In Saint
Bachomuos El-Shayeb Monastery in Luxor, I sat to the ground with those ringing
the bells and singing hymns. In the Monastery of Saint Pishoy, I went deep into
the monastery until I reached the sacred place where monks must kneel at
entering. Father Sedrak, later became archbishop of Jerusalem may he rest in
peace, was at the monastery at that time. We had discussions I believe were
very rich. In Saint Mark’s Coptic Orthodox Cathedral, I had a three-hour
discussion with Pope Shenouda III. It was such a great spiritual and mental
experience.
In the
yards of mosques of al-Badawi, ad-Dessouqi, ash-Shazli and al-Qenawi and on the
pavements surrounding the mosques of Ahl al-Bayt like Imam al-Hussain,
Sayyidah Zainab or Um Hashem the virgin, Sayyidah Nafisa, the one who read
Quran seventy times in the place where she was later buried in and whom Imam
ash-Shafi’i was her student, there I wore shabby clothes and went bare-footed
watching manifestations of Shath over the faces of the poor… or once can
say the loving dervishes.
I once
had an official invitation to visit Iraq. The one who met me there blamed me
for refusing past invitations he offered me when he was an ambassador for Iraq
in Egypt. He asked me anxiously: “Have you come this time to meet Mr.
Vice-President?” He meant Taha Yassin Ramadan. I said: “No… to meet someone
more important.” The man got alerted and asked cautiously and respectfully: “Do
you mean that you’re gonna meet the president?” He meant Saddam Hussein– May the
president and the vice-president rest in peace –I said: “No… more important one.”
The man got annoyed for he thought I was making joke of a serious matter. I immediately
said: “First of all, I came to visit Imam Ali, Imam Junayd of Baghdad and
al-Hallaj!”
Indeed
in the day when I arrived, I headed in the afternoon to the shrine of Junayd
and next to him was “Sirri Saqti”. Next to them lies the shrine of prophet
Moses’s assistant whose name as written was Yusha’ ibn Nun. Next to the shrines
of Junayd and Sirri Saqti was a palm tree with the most delicious dates I ever
tasted dropping from it. Also there was a natural spring whose water was of the
purest I ever drank. After this, I went to Imam Mousa al-Kazem but couldn’t go
to Najaf.
I also
went close to Ar-Rawda Ash-Sharifa of prophet Muhammed– peace be upon
him –in Medina. There, I cried, supplicated to God and begged him in pain asking
for a life!
Whenever
I imagine our beloved Egypt without its guardians whose ancestors go back to
the time of Idris or Osiris, or imagine that it lost its inherent powers, I had
a feeling telling me it’s the end of the world. However, I immediately drive away
this nightmare that haunts my soul whenever I see stony-hearted Makhioun,
Burhami, al-Huwaini and the terrorists whom stones are even softer than them.
I asked
God to facilitate the way for me to visit al-Badawi and ad-Dessouqi as their Mawaled[1]
are celebrated these days. However, I couldn’t make it to them. I felt sad for
this, for facilitation is a sign of giving permission to go. So, I went reading
their supplicating prayers and immersing myself in the books talking about
their lives hoping that reading may make up some of what I missed in the visit.
In the
monasteries, mosques’ yards and over pavements of Sufi figures, the unique fabric
of our country is manifested and strength of our national woven-braid appears. A
normal human cannot help but getting touched by the hymns chanted in
monasteries and churches and Inshad[2]
and supplications sung in the mosques’ yards and pavements. I do not exaggerate
or imagine when I say that your soul receives, through your ears, the beauty of
the Christian hymns in the church and continues listening to the Sufi
supplications sung in the mosques’ yards or pavements feeling they complete one
another for they both come from the same pure spring.
In Dessouq
resides Sidi Ibrahim ad-Dessouqi… ibn Abu al-Magd… ibn Quraish… ibn Muhammed…
ibn Abu an-Nagaa… ibn Zayn al-Abdin… ibn Abdel-Khaleq… until we reach Ga’far
az-Zakki… ibn Ali… ibn Muhammed al-Gawwad… ibn Ali ar-Reda… ibn Mousa al-Kazem…
ibn Ga’far as-Sadeq… ibn Muhammed al-Baker… ibn Ali Zayn al-Abdin… ibn
al-Hussain… ibn Ali… ibn Abu Taleb the Hashemite of Quraish.
According
to what Ali Pasha Mubarak said in his book titled “Al-Khetat Al-Tawfiqiya”
in which he described Egypt’s old and famous cities, Dessouq is “A great city
and a capital for a province in Gharbia governorate– it affiliates now to Kafr El
Sheikh governorate which was not yet established at the time –looking over the
east bank of Rosetta branch of the Nile, lying south to Fuwwah and takes two
hours to reach it from there… it contains palaces with windows made of glass
and iron including the palace of Abdelaal Bek, council chief of Gharbia, another
one for Imam al-Qasabi, Sheikh of Sidi Ahmed al-Badawi mosque, a third for Bassyouni
al-Far near to Demera… it also contains eleven Kuttab or places teaching
Muslim children about Quran… water stations with one of them belonging to the lady
of the high social standing Ain al-Hayat… it also contains three mosques,
the biggest and most famous of them is that of Sidi Ibrahim ad-Dessouqi which
some Sultans first built then later was widened and re-designed by Sultan
Qaitbay… right now– 1293 Hijri calendar –it’s being renovated in the time of
Khedive Ismail by me Ali Mubarak.”
In the
book titled “At-Tabaqat Al-Kubra” authored by Sidi Abdel-Wahhab al-Sha’rani,
Sidi Ibrahim ad-Dessouqi is mentioned in more than 25 pages of the big size;
pages filled with very beautiful words written by Imam of Shari’a and
truth; Imam ad-Dessouqi. Of his beautiful words I end my article with an
excerpt of it saying: “The one who is really close to God regards his good
deeds as sins… and if God punished him for his negligence, that would have been
fair.” He used to say: “My sons… go seek knowledge… don’t stop and don’t get
bored for Allah said to his prophet “And say, “My Lord, increase me in
knowledge”… compare this to what we are now, for we are weaker in a different
time… you seek more knowledge to know more about God.”
May
God bless your soul Abu al-Ainain in your birth memory.
Translated
into English by: Dalia Elnaggar
This article was published in Almasry alyoum newspaper
on Ocotober 26, 2016.
To see the original article, go to:
#almasry_alyoum #ahmed_elgammal #Sufism
[1] Mawaled: (Arabic: موالد) plural of Mawled (مولد) or Meelad (ميلاد) is the observance
of the birthday of an iconic figure in religious or cultural heritage which is
celebrated once a year
[2] Inshad: (Arabic: إنشاد) a kind of chanting that makes musical sound with
the voice. It’s found in both Islamic and Christian heritage.
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