Alhamdulillah, Allah opened the opportunity for me to go and study in Egypt for 7 months in between the end of my degree and starting my job. Aside from gaining knowledge and proximity to Allah, one of my key ambitions I had was to paint an image of the reality behind the life a student to give people a realistic image of what it is like and hopefully encourage a few people to go out.
The posts on here were written throughout my period of time in Egypt. It is a journal of personal thoughts and reflections on my journey there and will hopefully give some insight into what to expect when going out there.
I ask that Allah accepts these efforts, purifies our intentions and places it as a benefit to this ummah.
Please remember me and the ummah of muhammad in your duas.
Talha
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…
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…
This is probably one of the most exciting pieces of news you will head! Al-Azhar is starting up a distance learning programme for foreigners abroad wishing to seek knowledge from this magnificient institution! As part of a new drive to move into the technological era, this latest step has got to be their boldest and…
The following are some pictures I took of Tahrir Square during the protests in November. Metro on the way down Hardees by Mohammad Mahmood Street (where most of the fighting was) Panorama Shot of Tahrir Square Two guys climb on top of the lamp post to wave the Egyptian Flag Mohammad Mahmood Street Make shift…
I remember it well – It was a warm spring afternoon and a long journey up north from Damascus. Like most traditional arabian homes, my uncle’s house opened up to a lovely courtyard which branched off to separate rooms in the house. Seeking the shade, we sat under the only tree in the court yard, one which…
Eid Mubarak to you all. On this special occasion of Eid-ul-Adha, I wanted to give you all a special gift. It is a secret that very few people know of – even the people of Cairo! As you visit the grave of the great scholar Imam Al-Shafi’, you find a tremendous peace and tranquility in the…
This is probably one of the shortest posts I’ll write, but definitely one of the most important! Al-Azhar has recently started a new initiative to digitally record and upload ALL its lectures and classes. That literally means that anyone, anywhere in the world can tune in and listen to any of these classes. The website you need…
Todays recitation comes from a famous masjid in Nasr City, Musa ibn Naseer. I only managed to catch a short clip of this recitation, but that clip is just awesome! The Qari (reciter) reminds me of the old school Azhari Shuyukh whose soul would live and breathe every word they recited. Here was a man…
Student life isn’t exactly famous for the good food. Three years at uni was enough to teach me that! But alhamdulillah, Egypt has an amazing array of takeaways, restaurants and very generous people who invite you over to eat at their place! The following is just some of the many dishes I’ve had the pleasure…
…or at least I hope not Many of you will have seen this documentary. If you haven’t, then I recommend you do. The town mentioned at the beginning if my home town – Haresta. Though it seems there is little we can do to help Syria, Yemen and our brothers and sisters in all the…
On the Path of Knowledge 