Egypt.. Sufi Orders Commemorate the Arrival of Imam Hussein's Head to Cairo

Cairo, Egypt - The Sufi orders in Egypt commemorate the arrival of the head of Imam Hussein to the capital, Cairo, through religious celebrations and events that began on September 29 and will continue until the closing night on October 6, with the participation of the followers of the orders and lovers of the Ahl al-Bayt. The main events are concentrated in the area of Imam Hussein Mosque in Cairo, alongside celebrations held by the orders in their headquarters and other locations. The celebrations come as part of the scheduled program for the Mawlids announced by the General Secretariat of Sufi Orders, starting with the commemoration of Imam Hussein, before moving to the Mawlid of Sidi Ahmed Al-Badawi in the city of Tanta, and then to the Mawlid of Sidi Ibrahim Al-Dusuki in the city of Desouk in Kafr El-Sheikh Governorate.

Imam Hussein is Hussein bin Ali bin Abi Talib, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad. He was born in Medina and was martyred in the Battle of Karbala in the year 61 AH, corresponding to 680 AD. The Sufi orders commemorate his memory by recalling his biography and his status among the lovers of the Ahl al-Bayt. The celebrations are linked to a historical narrative that states that the head of Imam Hussein was transferred from Ashkelon to Cairo and settled in the location now known as Imam Hussein Mosque. The Egyptian Fatwa House also states in an old fatwa that the issue of the location of the head is a historical matter and not a matter of belief, citing historical narratives and sources that support its transfer from Ashkelon to Egypt, including what historian Taqi al-Din al-Maqrizi mentioned about the arrival of the head in Cairo, along with other historians who reported the same narrative.

Dr. Magdy Ashour, the Sheikh of the Shadhili Sufi order and former scientific advisor to the Grand Mufti of Egypt, stated that when the Sufi orders commemorate the settling of the head of Imam Hussein, they celebrate his biography, virtues, and the noble character he possessed, citing the saying of the Prophet Muhammad: "Hussein is from me, and I am from Hussein. Allah loves those who love Hussein. Hussein is a grandson among the grandsons." Ashour added that the celebration focuses on reviving the biography of Imam Hussein as the grandson of the Prophet, and the good morals he embodied, following the Prophet in most of his actions, pointing out that the Sufi orders evoke the moral system that the descendants of the Prophet, including Imam Hussein, possessed.

Ashour explained, in exclusive statements to Afaq News in Arabic, that reviving this ethical system comes in light of the need to return to ethics and revive them at the present time, noting that every Sufi order celebrates in its place or in the locations where it holds its activities, whether around the Imam Hussein Mosque or in other places. He pointed out that these celebrations aim to commemorate the memory of Imam Hussein and his legacy, as a large segment of Egyptians is connected to this memory due to the significance of the narrative of the arrival of the head to Cairo, as well as the presence of the Ahl al-Bayt in Egypt being an honor for its people.

Regarding the historical dispute over the location of Imam Hussein's head, Ashour said that there is a disagreement among some scholars about whether the head reached Egypt or not, but he added that the investigation into the narratives and documents, from his perspective, confirms its arrival in Egypt. He explained that among the evidence he relies on is a document preserved in the Louvre Institute, dated 549, which he said discusses the arrival of the head to Egypt, in addition to what he described as eyewitness accounts from one of the European towns that documented in this document the celebration of Egyptians upon the arrival of Imam Hussein's head, alongside narratives from jurists and hadith scholars that support this, adding that reputable scholars and Al-Azhar scholars agreed on the settling of the head in this location.

Regarding the extension of the celebrations over several days, Ashour clarified that the period from September 29 to October 6 does not represent a period of specific religious significance, but rather relates to the nature of organizing the celebration, especially since the day of arrival is often the last Tuesday of the month of Rabi' al-Thani, while the celebrations begin a few days before this date to allow the orders, followers, and visitors coming from distant provinces to attend and settle in Cairo before the celebration date. Concerning the criticisms sometimes directed at the celebrations of Sufi orders, Ashour said that "the celebrations are fundamentally correct from a legal standpoint, with the possibility of some mistakes occurring on the part of the public, especially with large gatherings of people," explaining that "if mistakes contrary to Sharia occur in a matter that is originally permissible, the original should not be prohibited due to a forbidden incident, but rather people should be educated not to fall into these mistakes and return to the original permissibility of celebrating this memory."

The Sheikh of the Azmiyah order, Muhammad Alaa Abu Al-Azaim, stated that the celebrations commemorating the arrival of the head of Imam Hussein include the recitation of the Quran and discussions about the memory of Karbala and how the head of Imam Hussein arrived in Egypt. He pointed out that the activities of the celebration are not limited to the area of Hussein, but are also held in other areas, where some orders celebrate in their headquarters, while others choose to hold celebrations in their homes or other places. Abu Al-Azaim explained, in exclusive statements to Afaq News in Arabic, that the extension of the celebrations over several days is related to the number of Sufi orders participating, as several orders celebrate on different days, and three or four orders may participate in the celebration on the same day. He noted that the usual date for celebrating the arrival of the head of Imam Hussein is the last Tuesday of the month of Rabi' al-Thani, while this year's celebrations extend until October 6.

He continued that the occasion is linked to the memory of the arrival of the head of Imam Hussein from Ashkelon to Cairo, pointing out that the head, according to the narrative he relies on, initially settled in a location on Al-Muizz Street before being transferred to the mosque currently located in the Hussein area. He indicated that this memory evokes the martyrdom of Imam Hussein in Karbala and the status that the Ahl al-Bayt represent in the religious consciousness, along with the celebrations associated with them in Egypt, noting that there are several members of the Ahl al-Bayt in Cairo, including Sayyida Zainab and Sayyida Sukayna, and the celebrations held by the lovers of the Ahl al-Bayt and the Sufi orders.

In response to the controversy regarding the settling of the head of Imam Hussein in Cairo, Abu Al-Azaim stated that the doubts raised about this do not, in his view, rely on what some officials and scholars have witnessed in the past. He referred to an incident where he said that Sheikh Mansour Obaid, the former Undersecretary of the Ministry of Awqaf, spoke about his vision of the head, describing it as being wrapped in a green shawl and mentioned that a pleasant fragrance emanated from it. He also noted that, according to his narrative, there were people who saw the head during the presidency of the late Anwar Sadat, and it was present in a wooden coffin. The General Secretariat of Sufi Orders announced that the activities of the birth of Imam Hussein began on September 29 and will continue until the closing night on October 6, before the celebrations move to the birth of Sidi Ahmed Al-Badawi in the city of Tanta, which will begin on October 16 and continue until October 22, followed by the birth of Sidi Ibrahim Al-Dusuki in the city of Desouk from October 23 to 29.

The official spokesperson for the General Secretariat of Sufi Orders, Ahmed Qandil, stated that these occasions represent important religious and spiritual milestones, witnessing the participation of the followers of Sufi orders and lovers of the Ahl al-Bayt and the righteous from various governorates, in coordination with the relevant authorities to organize the events.