Do not leave the invocation of Allah (dhikr) because of your lack of presence with Allah therein, for your heedlessness of invocation is worse than your heedlessness in invocation. It may well be that He raises you from invocation with heedlessness to invocation with attentiveness, and from invocation with attentiveness to invocation with presence of heart, and from invocation with presence of heart to invocation in which there is absence from anything besides the Invoked, and that is not difficult for Allah [Qur an 14:20].
I was recently sent this amazing extract of a conversation from Sh. Muhammad Al-Ghazali. Sadly, Muslims have lost all perspective of how to talk to people about Islam, seeing it simply as rules to enforce upon people. True change is the one you allow the person to realise from within!
Have a read
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As-salaamu ‘alaikum,I hope all the brothers are well.Ever since I made the decision to come to Egypt about two years ago, I have heard so many great things about Sh. Mohamed al-Ghazali. I even read his tafsir al-mawdoo’3ee in English. And as I have interacted with other students and gotten further into my studies, the praise of him as only increased. So I recently made up my mind to really look into who he was. Although Wikipedia is shallow start, I found a very touching story that I think gives a good intro to Sh. Mohamed al-Ghazali’s approach to da’wah. Enjoy:
“I did not like the way she was dressed when she entered my office. However, the look in her eyes revealed sadness and bewilderment that called for compassion and patience. She sat down and started sharing her concerns hoping to find answers with me.
I listened to her long enough. I learned that she was an Arab girl who received her education in France where she was raised. It was also clear that she barely knew Islam. I started explaining basic facts, dispelling suspicions, answering questions and refuting orientalists’ lies about Islam. I also did not forget to allude to today’s civilization and how it considers women as cheap flesh. At the end of my talk, the girl asked for a future appointment and excused herself.
Soon after, a young man – on whom qualities of Outward Islamism were apparent – came storming into my office and said violently: “How come such wicked person was admitted here?”
“The job of a physician is to accept. He doesn’t typically see healthy people, does he?” I replied.
“Of course, you advised her to wear Hijab!” he added.
I said to him “The issue is much bigger than that. There is the foundation that has to be laid. There is the Belief in Allah and the Hereafter. There is the hearing and the obeying of what was revealed in the Qur’an and the Sunnah, in addition to the pillars of worship and manners; the pillars that Islam cannot exist without …”. He interrupted me saying, “All of this does not mean we don’t order her to wear Hijab”.
“I wouldn’t like it if she came in a nun’s clothes while her heart is void of Allah. I taught her the basis that will help her to choose, on her own free will, to wear more decent clothes,” I calmly replied.
He tried to interrupt me again so I said firmly “I can’t drag Islam by its tail as you do. I lay the foundation and then start building and I usually achieve what I want with wisdom”.
Two weeks later, the girl came back. She was wearing much more decent clothes with a scarf over her head. She resumed her questions and I resumed my teaching. Then I asked “Why don’t you go to the nearest mosque to your home?” I said that but immediately I felt remorse. I remembered that mosques are closed in the face of Muslim women. The girl answered that she hated the People of Religion and that she did not like to listen to them.
“Why?” I asked.
“They are hard-hearted, and they treat us with contempt and scorn”, came her swift reply.
I don’t know why I remembered Hind (Abu-Sufyan’s wife). She was the one who chewed Hamza’s liver and fought Islam vigorously until the 8th year of Hijrah. She did not really know the Prophet. However, when she knew him and saw his lenient manners, she told him “I never wished someone on the face of this earth to be abased more than you and your family. Now, I do not wish to see someone on the face of this earth more honored than you and your family.” The Prophet’s kindness and sympathy changed the hearts of the people around him.
Now, would the Du`ah today learn from their Prophet? Would they learn to draw together instead of driving away, and to bring good tidings rather than to say things that repels people away from them and from Islam?”
As we finished our Isha prayer (the last prayer of the day), we noticed a group of people gathering besides one of the pillars inside the mosque to recite an ancient poem entitled Dalaa’il Al-Khayraat (دلائل الخيرات).
There are few places in Cairo like Sayyidah Zainab mosque. Built in one of the busiest areas of Cairo, the mosque is not sheltered from the hustle and bustle of the streets. But amidst the chaos, a different kind of serenity emerges amongst the people within the mosque. Despite having so little in material goods, beneath the outward poverty lies a wealth that we in the west are so deprived of – contentment.
One of the other gatherings inside the mosque which followed the one we sat in. Here they sung beautiful nasheeds (songs) in praise of God and his Messenger ﷺ
As we walked to join the gathering, the elderly man leading the gathering was thrilled to see us, embracing us as if we were his own children. “Salman? Talha?” he said to me and my friend, “beautiful names shared by great companions of the prophet ﷺ!”. His appearance would show him to be his mid-60s but his vigour and energy were more abundant than any many man in their prime. His smile was a gentle, opening up a window to his soul which showed the sincerity and peace within. So rare it is to see a smile so well-meaning which truly reflects his joy at meeting us, untouched by any insincerity to pollute to. Contentment seemed too little a word for him as he had moved to a higher state of being, gratitude for the situation he had been placed in.
As we were leaving, I turned to Salman to ask who that man was. Salman replied;
“This man is 85 years old and is the former Mufti in Hanafi fiqh at Al-Azhar Mosque. He has been coming to this mosque every day for the last 30 years to lead the gathering in reading this poem.”
This is a fantastic opportunity for any non-native speakers keen to learn the arabic language. I recently met some students who came over from Qatar during their winter break to study here in Egypt at the Sibawayh Center for a month. They said it was a great opportunity as they not only pay all your expenses and fees, they also give you monthly stipends to spend money each month.
However, they did mention that although the programme was good, the country itself was a bit dull with little to do outside the programme itself. Still, can’t complain to much when it’s all free!
As I sit here in Cairo Airport waiting for my friend on the (delayed) Egyptair flight from Istanbul (that’s a 100% record for me so far!), a strange sense of nostalgia overcomes me… has it really been 6 months already?
It feels strange that it has been so long. Subconsciously, Egypt has become my new home as its ways of life have become the norm. £1 for a cup of coffee seems a rip off; one hour car journeys the city seems short; rain is now picture worthy. I even correctly anticipated the delay of my friend’s flight before coming to the airport, bringing my laptop with me to fill the time! It’s odd because I never would have foreseen this. This week marks my 4th month out here in Egypt and a miracle has happened – I don’t want to go back to the UK!
من عاشر قوم، أربعين يوم، صاروا منه ومنهم
Who lives with a people for 40 days, they become a part of him and he becomes one of them
[An Egyptian Proverb]
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I never thought I could survive moving to Cairo. I thought I was too ‘British’ to survive the dirty streets, regular delays and lack of organisation that plagues this country. On top of that, I was always hoping the situation in Syria would improve to allow me to move over there, requesting a multi-entry visa before I even got here. But the biggest factor of all was knowing I would miss all my family and friends whilst being out here for so long. It’s hard only being able to see your first nephew grow up and get up to all his mischief over skype. It’s hard knowing your family are having a wonderful eid breakfast after community salah whilst you’re eating cheap Egyptian cereal from a bowl. Its hards not being involved in all the amazing projects and activities we used to do in ISoc and the other charities I’m involved in…
Going abroad to study is full of sacrifices, so it’s important to constantly refer back to the thing that brought you back here in the first place; getting closer to your Creator though studying.
This post has been a long time coming taking over 2 months to write, but not without reason. Firstly, it’s easy for me to say how much I enjoy and benefit from being out here studying the deen especially at the beginning. However, this doesn’t give an honest reflection of the long term nature of what you hope to achieve and it is very hard to judge how effective your time has been out here. I purposely left this post till the last weeks of my stay so I can give a true reality of what it is like to study out here.
Secondly, I have always believed that the reason for coming to a country like this shouldn’t be to study, it should be get closer to your Lord through it and other forms of worship. There is no doubt that studying serves that purpose greatly, but so often I see students out here to learn Qur’an and Arabic but fail to pray Fajr in the mosque or the sunnahs before and after each fard. Moreoever, Egypt is no different to other countries. On the same strees you will find an abundance of saints and devils who can guide or misguide you as your please. If you seek guidance, there is an unreal amount to learn just from sitting in the company of these men of God which no lesson can ever teach you; the experiential reality of what truth faith can give to a person. My hope was to live some of that before talking about any of the studies.
Finally, I wanted to make sure this post was the opus diem of all posts, complete with videos of classes and photos of every detail. I wanted to recreate its reality in the west, to give perspective to those who dream of coming out here as I did. I wanted to do it the Ghannam way!
A slight disclaimer; I tend to always have a positive outlook when I write stuff even for the bad stuff. Although this means that my review may not be as objective as other people’s, I personally believe it’s a far better angle to look at things from! Much of life depends on the perspective you look at events from; if you see the good in everything, you’ll have a lot more fun and joy in life! Sheikh Hamza Yusuf put this beautifully in his book ‘The prayer of the oppressed’ where he was looking at the verse;
“What comes to you of good is from Allah , but what comes to you of evil, [O man], is from yourself. And We have sent you, [O Muhammad], to the people as a messenger, and sufficient is Allah as Witness.”
[Al-Nisa’; 79]
He described the verse as an outlook on the perspective of a person; by realising all things come from our Creator, we will see that in His infinite knowledge and mercy that he only wants good for his servants regardless of how it seems to us in the immediate term. But if we fail to see this and instead only see the ‘evil’ of the calamity, it is merely our inability to realise what is going on. I realised this most from my beloved teacher here in Cairo who, upon suffering from a serious heart condition, could only thank Allah for giving him such a reminder to bring him closer to his creator. Please make dua’ for his health!
So, after a long introduction, here we go… Ive tried to make it as comprehensive as possible so apologies for the length. Enjoy!
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Tajweed Classes
For me, fajr is the most important part of the day for a student. Many Muslims casually miss praying fajr on time and in congregation – whether at home or in the mosque – and many more miss praying it at its right time altogether. As a seeker of sacred knowledge, your efforts are fruitless if you are unwilling to fix these bad habits. The sole purpose in coming to learn is to get closer to your creator, so what good is it if you disobey His requests to meet you in the mosques five times a day?
Because of this, the timing of Qur’an classes after fajr is a perfect match; the sacred knowledge of the Qur’an should only be blessed to those willing to make the effort to seek it. Egypt is famous for having reciters on every street corner, many of whom hold free classes after fajr salah to those students willing to make the sacrifice. Close to where I live is a large mosque which holds such classes each morning. The Imam is a Palestinian man with the most wonderful voice, capable of moving and shaking the congregation behind him. Each Salah he reads a page of the Qur’an hoping to work through it all with his congregation. The mosque is typically packed with over 200 people despite being 5am in the morning, filled with people from different corners of the world. The most beautiful thing is the Imam makes a genuine effort to get to know his congregation, walking round and greeting people after salah to such an extent that he will recognise a new face to the mosque.
Each weekday morning, I pray fajr at that mosque and read Qur’an to the Imam after. Given the short length of my stay here, I have asked not to read to him from memorisation as that would restrict how much I could get through each morning with him. Instead, I have asked if I could recite directly from the Qur’an in order for him to correct my recitation for each passage. This is then recorded such that I re-listen to it at home and correct any mistakes which I made that day to improve the next day. Initially I was the only one in the mosque who would recite to him, but as the months have gone by, more people have requested to do the same and have begun attending classes.
Pre Fajr; 5:00am
The only time you will find the streets of Cairo Silent
Masjid Musa ibn Naseer
Revising Qur’an before my turn comes!
Post Fajr – 6:30am
Positives
Negatives
·The Qur’an is the most sacred knowledge to learn and it will bring great blessing to the rest of your studies
·Being so common, you can often find local place which teaches for free
·The atmosphere of the mosque after Fajr is wonderfully serene and the congregation are wonderful
·It is usually free (as opposed to private classes outside)
·You can get to know other brothers and locals better which can help build that community spirit to us foreigners
·Its good training for the soul to sacrifice the warmth of the bed to go and study
·Its also a good way to ensure you pray fajr at the mosque
·You end up memorising new parts of the Qur’an through the class.
·As it is open for anyone to join, you can often find yourself waiting for others to finish before you or your time restricted by other
·Adjusting your sleeping pattern can be difficult to get used to and effect your other studies initially
·Realistically, being after fajr might mean you will miss by over sleeping etc
·Though there is scope to take lessons from a book, it is restricted as to how much you can do because of time restrictions and often ends up you just reading Qur’an to the Imam
Sibawayh
The vast majority of my education was spent at the Sibawayh Center, a language and religious studies institute dedicated to foreign students coming from abroad. Its director, Ustadh Sayed Fathy, is a learned and humble man who has done an excellent job at providing top class education to students at the institute. In one of our conversations, I learned that he had won the Azhar International Qur’an competition back in 1995, something he so casually brushed aside deeming himself insignificant in comparison to the age old university.
During classes with Ustadh Sayed, he will often offer you various types of tea to try. This particular cup is Cinnamon
A modern approach to studying. I have the book on my tablet as my teacher explains on the board
My studies at Sibawayh consisted of both Arabic and Islamic Studies modules. I am a slightly different case in that I could already speak and understand Arabic fluently (be it the Syrian dialect). My main focus was to enhance my reading skills through learning Arabic grammar and applying it, something I had done very little of before. Sibawayh provides an excellent standard of teachers trained in teaching foreign students for every level of education. Though it is more expensive than other institutes, the productivity of learning is far higher than other newly established places giving you much more value for time and money. What I enjoyed most at the institute was how flexible they were to my needs, speeding through the basic stuff I already knew in order to get to the new stuff I needed. I ended up studying:
·ARABIC GRAMMAR: The study of the vowels endings of words.
oالنحو التعليمي (Al-Nahu Al-Ta’leemi) – a comprehensive, 1064 page book on all there is to know on grammar. My teacher would give me the necessary bits and skip over the more advanced bits.
oMy teacher combined this book it with vaious parts of النحو الكافي (Al-Nahu Al-Kaafi) تطبيق النحو (Tatbeeq Al-Nahwi) to give the best of each book.
·ARABIC MORPHOLOGY: The study of word structures and their derivations from the three letter root
oالصرف الكافي (Al-Sarf Al-Kaafi) – I only covered a limited amount of this as morphology usually comes naturally to Arabic speakers
·ULOOM AL-QUR’AN: A study into the science of the Qur’an comprised of;
oThe history of its revelation
oHow it was collated
oThe different recitations (قراءات)
oThe Abrogated and Abrogating verses (ناسخ والمنسوخ)
oThe general and specific verses (الخاص والعام)
oTafsir – Understanding the meaning of the Qur’an
·Shafi Fiqh: A study into how different actions must be performed in accordance to Islam, covering anything from prayer to business transactions.
·USOOL AL-FIQH: A study into the principles upon which the religion is built
·AQEEDAH: islamic creed – what Muslims believe and why.
·ISLAMIC HISTORY: A book which looks into the various historical events over the last 1400 years.
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All my classes were 1to1. I took two classes of 2.5hours each (5hours in total) for 5 days a week. I couldn’t be happier with my time at Sibawayh. Like everything there is always going to be faults, but the overall package is excellent and has been highly recommended by people before me. They are always open to suggestions to improve and change things to suit people’s needs and Ustadh Sayed tries to ensure professionalism in his staff. I once raised the issue of fixing prayer times such that people could prepare for them beforehand and not waste time when they come in. The next day it was implemented as a rule in the institute.
Most importantly though is that you really feel you get value for money and time as they know exactly what they are doing when it comes to teaching. The teaching is excellent and the people at the institute were like my family during my time here. Just trust Ustadh Sayed’s judgements when it comes to what to study and give constant feedback of how you think it’s all going!
This is a video I made for the institute. This gives you an idea of what Sibawayh is like to study and gives you samples of different lessons at the institute. Be sure to click on the videos at the end to get a flavour of what the teaching is like at Sibawayh!
Positives
Negatives
·Your studies are not dependant on any one individual meaning if something was to go wrong with the teacher, its far easier to find a backup option.
·An institute will guarantee a certain level of experience and structure in the learning. I benefited from this greatly as the teacher adapted the material to suit the level I was at.
·Unlike private teaching, the institute will have access to a library of books which the teacher can use when teaching. My teacher would very often pull out a book outside from what we were studying for me to read up on an issue.
·An institute provides a social atmosphere on top of just a teacher. For new Arabic speakers, this gives you the chance to engaged and speaking in Arabic as they actively make an effort to get you speaking. Moreover, many of the friends I have met here have been through Sibawayh and the teachers are really cool to chill with, in and out of class!
·The institutes genuinely care for their students as you can approach them with any help you may need and they would be happy to assist you.
·Some institutes can bring scholars in from Al-Azhar to teach you subjects you wish to study
·Studying at an institute is almost certainly going to be more expensive, varying from place to place. Speaking for Sibawayh, teaching was around £10EGP/hour (around £1GBP/hour) higher than other places. However, the quality of teaching that they offered more than compensated this. A friend later joined the institute having studied 4 months at a lesser known place nearby. His own testimony was that he learnt more in 1 month than he did in 4 over there. Though this may not be the case everywhere, it usually is a key consideration!
·The institute setup can at times make the whole educational experience seem more like a business than seeking knowledge! Not much to say about this other than take it in your stride and realise they have to make a living somehow!
·Timings are structured around the institute and not just you. This may become a problem when several salah times fall under your class time which can eat up into your studies
·Though the social side is an excellent feature, sometimes it can go over the top when breaks role over for too long because of an on-going conversation.
·Like most Egyptians, Egyptian Arabic is usually preferred to classical outside the classroom which is a pain for any foreigners attempting to make sense of it
At the feet of a Scholar – Private Classes
There is no doubt that one of the most beneficial things you can take are private classes with a reputable scholar who can guide you both spiritually and academically. This is of course one of the riskier options as religious education depends so much on the person who I teaching you, relying them to give the balanced truth as opposed to his reflection of it. Moreover, in order to truly benefit you must be willing to open your mind, hear what is being taught and reflect upon it afterwards. Sadly, few people know how to be students any more as they follow things blindly without the effort to understand by questioning and discussing.
Because of this, it is important that you constantly pray to Allah for guidance and remain sincere in that intention. Like the great companion Salman Al-Farisi, you will meet those who will take advantage of you and those who will guide and nurture you. If you remain sincere and steadfast in seeking the truth, Allah will guide you to find the right path just as Salman (ra) came to find the messenger ﷺ in Madinah.
I have been fortunate to study with a scholar who has taught me what true scholarship is. His generosity and knowledge emanate from his face as he understands people like no other. It is rare to meet people like this in this age, but when you do, you will realise this – it is knowledge and love of the creator and his messenger ﷺ which truly adorns man.
“Do not think we adorn the messenger (saw) through our praise for him. It is his remembrance which adorns the very words we sing in his praise!”
Twice a week, I travel a 1hr:15min journey across central Cairo to study under the sheikh. Though our classes are on Islamic Creed (Aqeeda), we often branch out into different topics and relate things to the modern world. His grasp and understanding of key issues has been enlightening and enhanced my own way of thought. But what is most amazing is his invitation to question and debate. Coming to Cairo was a quest to seek the truth and learn of different people’s thoughts and beliefs. My belief is that ‘truth’ is something which is logical and rational which can withstand debate and discussion within a religious discourse. I have tried to remain as open a book as possible, so finding someone who is willing to discuss and reply to questions I have was exactly what I was seeking.
Sadly, many Muslims are afraid to question and reason why they believe what they believe. People attribute themselves to sects and groups without ever willing to entertain any other perspective. This approach may work out fine in the Muslim world where exposure to different thoughts and beliefs are not so wide spread and the onslaught from atheists and anti-theists is not so prevalent. But for Muslims in the West, we face a barrage of news and media attacking our beliefs (‘The God Delusion’ by Richard Dawkins), moral values (inter-gender relationships) and practices (the hijab and burkha) almost every day. If we do not teach our youth the rationale and logic behind their faith, how can we expect them to withstand this onslaught when it inevitably comes to them?
In truth, trying to describe the effect a righteous scholar has on someone is beyond the capacity of words. It is metaphysical, something even the senses cannot comprehend. It is a joy that must be felt and experienced, and when tasted can never be let go. In the words of an Arab poet;
If the Kings knew of the pleasure we were in [through worshipping God], they would have waged war upon us to taste it.
His company alone will remind you of God; a serenity combined with a subtle sense of joy, overwhelmed with the realisation of God’s love for us whilst inevitably remembering the ingratitude we have shown in return. When he looks at you, his discerning eyes pierce the depths of your soul and pluck out the problems your thinking of. Many a time I sat there thinking of a question or problem I had to suddenly he raises the issue randomly in class, answering with an ease which settles the nerves and brings comfort to the heart.
But it’s more than that. The very fact that I was made to think of those problems in his presence dazzles me the most. It is rare to find a man whose company will cause you to remember your own faults and seek repentance from God. In his company you feel the presence of God; a man who lives his worship and acts his words. His sincerity exudes before he has even said a word, clear that these are things he has battled and conquered within himself well before daring to utter them upon others. Never would he dream of seeking any worldly benefit from what he does for his sights gaze only upon the divine, but when offered a gift he will accept it only to keep with the tradition of our beloved Messenger ﷺ.
In the words of my dear friend and fellow classmate:
“People need to know about what we feel in our classes; the excitement of being there, the utter confusion of concepts and then the relief when Shaykh explains the issue as if it was ABC! The adab (character) that he has and that he encourages us to adopt… I’m sure you can express this much better than me, and it is important you do. For this will inspire others to seek out these men of Allah and take to their company.“
My time with the sheikh has been sadly shorter than I would have liked due to his ill health. Shortly after Eid, he was diagnosed with a heart condition which has meant he cannot teach for as long as he would like, forced to rest in between lessons. Teaching has always been his genuine passion, visibly joyful when explaining difficult concepts or answering a challenging question in class. I know it hurts him the most to not be able to teach as muct as he would like. Please pray for his good health. Ameen.
Positives
Negatives
·The biggest benefit is that you can move at the pace you wish and work at the level you wish. As these are private 1to1 classes, it all depends on your work
·You have the freedom to ask questions and discuss the topic in depth
·If you have the right teacher, their presence will have a profound impact on your soul.
·Your teacher can be a source of reference for all the other questions you have outside of class. Very often I would ask on issues unrelated to the topic to seek his advice on the issues
·It is rare to find a teacher who will not accept money. However, even if they don’t ask, I always feel it good etiquette to give them money regardless. This is nearly always cheaper than studying through an institute.
·Some teachers may agree to travel to you which could save you considerable time
·Finding someone independently can make it much harder to ensure the good quality of the teacher as institutes have much longer. Having a bad teacher may be detrimental to your education or make things extremely unproductive
·There is no social space to interact with other students unless more than one of you take the class together (which I would advise!)
·The classes are entirely dependent on the teacher’s availability. If they fall ill, you end up having no classes
·Its often difficult to access top scholars as beginners whilst some institutes have links with fairly learned people willing to teach
·Studying alone can mean you only end up looking at things from one angle. If you share a teacher with someone else, you can exchange notes and discuss the content of the class afterwards.
·You have to give money directly to the teacher which can take away from the spirit of the learning. Dealing through the medium of an institute can be useful that way
Public Lectures
One of the great benefits of Cairo is the wide availability of public classes which people can choose to attend. These cover nearly every topic at different levels of depth and understanding aiming to cater for the wide variety of people which live in the city, and the teachers are all of an extremely high calibre ranging from the Grand Mufti of Egypt to visiting scholars from other countries (such as Habib Umar and Sheikh Noor Al-Deen ‘Itr).
However, there is a downside. As these classes aim to draw in the public, very often you find the teacher speaking in colloquial Egyptian Arabic rather than classical Arabic. This is particularly ironic when the vast majority of the attendees always seem to be Malaysian and Indonesian students whose grasp of the Egyptian dialect is lacking (though they always turn out in numbers masha’Allah!) There are exceptions to this, but most of the local mosques will teach in the ‘language of the people’ in hope of reaching out to the Egyptian locals. However, things are beginning to change as Al-Azhar is beginning to revive itself, requesting all its teachers to speak in classical Arabic in their classes at the University. Perhaps this will spread to other mosques…
During my time here, I have sadly only been able to attend a handful of the public classes largely because I have had to stay and get through my other studies beforehand. This was a conscious choice I made, choosing to focus on a few classes and doing them well rather than spreading myself too thinly and not benefiting overall. Others have chosen to do things differently using the classes at Al-Azhar as their main source of knowledge and perhaps supplementing them with a few classes on the side. The table below gives a summary of the various points on the issue.
One of the classes of Sheikh Nur Al-Din Itr going through his commentry on a Hadith book
Sheikh Nur Al-Din answers the questions of his students. His most prominent students which include the great scholar Usama Al-Sayed sit attentively at his feet
As he leaves, students follow his in what is a stunning scene of adoration for their teacher
All public classes at Al-Azhar are open to males and females. Insha’allah this will catch on in the UK which currently prevents women even entering our mosques!
Another of the many public classes available. Here the sheikh is explaining the Sahih Bukhari to a group of eager Russian Students
One of the many Public classes of Al-Azhar…
…sadly a much underused resource! The class continues regardless of how many turn up
The completion of the book ‘Nukhbat Al-Fikr’ by the great Syrian scholar Nur Al-Din Itr. The gathering saw well over 500 students attend and many of the great scholars of Egypt
Student spot Sheikh Kitaani enter the mosque and eagerly follow him to the mosque of Al-Azhar
Malasyian students displaying beautiful ettiquettes as they line up to kiss the hands of their teacher
Habib Umar delivering a talk at a private gathering in a villa in Cairo. See if you can spot me!
This video was taken at a private gathering at a villa of one of a famous person in Cairo. Habib Umar was invited to speak at the mawlid. The event was also filmed by MBC (thought I havent been able to locate the footage yet)
A weekly class after jumu’ah at Masjid Al-Rifa’i. It begins with dhikr led by the sheikh followed by a lesson in Hadith.
Positives
Negatives
·It is the classical way of learning, right at the feet of the scholars in the great halls of the past!
·You will be learning at the hand of the greatest scholars of our day in some of the world’s oldest and most prestigious institutes.
·You will not only gain knowledge of the text you study but also the spiritual essence of Islam which goes beyond the book. You will benefit from the presence of the teacher and the observation of his character and demeanour. It is difficult to describe what this is. But when you sit with a true person of God, you will know exactly what I mean!
·The greatest worry when studying sacred knowledge is who you take it from. By studying with the great scholars of the age old Al-Azhar, you can rest assured that they will be people of guidance
·The blessing and forgiveness which comes with the gathering, described by the messenger ﷺ as gardens of paradise
·Save a massive amount of money this way as all these classes are free.
·Meet a great number of students and teachers who you can benefit greatly from through their knowledge and company
·Strengthen your Arabic through your studies and have the opportunity to speak in Arabic a lot more
·Unlike an institute (which can feel like a bubble at times!), you will interact with the local people and learn local customs. This can be the most powerful way of learning a new language!
·Classes are nearly always accessible to both males and females.
·Arabic is a pre-requisite!
·Of course the colloquial dialect is the biggest barrier. If you can overcome that, the floodgates of knowledge will be opened up to you!
·As the class is open to anyone, there is very little personal mentoring through the classes. However, if you attend the smaller classes regularly, the teacher will take note of you
·There is no formal examinations to test your knowledge or personal mentoring from the teacher
·It is often difficult to ask questions, particularly in the larger classes.
·Classes may begin late or get cancelled without much notice, especially with the more famous scholars.
·As most of the classes will be in old Cairo, you will have to frequently travel in and out of the city which means endless time wasted on transport.
Living Islam
“If you don’t pray your sunnahs and qiyaam al-layl, you cannot consider yourself a student of knowledge”
[Habib Umar]
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It’s easy to assume that coming to the Muslim world will automatically give you the thrust to be a better Muslim. The reality is it’s a lot harder to change old habits than people imagine especially when so many of the general public around you seem to do the same; over sleeping for fajr, not praying in congregation in the mosque and so on. People can become so focussed on studying that they lose sight of the greater objective; getting closer to your Creator. Knowledge in itself is useless unless it manifests in your actions and character.
The blessing of Cairo can be felt when you realise just how many saints and scholars who settled here in pursuit of sacred knowledge. A quick visit around some of the most famous mosques in Egypt such as Sayyidah Zainab, Sayyidah Aisha and Sayyidah Nafeesah will bring to light the large number of the family of prophet ﷺ who are buried in this city. On top of that, great scholars like Imam Shafi, Imam Al-Iz ibn Abdusallam and Imam As-Suyuti chose this city to be their home and burial place. May they all be rewarded Jannah Al-Firdaus – Ameen! Visiting the graves of such people may feel slightly strange to those of us from the west (particularly given some of the behaviour of some of the people who go there), but I see nothing but blessing in going and praying for the souls of the people who gave so much to this deen, aspiring to rise to their status and contribute to this world as much as they did.
As well as this, many of the mosques regularly hold Hadith recitations, Mawlids and other such gatherings for the remembrance of Allah. I have sat in the great halls of Al-Azhar to hear hadiths on the on blessings of our Messenger ﷺ be recited by one of the greatest scholars in that science; Imam Usaama Al-Sayed Al-Azhari. I have visited the mosque and grave of Imam Al-Busairi in Alexandria, author of Al-Burdah Al-Shareefah, to join in the recital of his poem. I was honoured to be invited to a private gathering with Habib Umar for a Mawlid and advice from the great scholar. Each of these has an impact on your sould which you cannot simply get from books. Islam is gained from the chests and hearts of men because it is through their companionship that you learn how to live the words you read. This is why our greatest teacher, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, highlighted character as one of the most important purposes of his message was the perfection of good character.
The Mosque of Sayyidah Nafeesah, the great teacher of Imam Shafi and family of the Prophet ﷺ
A gathering at the Mosque of Sayyidah Nafeesah. Just moments after my shoes got stolen, I was pulled in to join this gathering praising our beloved Messenger ﷺ
The Prayer area of Sayyidah Nafeesa. She would come here for seclusion to worship Allah.
The Grave of Abdullah ibn Abi Jamrah. We visited this as part of the Ja’fari march on the second day of Eid
One of the men holding Bukhoor, a sweet fragrance, in a gathering at Ibn Ata’ Illah As-Sakandari’s Mosque
The Grave of Al-’Iz ibn Abd As-Salaam, a man described at the Sultan of Scholars for his strong stance against oppression.
The brothers offer a prayer for the soul of the great scholar; a man whose story is a real example for Muslims today!
The Pillar where the great Imam Al-Shafi used to teach, a humble spot for any student following his path
Panoramic view of the mosque and grave of Imam Shafi
As we arrive, we find the mawlid overflowing on the street as student pack the room out.
At the Mawlid at the Madyafah, they give out bread filled with meat and rice to each person who attends.
As the great Scholar Nur Al-Din Itr leaves the building, he is led by his great student Sheikh Usama Al-Sayed,
After every Jumu’ah at Hussein, various groups gather to sing praises for the Messenger ﷺ
The weekly mawlid at Sheikh Salih Al-Ja’fari mosque
At any Mawlid you attend, they will typically serve refreshments to those who attend. The Ja’fari Tariqah are known for their excessive hospitality, offering a meal of meat and rice followed by tea and honey bread to each of the 150+ people who attend.
The Qasidah Burda is sung weekly at the mosque of Imam Busairi, author of the poem
The weekly Ba Alawi mawlid which takes place in the flats of the Habayib housing eager students of Yemen
You will often find crowds of people visiting the graves of the Saints of Cairo.
The grave of Sayyidah Zainab, family of the Prophet ﷺ
A clip taken from the weekly Ba Alawi Mawlid led by Habib Abdul-Kareem
One of the classes which usually takes place in Al-Atraak in Al-Azhar is replaced with Nasheeds in celebration of the Birth of the Messenger ﷺ
Sheikh Usamah Al-Sayed demonstrating true Islamic character as he helps his teachers in and out of the gathering.
A Mawlid in the great halls of Al-Azhar. It begins with the recitation of Qur’an followed by the recital of various Hadith on the Messenge ﷺ.
A nasheed sung in praise of Imam Hussein, grandson of the messenger ﷺ, beside his grave.
Summary
As I enter my last month in Egypt, I look back at my time here with great fondness and look forward to enjoying my last weeks here. Life as a student is not easy and studying abroad is not a magic want of guidance; it is full of trials and tribulations and takes much effort and struggle to get to the goals you wish to achieve. My greatest advice is to start from home. If you are serious about studying, you should start before you even come here. The best students I have met were the ones who put the effort in before they came and then stepped up a gear when they arrived.
On top of that, education should never cease. My prayer is that Allah allows me to continue studying for the rest of my life as I have realised there is an ocean before me waiting to be explored. Never put yourself beyond the age to learn and always be willing to think and reflect on new ideas.
Finally, in the words of Waki’ to his student Imam Al-Shafi, “knowledge is a light, and the light of Allah is not given to a sinner”. There is no doubt that knowledge elevates the rank of people before Allah, but realise it is only a means to an ends and not the end goal itself.
I pray this post has been both useful and encouraging to any student seeking to come here in the future. My intention in writing these blogs was to open the west up to the life of modern student of knowledge. I pray to Allah that he purifies this intention and accepts it as an action for Him alone. Ameen.
My admiration for Mufti Ali Gouma grows with each article I read from him. His insight and understanding of the modern world is profound and his ability to read into situations with an understanding of the times we live in is greatly needed.
This article discusses the recent slander by a young Saudi on Twitter and the growing consquences of social media on our society. Sheikh Ali referred to the difficulties young people face in dealing with what sometimes seems like an overwhelming amount of information, by quoting from an old Arabic poem:
“It is like throwing someone all tied up into the waters and demanding of them to remain dry.”
“How can we give someone unlimited access to the world and its different opinions, and then when that person gets wet from an opinion we may not agree with, we threaten them with the guillotine?”
Too often, Sheikh Ali said, internet users trusted the information they were given without checking the facts and the authenticity of sources.
Sheikh Ali Gomaa, the Grand Mufti of Egypt and one of the world’s most respected Islamic jurists, has called for greater dialogue and tolerance over the growing challenges created by the explosive growth of social-networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook.
He spoke out after calls for the execution of a young Saudi journalist over remarks he made about the Prophet Mohammed on Twitter, with Sheikh Ali saying: “We don’t kill our sons, we talk to them.”
In a wide-ranging interview about how the Muslim world should help young people to confront both the dangers and benefits of the internet, the Grand Mufti called for caution and understanding, but rejected calls for a ban on social networking. Sheikh Ali made his views clear just days after the journalist, Hamza Kashgari, 23, was deported back to Saudi Arabia, where he faces charges of blasphemy and a potential death sentence.
In an exclusive interview with The National, Sheikh Ali took a softer stance on the Saudi writer, who posted a series of tweets in which he imagined a dialogue with the Prophet on his birthday last month, and for which he has been widely condemned in some quarters of the Muslim world.
The Grand Mufti, seen by many as a revivalist voice in the faith, said that given the opportunity, he would sit down with the young man “as a father would with his son”.
“We need to look at three points before we make any judgments,” he said. “Are we sure he really said what everyone is repeating? Secondly, we need to categorise the actual statements he made. Are they a form of misconduct, or an expression of doubt, or an actual insult?”
What constitutes an insult and what does not should be subject to investigation by the judiciary, he explained.
“Thirdly, based on the opinions of a majority of scholars, if one repents it should be accepted. But it must be followed with good deeds.”
The Grand Mufti said the Prophet Mohammed was perceived as the ultimate subject of emulation by 1.5 billion Muslims all over the globe.
“Muslims throughout the world are required to venerate the Prophet by expressing their love and devotion to him. Insulting the Prophet is something that should not be taken lightly,” he said.
Since making the remarks, the Saudi writer has deleted the offending tweets and cancelled his Twitter account. He has also apologised repeatedly and asked for forgiveness.
Sheikh Ali said that based on what he had read, he believed the writer was “confused”, and added: “He didn’t find someone to share and settle his doubts with.”
At the same time, the Grand Mufti cautioned that social-media sites such as Twitter and Facebook presented a bigger challenge for young Muslims and Arabs, who are now “surrounded by a sea of information and misinformation”.
He said: “There is a great worry of them getting lost in the midst of all these waves.”
Too often, Sheikh Ali said, internet users trusted the information they were given without checking the facts and the authenticity of sources.
However, he said, society had a duty to have “an open dialogue with youth, where we listen and talk to them on an equal footing”.
“We need to teach and help them to swim in today’s turbulent waters.”
Sheikh Ali referred to the difficulties young people face in dealing with what sometimes seems like an overwhelming amount of information, by quoting from an old Arabic poem: “It is like throwing someone all tied up into the waters and demanding of them to remain dry.”
“How can we give someone unlimited access to the world and its different opinions, and then when that person gets wet from an opinion we may not agree with, we threaten them with the guillotine?”
The Grand Mufti said he believed that services such as Twitter risked creating “anarchy” by “promoting a break of values and links, like that of language, state, family, and religion”.
“We see them putting under religion ‘none,’ and they are proud of it. Under the excuse of creativity, there is chaos and loss of values and community sense.”
But blocking access and censoring any form of social media was not a solution, he said.
“If you close one form of communication, people will find a way around it,” said Sheikh Ali, who has a Twitter account and uses the internet to communicate with followers.
“One of the problems we have today is that we are still using an outdated method of dialogue, both among ourselves, the Muslims, and with others,” he said. “It is in the form of ‘you accept my opinion or it’s the sword’.”
On his visit to Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Ali gave a lecture to students at Zayed University and met Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, the Minister of Foreign Affairs. The two discussed the role of Islamic scholars in guiding Muslims in their daily lives, as well as correcting misconceptions about Islam and spreading the faith’s message of tolerance and mercy.
Sheikh Ali, 60, has been the Grand Mufti of Egypt since 2003 and is one of the world’s most recognised Muslim scholars, largely considered a moderate in his stances and an outspoken advocate for gender equality rights.
“There is nothing in Islam preventing a woman from becoming a head of a state or president,” he said. “It is more of a cultural issue that still prevents women from reaching powerful positions.”
His better known fatwas included one forbidding the practice of female circumcision, which he described as “a deplorable inherited custom”.
He also reiterated his position that there is nothing “in the Quran or Sunna” to stop women from driving.
During last year’s Egyptian revolt, Sheikh Ali welcomed protesters to his office at the Dar Al Ifta institute in Cairo, engaging them in debate about their problems and demands.
Referring to the continuing conflict in Syria, he called the situation “complicated”, and said: “Each side is accusing the other of killing them. I tell all the sides, the ruling and the ruled over, that killing is haram, it is forbidden and needs to stop.”
Discussing politics and Islam’s role in it, he said: “Politics has two parts. One part involves taking care of a nation and its people. The other involves competing as parties for power. Islam in politics should involve only the first part.”
Using the Muslim Brotherhood as an example, he said: “I told them you need to have a political branch if you want to compete for political power. You can’t compete as a religious group. So they formed a political branch called Hizb Al-Hurriya wa al-’Adala [Freedom and Justice Party].
“People have voted them in to try them out and to see what changes they will bring,” Sheikh Ali said.
He added: “Egyptian rule was always an Islamic state and has always been applying Sharia since the constitution was drawn up since 1923.”
Despite the turmoil of the past year, Sheikh Ali dismissed fears of growing extremism in the region, and said “there are always extremist groups in every human period”.
“Islam is in a constant flux, where it is important for Muslims to keep an optimistic view of where it is heading by not worrying too much about mistakes done in the past, but rather focus on moving forward by doing good deeds and having boundless hope.”
Answers to where the Middle East may be heading “if it stays on this chaotic path”, Sheikh Ali said, could be found in Herge’s The Adventures of Tintin. The comic is set against the realities of a 20th century of power struggles and colonialism, a reality of the world that appears to repeat itself every 40 years, explained Sheikh Ali.
“If we continue in this chaos, we will go back to the time of masters and slaves,” he said. “We don’t need to spell out who will be the master and who will be the slaves.”
“Cairo is a place of two extremes; if seek guidance you will find it here, and if you seek sin you will find it here”
Alhamdulillah, my time here has been has been blessed with the company of so many amazing people without whom I don’t think I would have survived. Looking back at it now – I am still not sure how it all worked out! I came to Egypt with just the a handful of phone numbers for people I had never met before, no place to stay and no idea how to get round the city. By the grace of Allah, I was blessed to meet the most amazing people who helped me in ways I could never have imagined to make feel at home in this new city I have grown to love!
The other day I met up again with some of the first people I met in Cairo; a group of Syrians who study/work in Cairo. On our drive around, Sheikh Aamer gives me a demonstration of the Maqamaat – the different musical tunes which the Quran can be read in. A brilliant resource has just been put together by Sh. Idrees Ally on: www.reciteintune.com.
The video below is a demonstration of three of these; Saba, Kurd and Nihawand. Enjoy!
On a slightly related note, we all know Cairo driving is a bit mad (to say the least!). However, in Alexandria they take it to a whole other level!
Alhamdulillah, Allah has blessed us all to be people on the path of knowledge. It is a great blessing Alhamdulillah!
I was reflecting upon this, thinking why it was I was studying. Was it the knowledge that I sought or rather a far deeper yearning for the possessor of all knowledge! Upon this, I wrote this poem:
Its been a while since Ive posted one of these. So much has happened in the last week. 78 people were killed in Port Said after a football match, 250+ people were massacred in Homs, Syria by the regime and the international community continued to show its indifference as Russia and China Veto in the security council.
During times like these, when the feeling of helplessness overcomes us, we need to return to the greatest planner of Allah;
"Those who have believed and whose hearts are assured by the remembrance of Allah . Unquestionably, by the remembrance of Allah hearts are assured." (Al-Ra'd 13:28)
So here is a video of a recitation at the mosque of Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Messenger ﷺ - a man whose death was one of the greatest calamties to befall this nation, but the condemnation of it is universal across all Muslims throughout history. May peace and blessings be upon him, His noble grandfather and his the righteous companions and followers till the last day.
One of the most important things to do whilst studying is to strike the right balance between work and relaxation. Many people who come here end up on one side or the other, burned out from over working or scarcely benefiting because of wasting too much time. For the first two months of my stay my life was very much work focused, studying around 12 hours a day, 7 days a week. The productivity was incredible, but by the end of it I was exhausted! Its simply not sustainable to keep that going for 7 months!
On top of that, I was living by myself for the duration of that period with only odd encounters with people on evenings and weekends. My entire life was focused on studying as I read, ate and dreamt of what the books I was given! More than that, I fully embraced Arab life as I saw nearly no foreigners whom I could speak English – and the only English person I did see regularly insisted I spoke Arabic to him for practice! The benefit of this was immeasurable; I lived entirely like an Arab for 2 months, exploring the city and culture at my own pace and immersing myself in the language and religion I came to study.
But by Eid-ul-Adha I was completely burnt out. Studying became a chore and concentration levels began to dip. No matter how much you love something, too much of it will cause you to meltdown, and that’s what I faced! Whilst in class, my teacher mentioned to me a hadith to me which stuck with me;
روحوا القلوب ساعة بساعة
Roughly Meaning; Let your heart have rest (from time to time); an hour (work) for an hour (rest)
- I needed a break!
Since then, I’ve been blessed to have many visitors over from back home, had two flat mates move in and had the pleasure of getting to know some of my fellow brothers here in Cairo better. My time has been divided by many visits and holidays inbetween the usual study and worship. I have had many wonderful trips around the various touristic hotspots around Cairo as well as becoming familiar with the lesser know places around the city. I’ve also begun to explore places outside of Cairo and planning a few more trips in the remaining 2 months I have left in Egypt.
Alhamdulillah, this long break has been a refreshing and much needed break as I have regained the energy I first came here with. I now feel fresh and ready to carry on with my final 2 months of studying before heading back to the UK.
So to wrap up this chapter of my journey, I wanted to share some of my travels these last few months to give an idea of what things you can get up to in Egypt. Enjoy!
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A clip of our camel & horse rides. Watch out for the end as our horse gallops away!
No matter where you are and what your circumstances, when the time comes in – you have to pray!
Out in the middle of the desert, I spot a date palm and decide to taste a few!
Part of the guided tour by Ustadh Idris Tawfiq
In the masjid of Masjid of Al-Hakim, birds circle around the courtyard peacefully.
Why you had to “be there”
As we’re casually riding our Ta’ta’, a random man in a motor bike decides to tag along to take us on one of his tour packages. He doesn’t take no as an answer!
Walking in to Sayyidah Zainab mosque 7am in the morning for the beginning of the march, I expect 15-20 people. Walking into the masjid to this chorus of Nasheeds was one of the most powerful experiences I will remember of Cairo, and this Nasheed will stay with me forever!
A compilation of short clips I took of Tahrir square during the November revolution.
