. A man whose life story was not merely lines in a book, but moments etched in the hearts of everyone who knew him. My uncle, Ahmed Faisal Al-Thuwaini, may God have mercy on him and forgive him.

After my father’s death, I did not seek a replacement, for God compensated me with my uncle Ahmed. He never said, “I am in your father’s place,” but his actions spoke louder than any words. He was my support when life grew complicated, and his heart overflowed with tenderness toward his grandchildren.

His diwaniya was not just a gathering place for everyone, but an open school. Despite his few words, those few words inscribed in the minds of his guests precious values, rooted in manliness and chivalry in dealing with others, which he presented to those around him with astonishing humility.

I learned from you, Uncle Ahmed, that a man’s greatness lies in his character, not his position, and that “al-mawjib” (the obligatory duty) is a religious obligation upon every authentic Kuwaiti.

Uncle Abu Badr was known for his generosity, but his true generosity did not stop at spending money. He was generous with his time and attentive to his loved ones; he would ask about you if you were absent for a week... He would make you feel shy with his feelings, and comfort you in word and deed before you even asked him to.

Uncle Abu Badr taught us that the generosity of giving heals the heart when a person is in dire need of support.

I never saw him differentiate between people. He addressed both the young and the old as “Yaba.” The poor and the rich were equal in his eyes, because his criterion was “a man’s value lies in his chivalry, not in the quantity of what is in his pocket or the appearance of his position.”

His greatest lesson came with illness. The wheelchair, which restricts people, was used by Abu Badr to move around with his radiant smile.

He conveyed a message to those around him: that men do not know the word “excused.” He was present at every occasion, from funerals to weddings, whether in northern or southern Kuwait. He was a living model of an authentic principle based on the idea that maintaining family ties is an act of worship, and that fulfilling one’s duty cannot be postponed for any reason.

Uncle Ahmed’s love for Kuwait was not a slogan, but a conviction. His loyalty to the leadership stemmed from his belief that Kuwait is one home. Thus, he lived as a lover of its soil and served its land. He passed away while everyone prayed for his mercy and high ranks in the Gardens of Bliss.

Today, his diwaniya is quiet, and my home is incomplete. I have lost two pillars... of my home... (my father and Uncle Ahmed). But their lessons remain. Whenever I stumble, I remember Uncle Abu Badr standing by me; whenever I lose my way, I recall his wisdom.

May God have mercy on you, Uncle Abu Badr, with a mercy that settles in your soul and gladdens your eyes. O God, reunite him with my father in the Gardens of Bliss, and reward them with the best reward. We will not forget you, and we will tell your story, Uncle, to our children so that they may grow up on your transcendent values, God willing.