Welcome to Egypt 2011

By the time you read these lines, things might have changed from the time I submitted this article to be published, but I feel I need to reflect on the miracle that happened on Friday, February 11, 2011 in the Jewel of the Arab countries, Egypt.

It was quick and it was huge, an event people never thought could ever be true, a kind of miracle.  It was not a dream; a three decade long tyrant has been removed from power in eighteen days! I still remember the video clip in which people were praying in Tahrir Square, and when the announcement came that Mubarak is stepping down, right after the Imam said, “Assalamu alaikum..” people jumped up screaming, “God is Great!” To add to the amusement, it happened in the Middle East, a place you never expect such things to happen, and not just in any country in the Middle East but in Egypt! It was the fall of the regime of Hosni Mubarak and his ruling party which has ruled by an emergency law and oppressed people and stole all the wealth from Egyptians exactly like Pharaoh did thousands of years ago. It was Egypt, the most populated Arab country, in which this miracle prevailed in bringing the power back to the citizens after it had been high-jacked for more than three decades. This was a true story of liberty, the mother of all liberations in this century we are living in.

I was waiting for the announcement sitting in my home preparing for Friday Khutba. When the announcement came that Hosni Mubarak was stepping down, I felt happy, relieved, and joyful ,and I cried. I praised Allah (SW) for a feeling that I have never experienced before. I said Alhamdulillah. I am used to saying Alhamdulillah for many things like waking up in the morning, after stepping out from the washroom, after having a meal, after riding in a car, but today I had the pleasure of experiencing a new type of being grateful, the one that brought the joy of peace and tranquility to my soul. Allah (SW) spoke about such feelings; it is like a cure to the heart of believers. Allah (SW) said: {Moreover, He will heal [what is within] the breast of the believing people, [thereby,] and take away the [deep] rage from their hearts} 9:14.  As if this regime was an illness and now the medications have worked and cured this illness. The young men and women who took it to the streets were the cure for the cancer of the Mubarak regime, and insha Allah they will be the vaccine against all regimes of oppression in the Arab and Muslim world.

I saw the power of Allah prevail and it reminded me of this verse: {Indeed, God does not change a people’s condition [of grace] until they change what is in their souls} 13:11. I memorized this ayah and always saw the implementation being practiced on an individual level. The people of Egypt introduced the other side of the interpretation (Tafseer) of this verse in our time. It was the live (Tafseer) of those young men and women that brought the true implementation of the concept of change into reality in which all generations will read and benefit from.

I have to say that this interpretation has been demonstrated for more than sixty years before by the people of Palestine, who still refuse to accept occupation, and by the people of Tunisia who started the example and brought hope for people to follow. I hope the people of Egypt will make liberty as contagious as it could be for all Arab and Muslim leaders, presidents and kings to worry about and prepare to face.

These demonstrations reminded us about the truth that aggression and oppression will always end regardless of how long it survived, and that oppressed people will win sooner or later. The prophet (PBUH) said, “Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, grants respite to the oppressor. But when He lays Hand upon him, He does not then let him off.” Allah (SW) in his wisdom, wants the quality in people to be seen and practiced in order to be worthy of His Mercy and enter Heaven. We all know that the nature of people tends to be close to Allah in moments of struggle and hardship, and such is the life under an oppressor. In such moments we feel our vulnerability and we desperately ask Allah for help demonstrating our true submission to Him. While in moments of ease, people tend to forget about God and their need for Him, though this is the path that will lead to Hell. If prolonging the time of hardships and struggles means more closeness to Allah, more sincere prayers, more dependency on Allah, then this is the great outcome that we should be patient through, and hope it will lead us to Allah’s Mercy and Heaven.

At the time when Pharaoh was killing the firstborn males of the Children of Israel to secure his throne, Allah (SW) brought Moses into Pharaoh’s home and he grew up in front of his eyes with no clue of what was to come. Moses defeated Pharaoh and his army, and the aggression ended then. Today the young men and women of Egypt are reliving the story of Moses again. They grew in front of the eyes of this regime and brought it down from within. I remember watching the interview with Wael Ghuneim after he was released from prison, the interviewer Mona Alshazeli told him that the newly appointed prime minister (then) knew about him through his daughter who was following Wael on twitter and Face Book.  Subhan Allah! Young men and women of Egypt: “You are all now the new story of Moses verses to be told to all Pharaohs.”

Although many people are skeptical about the future and how things could unfold, the truth and the reality of what happened can give us a place and time to enjoy and celebrate for now. At the same time we need to make Dua that the people of Egypt can build on this movement to make sure that this type of dictatorship never comes again and that sincere intentions for serving their country would bring better days to follow for the Egyptians, insha Allah.

Let the Nile River bring the scents of freedom and make all Egyptians breathe happiness. Let the history of Egypt fold the last chapter of Pharaoh’s type of ruling.  Let the people of Egypt praise their Lord and be grateful to him for as long as you are grateful to Allah, Allah will increase the blessings for you.

We say Mubarak, the fall of Mubarak.

We say Takbeer to the people of Meedan Attahreer.

 Welcome to Egypt 2011.

Salam Alaikum

Sh. Kifah Mustapha