The Islamic Approach

By Samar Ali Ezzat, *Future of Egypt's Sufis at stake* - The Egyptian Gazette - Cairo, Egypt; Sunday, May 29, 2011

The youngsters yelling and playing around the big marquees in front of Al-Rifai Mosque in the Citadel Square, Saida Zeinab, were not actually interested in the roaring invocations coming from inside the mosque.

The young always look forward to the annual weeklong Moulid (celebration of a holy man's birth) which means nothing but merry-making for them.

The Rifai Moulid starts on a Friday and ends on a Friday. It attracts thousands of murideen (followers), as well as large numbers of vendors and villagers, who come to make a profit.

Al- Rifaiya is a Sufi order that enjoys wide popularity. Its followers are estimated at nine million across the country. Therefore the Rifai Moulid is held twice a year, first at Al-Rifai Mosque in Cairo for Cairenes and residents of Lower Egypt and then in Aswan for Upper Egyptians

The founder of the order was Sheikh Ahmed al-Rifai, and although the mosque is named after him, he is not buried there. Sheikh Ahmed is seen as the father of two sciences: Shari'a (Islamic law) and Truth (the latter is an integral part of Sufi teachings).

During the Moulid the Citadel area becomes completely blocked by vehicles owing to huge crowds. There are many activities, from religious chanting and invocations like dhikr (remembrance of God) to selling food, rosaries and other paraphernalia and providing entertainment for children like swings and puppet shows.

Sufis of the Rifai Order organise a daily march around the mosque. The seniors wear their typical costume of a white galabiya and a black sash. They beat drums to draw the attention of the murideen, so that they start reciting Qura'nic verses.

Sufis are utterly different from Salafists, Muslim Brothers and others, due to their mystical approach to religion.

Their creed is basically about the love of God away from worldly interests. Each Sufi order has its guide or spiritual leader (murshid), in most cases the son or relative of the order's founder.

Mustafa Ali Zayed, the leader of the Rifaiya Order's secretary, is much concerned about the fate of Sufi orders in Egypt should the Muslim Brothers or Salafists come to power. He told Al-Mussawar Arabic magazine that it would not be surprising if they abolished Article 118 that regulates the establishment and activities of Sufi orders. He did not beat around the bush when talking about the hatred of these two groups for the Sufis.

This year the Rifai Moulid was coloured by the spirit of the revolution. The caps worn by some of the followers bore the three colours of the national flag. In a tribute to the revolution's martyrs the banners with names of sheikhs of orders and their respective governorates also had drawings of the flag and the phrase 'Egypt Comes First'.

About one hundred marquees accommodated the huge influx of people from the capital, districts and provinces. The murideen brought large quantities of food, which they gave to the needy, a practice reflecting a cornerstone of the Islamic approach about the solidarity between rich and poor.

Coping with the security needed in the wake of the revolution, vigilante teams were formed to protect Moulid visitors, as Zayed said. Groups of young people, armed with sticks, took shifts round the clock to secure the Moulid from thugs and unwanted intruders.

“Some of these youth are already trained in civil defense and know how to deal with trouble.” Egyptian Sufis seem to have chosen to be part of the current political scene, although traditionally they don't get involved in this domain.

A presidential candidate, police officer Hossam Mahmoud Helw Eddin, who belongs to a Sufi order, has decided to enter the race. Zayed believes that the Sufi candidate has a good chance.

“He is bound to receive all the support he can get from fellow Sufis,” Zayed told the magazine.