Reflections of Broad Peak Avalanche Tragedy
30th July 2026 was an unforgettable day for a group of 10 climbers who pursued their target to climb the more than 8000 meters of Broad Peak Mountain in Pakistan.
The climb didn’t finish due to an avalanche that attacked the 10 climbers which resulted to them losing their lives.
I was terrified and shocked. What surprised me even more was that one of the climbers was an Omani lady like myself age 48 years old.
I asked myself at that moment: How a Muslim lady took the option of climbing such a dangerous mountain with a group of other international climbers (none of them are her mahram)?
During my reflective process, I remembered the following guidelines of Allah and Prophet Mohammed, peace and blessings be upon him:
Muslim women are not to travel abroad without her mahram (uncle, father, brother, husband or son).
Women best safest place is their homes.
The soft and weak nature of women and her need for mental, emotional and physical protection.
Women are not to be exposed publicly.
Women can have dreams and pursue passions but within the guidelines mentioned in Quran.
I felt so sad for her and how her life ended. The worst part is the maddness I see in media everywhere. People keep saying: She is a legend. She is the 1st arab woman climbing Everest mountain. She paves ways and endless possibilities for other women and girls.
Well in today’s generation, majority of people are misled by the illusions of the achiever identity. If you achieve, you are something. If you have a purpose in life, you should risk everything and do all that it takes and that should be your identity.
Well, what about the time Allah created Adam? Why was he given privileges and choice above other creatures even the angles? Why all the angles were instructed by Allah to do sujood for Adam and all the humanity?
We need to be aware of this invisible illusion. The achiever identity is being dramatically beautified to the masses by confirming someone’s worthiness, proving to the society who they think they are and that the not enough idea must be fixed.
With all this processing and reflecting going on in my head, I can’t really continue watch the news or the social media. It is so sad and frustrating how Muslim people are praising and supporting such figures especially if it is a Muslim human who knew the Quran and Islam guidelines and references and still took the action steps that are opposite those guidelines.
I pray for her soul and other climbers to rest in peace and may Allah give the family strength and patience to move on through this difficult and sad tragedy.