The Azhar Experience

Al-Azhar is one of the oldest educational institutes in the world, built on the foundations of knowledge and faith with the aim of enriching the population through the love of God. Its services to humanity are countless and the great men and women it has produced have been a great service to human civilization. Before coming to Egypt I knew it was one of the places I had to see. I have been blessed to pray Jumu’ah[1] in many different places before, but very few of those places compared to this.


The feeling of tranquillity and peace immediately comes over you as you enter through the archway of the 1200 year old building, a world away from the busy streets of Islamic Cairo outside. On the other side; a courtyard kept clean and gleaning in the hot summer sun. A humble notice board with a tattered timetable stuck on it is the only point of congregation as students and members of the public note down which talks they wish to attend. All this seems a world away from the personalised timetables delivered by email at university back home – a reminder of the struggle which is required to gain knowledge.


As you continue through the building you enter into the prayer hall, a large, humble building decorated by not by extravagant ornaments or paintings, but by the spirit and wisdom of the great scholars who have taught within these great halls. Rows of men line up in the front lines each engaged in their own worship as they patiently wait for the prayer to begin. As I take my place amongst the congregation, an elderly scholar enters dressed in the famous Azhari gown and turban ready to continue with the age old tradition here in Egypt. In one moment, the whole mosque reverberates with the sound of the Qaris voice as he recites;

“أعوذ بالله من الشيطان الرجيم

I seek refuge with Allah from Satan, the Accursed

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

In the Name of Allah, the Most gracious, the Most merciful”

The next half hour was like blissful paradise as the Qaris[2] recitation echoed through the ancient hall of Al-Azhar, each letter pronounced with a perfection achieved after a lifetime of training, each striking a chord of the soul leaving the person enchanted in its wake. Elderly men sat eagerly at the feet of the Imam, so moved by each verse recited that they would chant praises for the beloved messenger ﷺ in show of their approval. One man even rose to his feet and kissed the Qari as a demonstration of great love and respect for the words of joy which he brought him. No video can ever reproduce the feeling of sitting there in the mosque; a gathering so blessed with Angels and Saints described by the messenger ﷺ himself to be “gardens of paradise”. That is what makes the experience so special…

“صدق الله العظيم

Allah the Almighty has spoken the truth”

Before long, the adhan[3] resonated from the minarets, signalling to all those outside that the sermon was due to start soon. Under the former dictatorship, all speeches at mosques were regularly observed by members of the secret service, heavily censoring anything that could be said on the pulpit. I wondered how different this post revolution Egypt sermon would be. Would the Imam now be free to address the many problems affecting Cairo at the moment (as it was just a week or so after the last protest where the Israeli embassy had been attacked) or would he play it safe and give a generic sermon? To my surprise his address was very much a bit of both, tackling the many issues Egypt was facing whilst giving poignant advice and stories with which people could relate too, something unimaginable just 6 months ago. This was not unique to Al-Azhar. In a local mosque I had prayed in previously the imam had openly stated the characteristics of a good president for the country and openly invited members of the congregation to attend a public meeting to discuss what reforms were needed in the area. These were truly unprecedented times!

Soon the prayer was over and people returned to their daily business. I stuck around for a while to finish off a book I was reading and wait for the crowd to die down. The mosque quickly transformed back into its serene and tranquil self as people lay down for a short Qayloolah (siesta) all over the mosque. The only sounds to be heard were the slow beats of the fans as silence and tranquillity filled the mosque once more.

 The Main Gateway in to the Mosque

The Courtyard of Al-Azhar

A man sleeping in the Masjid after the prayers

After a while I made my way across the road to Masjid Hussein – a large mosque built next to the grave of the head Hussein, the grandson of the Messenger ﷺ. His story and death is one of the darkest moments of human history as his body was decapitated after his death leaving his body in Karbala and head in Cairo. In his honour, thousands come and send their Salaams to the ‘master of the youths of Jannah’, full of love for the family of the messenger ﷺ.

Masjid Hussain could not have been contrasted more with Masjid Al-Azhar. From the outset you are met with crowds of people as everyone from shoe shiners to perfume sellers eagerly clasp you by the arm to make their ‘sale’. After you eventually wrestle past the ‘merchants’, your met with a sea of songs and praise from all quarters of the Masjid in praise of their prophet ﷺ and his family. Never have I been in such a spiritual environment so full of joy and happiness, buzzing full of activity from men giving away free sandwiches as charity to people sitting against the pillars meditating. Each couplet that was sung echoed through the masjid to be met by eager listeners who enjoyed the eloquence of the words they heard. Though the mosque was completely different to Al-Azhar, it still carried that same feeling of peace and tranquillity which manifested most through the faces of those within the mosque. It’s a feeling that’s impossible to describe – something that you simply have to be a part of to understand why such gatherings are so blessed.

A group singing a Nasheed about the Prophet ﷺ

As I sat down and listened to one particular group singing a song along the lines of “Our Master Mohammad is the moon…”, it struck me how within such a small area of Cairo you could get such a massive contrast in faith and practice yet everyone harmoniously got on. How often do we struggle in our relationships with our families and communities because of differences in faith and practice, yet here was a community which housed so many different varieties of practice but all accepted each other in peace. Each had their evidences and reasons for what they were doing and left to do what they wished.

Tomorrow is another Friday in Cairo and another mosque to be visited, but few will ever match the same environment that Al-Azhar has to offer.

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[1] The congregational Friday prayers held every week.

[2] Qari is the word used to describe a person who reads the Qur'an to a group of people

[3] The call to prayer sounded just before the congregation for the obligatory prayer is about to start

A Rollercoaster Ride

It is said that upon seeking sacred knowledge, a person will face the greatest obstacles as Satan aims to divert the person from seeking the path to his Lord.

This has certainly been the case in my experience of Cairo so far. Never have I faced such a rollercoaster of emotions during such as short period of time, having to deal with the stresses of finding a flat, leaving my family and friends and adjusting to this new environment. But Allah (swt) says in the Qur’an;

And those who strive for Us - We will surely guide them to Our ways. And indeed, Allah is with the doers of good. (Al-Ankabut 29:69)

There have been different moments over the past week where I have felt the highs and the lows of studying abroad. At each of these points, I wrote and thought about different posts to blog about but never got round to publishing them. Instead, I have collated these different posts and posted them below under one big blog in chronological order. This will help give a sense of perspective of the journey I have been through so far:

Farewell

The departure lounge; the most diverse part of any country, rich in human races, religions, emotions and languages. From those looking forward to a nice trip abroad to the others bidding their loved ones goodbyes, you are sure to find a whole mixture of the lot, alongside a nice chunk of materialism too!

The Departure Lounge as I wait for the Plane

So I guess for me this is where the journey starts as I sit here waiting for my (delayed) flight to Egypt. For something I have dreamed of for so long, I cant help think that the initial taste seems so bitter. With the prospect of 7 months of complete dedication to education and soul searching, all I seem to be able to think of now is the people I am leaving behind. 7 months seems so long…

To be honest, the magnitude of what I am doing never really hit me until the moment I kissed my mother farewell for the last time in months. I was so caught up in my dream of of what I was about to pursue that I scarcely stopped to think of what I’m actually leaving behind. But seeing my mother’s tears as I left the door is something that is shook me hard.

But that’s what makes parents so amazing. In that moment of misery, just as I began to rethink what I was going to do, my father reminds me of the Hadith of our beloved messenger ﷺ; “whoever sets out on a path of knowledge, Allah will make easy for him the path to paradise”[1] then with a gentle reminder; ‘what knowledge can come except through struggle’.

So I guess here is where that struggle starts and the path begins. May the path be made easy and the difficulties a means for learning. Ameen.

For Every illness is a cure

In truth, had I been writing this blog just 5 hours ago, it would have taken a very different tone. Never have I been through so many tests and trials as the one this week, so many frustrations and elations all in the space of a week.

But it’s amazing how a few moments can turn the sourest day into the sweetest one as all those troubles you went through suddenly become worth it for that moment. The Prophet ﷺ taught us, "Allah has not sent down an illness without sending down a cure for it."[2] Rarely have I known something to be so true!

The past week has been a struggle as settling in has proven much harder than I envisaged – home sickness at its worst! The first symptoms manifested at the hotel I was due to stay in. Having barely slept on my overnight flight, I arrived at 6am to the overbooked hotel I had booked into for that evening and told there were no available room until later that afternoon. When I returned later, the hotel staff informed that my room had been flooded and no other room was available. Next was finding a flat; a task which proved a lot harder than I thought! Still recovering from its recent revolution, many of the foreign students in Egypt left as affairs became unstable and many are yet to return making finding a flatmate would be very difficult. This obviously changes the whole plan as renting a flat on your own is a lot more expensive than anything I had budgeted for. All this was accompanied by a complete unfamiliarity of the country, a constant chance of being ripped off, a massive change of climate and terrible homesickness. This wasn’t the knowledge seeking experience I was expecting!

Al-Azhar Mosque just before Mughrib, the sunset Prayer 

But as mentioned before, to every illness is a cure! One by one each of these problems solved itself in a way far better than I imagined. I was upgraded to a bigger hotel room (after some complaining and an attempt to switch me to a different hotel), given the keys to a wonderful family friends flat to stay in till I was settled and met a wonderful bunch of people who have helped me out tremendously in my time here in Cairo.

However, all that seems like nothing compared to what I was blessed with this evening. Like honey, it takes a long struggle and hard work before you can taste something sweet and beneficial. This medicine was a cure to all my ailments as I was reminded of exactly that which I came to seek – the knowledge blessing of the scholars.

Cairo has a long history of great scholars and people in its city. It is difficult to understand what effect these people have on a nation until you have the blessing to sit in their companionship and watch how they interact. Today I was invited to the house of the scholar I am due to be taking classes with during my stay here. Despite having never met before, we met as if we had long known each other as he treated me with the utmost respect and hospitality. As I arrived in my taxi, he stood on the side of the road waiting to pay the driver before I could, turning to me with a wide embrace and gentle smile saying “welcome oh Sheikh Talha”. He then led me to his home stating how happy he was that I had come and offering his complete service for anything I wished during my stay here. As I entered, I was presented with a whole host of different foods and drinks as we sat and discussed a syllabus which I would take with him of the course of my stay in the city. Even as I was leaving, he turned to his book shelf and pulled out a present which he wished to give to me upon our first meeting. He then accompanied me all the way to the bus stop and ensured I could get home safely before returning to his home.

A group of brothers sitting inside Al-Azhar

It’s hard to describe the effect that all has upon you. Here I was, a complete stranger being welcomed as a long lost brother and treated as though it was me doing him a service. This behaviour wasn’t exclusive to the scholars. It was as true when I was trusted with keys to a flat to stay there as long as I liked and treated to a wonderful meal at one of Cairo’s finest restaurants by someone I just met. It was true when I met a friend of a friend through Facebook, treating me as his closest companion (yes – we did have a game of Fifa!) and driving me around the city to help me get whatever I needed. It was true when a distant family member met me as though I was his own brother, helping me find the flat I now stay in and constantly calling to check if I need anything. Such magnanimity and good character is sadly so scarce in the west and is dying even amongst Muslims, but when it is found it has a long lasting impact on your soul…

"Allah has not sent down an illness without sending down a cure for it."[3]

Reliance upon Allah

The greatest lesson for me so far has been that of trust. I remember speaking to a friend when I first arrived expressing how difficult things were getting. Their words were simply “Have trust – Allah does not despair those he loves.”

Since then, I have learnt how wise these words are. For anyone seeking to do something for the sake of God, do not despair when things go wrong as verily that is simply a test to see how sincere you are.

لا تيأسن فإن اليأس كفر

Do not despair for verily it is denial

إن مولاك عزيز غفور

Verily your guardian is victorious, forgiving

Alhamdulillah, God has blessed Cairo to be a daily reminder of trust and reliance upon the creator through means of its driving. As I describe to my Egyptian friend, to cross a road here, you walk and pray the cars pay attention to you!

So to finish this blog on a lighter note, heres a video I took whilst heading to pray mughrib in the mosque. It was on one of the busiest roads in Cairo and this was literally the only way to get to the mosque! Here it goes:

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[1] Narrated by Imam Muslim

[2] Bukhari, Hadith 5354, Chapter 79; The Book of Medicine.

[3] Bukhari, Hadith 5354, Chapter 79; The Book of Medicine.

"Verily Actions are by their Intentions, and for every person is what he intended..."

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

In the name of Allah, The most Gracious, The most Merciful

الحمد لله رب العالمين

All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the worlds,

وصلاة وسلام على سيدنا محمد وعلى آله وصحبه أجمعين

And we ask him to send his peace and blessings upon our master Muhammad, and upon his family and companions.

Before coming to Egypt, I was debating with myself for a long time as to whether to keep a blog whilst out here. Many people encouraged me to do so as they wanted to see how it all went. However, my worry has always been that it distracts me from my studies and the spiritual experience this is meant to be. Wasn’t the purpose of coming here that I live life completely isolated from things back home in order to absorb the environment around me?

After much thought, I decided that having a blog would be of enough benefit to merit it being set up. Travelling abroad to study Sacred Knowledge is something many people dream of doing but few get the chance to ever go. Also, many of those who do go have very little knowledge of what to expect. Having been here for less than a week, I can truly say that the image I had in my mind is certainly very different to the reality. My aim through keeping this blog is to share some of my thoughts and experiences over the short time that I am here; what things I learn, feel and experience as the time passes by.

My hope is that this this is as informative to people as possible. I will try and be as honest as possible throughout to really try and paint an image of what things are like out here. My aim is then to inspire many others to take the leap of faith and follow in the footsteps of the many great scholars that have taken the path of sacred knowledge before as the west is truly in need of a spiritual revival. Abu Hurayrah relates that the Prophet said;

"For him who embarks on the path of seeking knowledge, Allah will ease for him the way to paradise." 

[Related by Imam Muslim]

So my intention is that my writings here will hopefully be of some benefit to people back home in the hope that others may be inspired to do the same. Any comments and thoughts would be appreciated. I will try my best to reply but please be patient with me insha’Allah. Please pray that I am accepted onto this path, because truly knowledge is only granted by those whom Allah accepts. Imam Shafi’ says in his famous poem:

شَكَوْتُ إلَى وَكِيعٍ سُوءَ حِفْظِي

I complained to Waki’ about my poor memory:

فَأرْشَدَنِي إلَى تَرْكِ المعَاصي

“Give up your sins!” was his advice to me;

وَأخْبَرَنِي بأَنَّ العِلْمَ نُورٌ

“For knowledge is a light from Divinity,

ونورُ الله لا يهدى لعاصي

and the Light of God is veiled by iniquity!”

Jazakumallah Khair and peace be upon you all.

"Verily Actions are by their Intentions, and for every person is what he intended."
[40 Hadith Nawawi]

Talha Ghannam