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Islam in Egypt Within moments of arriving at Cairo’s International Airport, I could see that Egypt was in fact, a predominantly Muslim country. As many women were wearing their head scarves and somewhat conservative clothing, I felt that Shaunna and I stood out the most as our heads were uncovered. Making our way to the hotel in Cairo, we passed numerous mosques spread across Cairo. From this early stage, I sensed that the influence and presence of the Islamic faith is very much prevalent in this city. Ironically, there is a part of Cairo called “Islamic Cairo,” home to the city’s most important mosque and most sacred shrine. To fully grasp Egyptian culture and society, one needs to understand Islam and its teachings. It is said that Islam first came to Egypt in the 7th century, the year 640. Ever since its arrival, the majority of Egyptians have adopted this religion. Currently, about 90% of Egyptians are Muslims, believers of the Islamic faith, while the remaining 10% are Coptic Christians. Islam is the youngest of the monotheistic religions of the world, founded about 1400 years ago. The founder of Islam is Prophet Mohammed (570 – 632 AD), who was born in Mecca, found in present-day Saudi Arabia. As the Messenger of God (Allah), the divine messages that he received from Allah are transcribed into the Quran (also spelt Koran), Islam’s holy book. Once Prophet Mohammed died in 632, his followers spread this newly-founded religion to different parts of the world, starting with the Arabia. Many consider early Islam as expansionist in nature because it is believed that conquering armies and migrating tribes left the Arabia specifically to spread the teachings of Islam. Only eight years following the Prophet’s death, Islam reached Egypt, the gateway into much of Africa from the Arabia. By the end of Islam’s first century, Islam was widespread in much of North Africa and Asia. I’m confident that Egypt’s official language of Arabic is a result of the Islamization of this region. As conquering armies spread Islam, they spread their Arabic language and culture simultaneously. Although Islam is different from the other monotheistic religions of Judaism and Christianity, the three religions all recognize the same prophets, some of which include Abraham, Moses and Jesus. In Islam however, Jesus is not recognized as the Son of God. Muslims establish their own direct and personal relationship to Allah, without going through any priests. There are five pillars of faith that Muslims have to adhere to: The Shahada – The acceptance that “there is no god except Allah; Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah”; Daily Prayers (Salat) – Muslims are required to pray five times a day; Fasting Ramadan (Sawm) - Abstaining each day during Ramadan, the 9th Muslim month. Nothing is to pass the lips from dawn till dusk; Almsgiving (Zakat) – Giving alms to the poor and needy; Pilgrimage to Mecca (Hajj) – Muslims that are financially and physically capable are to make a pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca, at least once in their lifetime. These past few days in Egypt have shown me just how these pillars are very central to the lives of Muslims here. The most visible of them all are the daily prayers, which are performed five times a day, at dawn, noon, afternoon, sunset and after dark. Since I have been here, I have heard many prayer calls (the Adhaan), which are designed to summon 1 the faithful. These calls are broadcasted across town from the mosques through speakers. No matter where you are in town, you are very likely to hear some prayer calls, especially if you are close to a mosque. The message here is simply “Allah is most great. I testify that there is no God but Allah. I testify that Mohammed is His Prophet. Come to prayer. God is Great.” For the dawn prayer call, the phrase “Prayer is better than sleep” is often heard. Many believers stop what they are doing and perform their prayers. To have a better understanding of how present-day Muslims in Egypt incorporate their Islamic faith in their daily lives, I decided to visit a mosque; a venue where believers meet to pray in congregation. Although prayers can be performed anywhere, many believers, specifically males, perform their prayers at mosques. I attended the El-Azhar Mosque and the El-Hussein Mosque, both located in Cairo. While the former is a keystone of Islam in Egypt, built in 972, the latter mosque is named after the grandson of Prophet Mohammed. In the El-Hussein Mosque, men and women each had their own section where they perform their prayers; something that is quite common in mosques world wide, I believe. While women have their own designated prayer space at the ElAzhar mosque, they can also pray in the same section as the men. I was told they can only do so by praying behind the men, usually at the back of the room. On Fridays, the holy day of Islam, all believers are expected to attend prayers at mosques. In Cairo, I learnt that sometimes the mosques are so filled with believers that some have to pray outside the mosques. At the El-Hussein Mosque, huge umbrellas open up to shelter those praying right outside the mosque. Here in Egypt, and in many Islamic states, weekends are commonly observed on Fridays and Saturdays, instead of Saturdays and Sundays. This allows Fridays to be fully celebrated as the holy day of Islam. In the El-Azhar mosque, I met three 12-year old boys who were sitting together reciting the Quran. As I spoke with Ahmad Radwan, I learned that apart from performing his five prayers a day, he comes to the mosque daily to learn the Quran. Pointing and making reference to the Quran that he was holding in his hands, he said “I love you,” with a bright smile on his face. Meeting these young boys who are so keen about the Quran showed me the way in which Islam touches the lives of many believers, regardless of age. I also had the opportunity of meeting the Imam of the El-Azhar Mosque, Sheikh Abdil Hamid Yusuf. In Egypt and in other Islamic countries, Sheikhs/Imams play a significant role in societies. As I entered the Imam’s working area, there were a number of people sitting, waiting to speak to him, one by one. I observed as he placed his hand on one of the girls, praying over her. I was moved to see a woman sit next to the Imam and as she began to talk, she started crying, releasing her concerns. All these people come to the Imam for counseling, guidance and comfort. His wise words and teachings, which he derives from the Quran, guide him in helping people and in telling people what is right and what is wrong in the Islamic faith. It would have been nice to be in Egypt during the month of Ramadan just to see how this holy period is observed. I can almost imagine how large and vibrant the Eid celebrations, celebrated at the end of the month of Ramadan, are in Egypt since most of its peoples are Muslims. It is apparent that while the majority of the women of Egypt wear head scarves and dress conservatively, more and more of them are dressed in more fashionable clothes that match well with their head scarves. There are also those that chose not to wear the headscarves. 2 Link to: -The Islamic Religion in Egypt -The Islamic Faith -The El-Azhar Mosque Multi Media: -Two Audio Clips (1) The Call for Prayer – Adhaan (2) Young boys reciting a prayer from the Qu’ran -Pictures of Mosque (Interior/Exterior); people praying; the Muezzin (the prayer caller); the Imam. -Video of Mosque (Interior) – if time permits. 3