The other day, I was watching the news. A reporter had caught the president in a lie; after stating in an interview he would not be cutting state aid, a video surfaced where the president said the exact opposite. In the face of embarrassment, the spin doctors got to work…
I have no right to comment on Egypt as I have almost no knowledge of the details other than through western media which I don’t fully trust. In the words of a friend of mine: “I think one of our biggest faults as westerners is the arrogance that we think we can judge others… in…
Since reading Muhammad Asad’s “The Road to Makkah”, I have become fascinated to explore the perspectives non-Muslims and converts have on Islam and life generally. Being born Muslim, many of us take for granted the way we think and act, rarely paying attention to the reasons why. We casually assume every person to be the…
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…
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…
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…
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…
“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…
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…
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…
On the Path of Knowledge 