Sayyida Nafisa
at-Tahira (RA)
Sayyida Nafisa was born in Makkah on the 11th of Rabi`a al-Awwal, the same night
that the Prophet (s) was born, in the
year 145 H.
Her father had been appointed governor of
Madinat al-Munawwara in the year 150 H.
She accompanied her father to Madina at the tender age of five. There she
memorized the entire Qur`an and studied Islamic jurisprudence in depth. Being
extremely intelligent she also became adept in explaining the Qur`an despite
her young age.
She was the daughter of al-Hasan al-Anwar, the son of Zaid
al-Ablaj, son of al-Imam al-Hasan (r), brother of al-Imam al-Husayn (r), son of
the Daughter of the Prophet (s) Sayyida Fatimat al-Zahra (r).
She is from the family of the
Prophet (s) about which Allah said in the Holy Qur`an
“Allah only desires to keep away the uncleanness from you, O
people of the House! and to purify you a (thorough) purifying.” [33:
33]
Young Nafisa frequented the grave
of her grandfather the Prophet (s) (mulazamat
qabri jaddiha al-Mustafa). The People of Madina loved her deeply. She
became renowned for her abstemiousness (zuhd)
and piety (taqwa), for fasting the
day, spending the nights in prayer and for her excessive devotion to
worshipping Allah (swt).
Sayyida Nafisa had many titles by
which she was known among the people, derived from her many different miracles
(karamat ).
She is known as
Nafisat al-`ilmi wal-ma`rifat, (the Rare Lady of Knowledge and Gnosis) because of what she achieved and accumulated from knowledge of the Family of the Holy Prophet (s).
Nafisat al-`ilmi wal-ma`rifat, (the Rare Lady of Knowledge and Gnosis) because of what she achieved and accumulated from knowledge of the Family of the Holy Prophet (s).
She is called
Nafisat al-Tahira, the Rare Lady of Purity, and
Nafisat al-`Abida, the Rare Worshipful Lady, and
Nafisat al-Darayn, the “Rare one among ladies in this life and the next”, and
Sahibat al-Karamat, “the Lady of Miracles”, and
Sayyidat Ahl al-Fatwa, “the Leading Lady in deriving rulings and verdicts”, and
Umm al-Awaajiz, “the Mother of Elderly Women”, and
Nafisat al-Masriyyin, “the Rare Lady of the Egyptians”, because of the Egyptian people’s intense love for her and her love for them, and her being their recourse for their every problem - collectively and individually.
Nafisat al-Tahira, the Rare Lady of Purity, and
Nafisat al-`Abida, the Rare Worshipful Lady, and
Nafisat al-Darayn, the “Rare one among ladies in this life and the next”, and
Sahibat al-Karamat, “the Lady of Miracles”, and
Sayyidat Ahl al-Fatwa, “the Leading Lady in deriving rulings and verdicts”, and
Umm al-Awaajiz, “the Mother of Elderly Women”, and
Nafisat al-Masriyyin, “the Rare Lady of the Egyptians”, because of the Egyptian people’s intense love for her and her love for them, and her being their recourse for their every problem - collectively and individually.
Sayyida Nafisa used to pray the five prayers regularly behind her
father in Masjid an-Nabawi (s) from the age of six. Her father used to take her
by the hand and enter inside the room of the grave of the Holy Prophet (s),
which is the house of Sayyida `Ayesha (RA). He would address the Prophet (s)
directly saying: "Ya Rasullullah!, O Beloved Prophet of Allah! I
am pleased with my daughter Nafisa!" He continued these visits repeatedly
until one day the Prophet (s) appeared to him in a dream saying to him, “Ya Hasan, I am pleased with your daughter Nafisa, because
you are pleased with her, and Allah is pleased with her because I am pleased
with her.
Intercession
Here Imam Metawalli
Ash-Sha`rawi has elucidated the true meaning of intercession (shafa`a) in the understanding of the
scholars and saints (awliya) of
Islam, showing that it is a method chosen by the early spiritual pioneers of
Islam (as-salaf as-salih) as the most
excellent means of approach to Allah and His good pleasure - the path to
perfection and purification.
On the 5th of Rajab, 161 H. at the age of sixteen years, Nafisa married her cousin Ishaq al-Mu’taman, a direct descendant
of Imam al-Husayn (s). She bore from
him a son named Al-Qassim (r) and a
daughter they named Umm-Kulthum (r).
She performed hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca
It is said that on her
circumambulation around the Ka`aba, she asked Allah (swt) "O Allah! be satisfied with me (mati`ani bi-ridaaka `annee), I see nothing that veils You from
me."
She memorized the Qur`an and its
explanation. It is said that when she recited Qur`an she would pray,
"O Allah make it easy for me to visit the grave of Sayiddina Ibrahim al-Khalil," for she knew he was the father of prophets and father of her grandfather Prophet Muhammad (s). She knew that the mission of her grandfather Prophet Muhammad (s) was due to the prayer of Ibrahim (as), when he said, "Our Lord! And raise up in their midst a messenger from among them who shall recite unto them Thy revelations, and shall instruct them in the Scripture and in wisdom and shall purify them. Lo! Thou, only Thou, art the Mighty, Wise." [2: 125]
"O Allah make it easy for me to visit the grave of Sayiddina Ibrahim al-Khalil," for she knew he was the father of prophets and father of her grandfather Prophet Muhammad (s). She knew that the mission of her grandfather Prophet Muhammad (s) was due to the prayer of Ibrahim (as), when he said, "Our Lord! And raise up in their midst a messenger from among them who shall recite unto them Thy revelations, and shall instruct them in the Scripture and in wisdom and shall purify them. Lo! Thou, only Thou, art the Mighty, Wise." [2: 125]
Visit to Ibrahim al-Khalil (as)
-grave.JPG)
It was only after many years that
Allah (swt) answered that prayer making it possible for Sayyida Nafisa to visit
the grave of al-Khalil, the Prophet Ibrahim (as) (in Palestine
When she finally arrived, she sat there in front of his grave weeping and reciting, “And when Ibrahim said: My Lord! make this city secure, and save me and my sons from worshipping idols:" [14: 35]
When she finally arrived, she sat there in front of his grave weeping and reciting, “And when Ibrahim said: My Lord! make this city secure, and save me and my sons from worshipping idols:" [14: 35]
As Sayyida Nafisa sat in front of
the grave of Ibrahim al-Khalil (as), reciting the Qur`an, she felt an intense
presence, almost tangible, and saw the image of Sayyidina Ibrahim (as) in front
of her. Of that moment she said, "My heart
began to beat harder and my eyes to blink."
She called upon him saying "O my grandfather! - Ya Jiddee!" in the present tense. "I came to you in body and spirit.... as my soul has come to you before many times, I now come to you in body as well. I seek your good pleasure with me and I seek your guidance and instruction in order that I may worship Allah until my dying breath."
At that moment she heard a voice emerging from the image of Sayyidina Ibrahim which was before her saying, "Good tidings my granddaughter! You are chosen to be one of the sanctified, worshipful maidservants of your Lord. My advice to you is to reciteSurat
She called upon him saying "O my grandfather! - Ya Jiddee!" in the present tense. "I came to you in body and spirit.... as my soul has come to you before many times, I now come to you in body as well. I seek your good pleasure with me and I seek your guidance and instruction in order that I may worship Allah until my dying breath."
At that moment she heard a voice emerging from the image of Sayyidina Ibrahim which was before her saying, "Good tidings my granddaughter! You are chosen to be one of the sanctified, worshipful maidservants of your Lord. My advice to you is to recite
“By reciting this
chapter you will be guided to the forms of worship and devotion that contain no
hardship, as Allah said, ‘Allah does not burden any soul with more than it can bear.’ O my granddaughter!
The intensity of your worship has made your body weak - try to keep everything
in balance."
Zainab bint Yahya, Sayyida
Nafisa’s niece, accompanied her throughout her life as her assistant, staying
with her even after her marriage until her passing.
Zainab relates that Sayiddina
Ibrahim continued guiding her, saying, “Read the verse
‘Thy Lord doth
know that thou standest forth (to prayer) nigh two-thirds of the night, or half
the night, or a third of the night, and so doth a party of those with thee…’”
[73:20] until the end of Surat
Know that Allah made the night
prayers voluntary, after it had been made obligatory on the Prophet (s), for
He(swt) knows that many of His servants are engaged during the day in the
struggle to educate people in God's Way, or working for their provision, and
this work therefore is a form of worship. Have mercy on yourself and give
yourself a chance to rest in order to have strength for the next day. You are
already considered among the first ranks of the pious.”
At that time she said, "O my great-grandfather
I am going to fulfill your instructions. And I wish from your pure soul
to grant to my soul purity and refinement until I meet Allah (swt) and He is
pleased with me." She heard the voice of Sayiddina Ibrahim saying
"O my granddaughter, Good tidings for you, Allah
inspired to me that He has accepted your du`a. And I will accompany you until
we meet in the world of souls in the everlasting life, and we meet on the
Judgment Day. Then he recited the verse, "And fear the Day
when ye shall be brought back to Allah. Then shall every soul be paid what it
earned, and none shall be dealt with unjustly.”
[2: 281]
Relocation to Cairo
When Sayyida Nafisa was 44 years old she moved to Cairo Arriche
One of the notable merchants of Cairo Egypt Khalifa Street
Touching a Pious Person for Baraka
Al-Tabarani, and Imam Ahmad in his
Musnad (5:67-68) with a sound chain
as stated by al-Haythami narrated through Handhalah Ibn Hudhaym that the latter
went with his grandfather, Hudhaym, to the Prophet (s).
Hudhaym said to the Messenger of Allah (s):
Hudhaym said to the Messenger of Allah (s):
"I have sons and grandsons,
some of whom are pubescent and others still children."
Motioning to the young child next
to him, he said: "This is the youngest." The Prophet (s) brought this
young child whose name was Handhalah next to him, wiped on his head, and told
him, "barakallahu
fik," which means: "May Allah bless you."
After that, people started to bring Handhalah a person with a swollen face or a sheep with a swollen udder. Handhalah would place his hand on that part of his head the Prophet (s) wiped, then touch the swollen part and say ‘Bismillah’, and the swelling would be cured.
After that, people started to bring Handhalah a person with a swollen face or a sheep with a swollen udder. Handhalah would place his hand on that part of his head the Prophet (s) wiped, then touch the swollen part and say ‘Bismillah’, and the swelling would be cured.
Sayyida Nafisa’s Longing for Her
Grandfather (s)
At that point Sayyida Nafisa began
to feel a tremendous burden due to the huge gatherings of people visiting her
and asking her du`a, who came camping around her home, often overnight. She
decided to leave Egypt Egypt
They swarmed the Governor of
Egypt, As-Sirri bin al-Hakam, asking him to request Sayyida Nafisa to stay. He
paid her a visit, politely urging her to stay for the sake of the people who so
needed her baraka and her prayers.
She informed him that she had decided to stay in Egypt
The governor replied, "O
granddaughter of Prophet (s)! I promise you I will try my best to solve this
problem, for I know your house is small. But from the depths of my heart,
without asking anything in return, for the sake of Allah I am giving you a
mansion I own in the district of Dirr as-Sabah. I beg you to accept this house
from me and to use it in whatever way you wish."
Sayyida Nafisa paused for many
minutes, engaged in deep meditation. Finally she lifted her head from her
reverie and said, "I accept your offer of your
house." Then she said, "O governor
of Egypt
Sayyida Nafisa moved to the larger
house, granted to her as a gift (hiba),
without giving anything in return, for the governor had granted it to her
solely out of regard for her personal piety and sincerity. She followed his
suggestion, relocated her residence and received people on Saturdays and
Wednesdays, devoting the remaining days to worship of her Lord.
The Servant Returned to
The Master
.jpeg)
by
Imam Metawalli ash-Sha`rawi
Sayyida Nafisa and Imam Shafi`i
Sayyida Nafisa hosted most of the
scholars of her time, experts in jurisprudence, hadith, and Qur`anic
explanation. But by far the greatest scholarly gatherings were those she hosted
for the pillars of tasawwuf and the
pious of her time (Aqtab al-tasawwuf).
Among these pillars of tasawwuf and fiqh was Imam al-Shafi`i who had moved
to Egypt from Baghdad in 109 H., five years after Sayyida Nafisa's arrival in
Cairo.
Imam Shafi`i stayed in Egypt Egypt Baghdad
Imam Shafi`i Differs
With Himself
From Imam
Shafi`i's careful tuning of his "Baghdadi school" to produce the
different "Egyptian school", we see the importance he gave, in making
a juristic decision about an issue, of taking into account not only the
relevant verses of Qur`an and applicable hadith, but the characteristics of the
people he was giving the ruling for as well, including aspects of culture, behaviour, the overall public level of morality and other intangibles.
So
whereas Imam Shafi`i could be said to have differed with himself on some
issues, unfortunately today, differences in jurisprudence between the imams
have caused one group of Muslims to accuse another of insincerity, innovation (bida`), unbelief (kufr) and worst of all, polytheism, (shirk).
Scholarly and Spiritual Association with Sayyida Nafisa
Imam Shafi`i began teaching after
Fajr prayer every day his students of Qur`an and its exegesis (tafsir) and other distinguished scholars
would sit to study. Immediately after sunrise the hadith students would arrive
and the students of exegesis would leave. Following them were the students of
hadith explanation, followed by the group of speculative philosophy (kalam) students, then students of
jurisprudence (fiqh) shortly before
noon. Thus Imam Shafi`i would sit at least six hours, with different groups of
students, teaching one course after another. The fertility and fruitfulness of
Imam Shafi`i's fiqh was a result of his vast intellect and life experience,
acquired during his extensive travels throughout Muslim lands, and in his
ongoing debates with other scholars.
When Imam Shafi`i arrived in Egypt
Imam Shafi`i used to lead taraweeh in the Masjid of Sayyida Nafisa
and she would pray following him for the entire Ramadan. Historians say that
despite his tremendous scholarship, Imam Shafi`i used to visit Sayyida Nafisa
to ask her invocation (du`a) and seek her baraka
(blessing).
Imam Shafi`i also used to sit in
Sayyida Nafisa's association, learning hadith from her. When on occasion he was
sick, he would send one of his students to sit in her association. He would
invariably tell her, "Your cousin ash-Shafi`i is sick and requests your
du`a."
Immediately. Sayyida Nafisa would raise her hands in supplication,
asking Allah to cure Imam ash-Shafi`i. Often by the time the messenger returned
to Imam ash-Shafi`i he would find him already cured, by means of her du`a.
Sayyida Nafisa Recites His Funeral Prayer
One time Imam ash-Shafi`i fell
sick and as usual sent his messenger asking Sayyida Nafisa's du`a.
She sent him
the message, "Tell him that may Allah make his meeting with Him the Best
of meetings and may Allah lift him to His proximity."
When the messenger
returned with this message, the imam understood that his death was imminent.
Immediately Imam Shafi`i wrote his will, stating that Sayyida Nafisa should
pray the funeral prayers (salat al-janaza) over him. He died at the end
of Rajab, 204 H.
Sayyida Nafisa also executed his
will. Incapacitated due to her constant worship, they brought the imam's body
from his house in al-Fistat district to her home. There she prayed the funeral
prayer (salat al-janaza) over him
from the women's section, following Imam al-Buwaiti who lead the prayer.
Sayyida Nafisa's Majlis
Not only did Imam ash-Shafi`i sit
with her, learn hadith from her, request her du`a and seek her baraka, but so
too did many other scholars and great Sufis (kaana hunaak katheera alulama'i wa kibaar as-sufiyya).
Among them
were
al-Imam Uthman bin Sa`eed al-Misri,
Dhun-Nun al-Masri, Masri
al-Samarkandi,
Imam Abu Bakr al-Adfawi, (author of one of the greatest
explanations of Qur`an, al-Istiftah fi
`ulum al-Qur`an), and Abul Hasan bin Ali bin Ibrahim who wrote ten volumes
on Qur`anic grammar, and many others.
Her asceticism
Sayyida Nafisa was renowned for
asceticism and for living a life of hardship (zuhd). When asked what her meals consisted of, Zainab, daughter of
her brother, replied,
"My auntie used to eat once every three days. She
had a basket hanging in her niche. Whenever she wanted something small to eat
she would find something in that basket, sent from Allah (swt). She never ate anything other than food from
her husband and that which Allah sent her as a gift."
One day the governor of Egypt
Historians report her niece Zainab
saying, "I served my auntie Sayyida Nafisa for forty years. I never saw
her sleeping at night and I never saw her eating during the day, except the
days forbidden to fast - the two `Eids and the Days of Tashriq (11th - 13th of Dhul Hijja)."
Zainab once said to
Sayyida Nafisa, "You must take care of yourself."
She replied,
"How shall I take care of myself before I reach my Lord? Ahead of me are
so many barriers which no one can cross except the successful ones (al-faizun)."
The Servant Returned to
The Master
When she began to feel her death
approaching, Sayyida Nafisa dug her grave with her own hands inside her home.
Every day she would enter the grave and worship in it, as a reminder of the
coming afterlife. She used to pray all her supererogatory prayers inside that
grave.
Al-Allama al-Ajhuri said, "She completed the Holy Qur`an while
sitting in her grave six thousand times (6000), and she granted the rewards of that
recitation to all deceased Muslims."
[This is in contradistinction to the
Salafi ideology's rejection of gifting recitation of the Qur`an to the dead.]
When Sayyida Nafisa’s illness
worsened she wrote to her husband Ishaq al-Mu`taman, who was living in Madina
al-Munawwara, asking him to return to Egypt
Upon her passing, her husband
prepared to move her body to Madinat al-Munawarra, to be buried in Jannat
al-Baqi`, but the people of Egypt
The governor of Egypt
along with many people asked Ishaq al-Mu`taman to bury Sayyida Nafisa in Egypt Egypt
The night Sayyida Nafisa died was
an immense tragedy for the people of Egypt Egypt ,
people gathered at her house in Cairo Egypt Egypt
From Her Miracles
More than 150 miracles were
recorded by historians as appearing from Sayyida Nafisa
Imam Ibn Hajar
al-Asqalani wrote about them.
The story is related that when
Sayyida Nafisa arrived in Egypt
Sayyida Nafisa began making ablution
and water from her ablution flowed towards the girl. As the water touched the
body of the girl, she experienced something strange. She began to take the
water from Sayyida Nafisa’s ablution and rub it on her paralyzed feet and legs.
Suddenly by Allah's (swt) Mercy, the paralysis disappeared completely and she
was able to stand.
Meanwhile Sayyida Nafisa was busy
in prayer. The girl stood up and seeing her mother just returning from the
market, ran to meet her to tell her what had happened. Her mother cried with
joy declaring, "That woman is truly holy and her religion is the
truth." She came in, hugged Sayyida Nafisa, thanked her for healing her
daughter and asked her to pray that she be guided from darkness to light.
Sayyida Nafisa then taught her to recite the shahada.
When the father of the girl
returned home that evening, whose name was Ayyub Abu Surraya, and saw his
daughter cured, he was overjoyed. He asked his wife about what happened and she
told him the whole story. He raised his head heavenwards saying, "O Allah!
You guide whom You like and I now know that Islam is the true religion,
completing what we believe in." He went to the home of Sayyida Nafisa.
Speaking to her from behind a veil he said, "I believe in your religion,
and I accept it. I testify that there is
none to worship except Allah and that your grandfather Muhammad is the Prophet
of Allah." That miracle was the cause for the entire tribe of Sayyida
Nafisa's neighbors to enter Islam.
One of Sayyida Nafisa's miracles relates to a Muslim man married to a Christian
woman. They had a son. When he grew up he began to travel. While traveling in a
country far from home he was captured and held prisoner. After hearing of his
capture, his mother used to frequent the church, praying that her son be
released and returned to them. Years passed but he was not released. One day
she told her husband, "I heard that there is a saintly woman Nafisa bint
al-Hasan al-Anwar whose prayers are always answered. Since you are Muslim go and
ask her to pray for the return of our son." He went and asked Sayyida
Nafisa for her du`a.
Late that night they heard a knock
at the door. Waking and wondering who it could be they went and opened the
door. To their astonishment they found their son standing there. They asked
him, "How did you come here?" He said, "Tonight I was sitting
there in prison, in chains. Suddenly I felt a spiritual presence, and I heard a
voice saying, 'Free him! Nafisa bint
al-Hasan interceded for him.'
Suddenly I found myself standing
here at the door of our house." That day his mother went to visit Sayyida
Nafisa, thanking her for saving her son, then accepting Islam at her hand.
The Nile fails to flood
In the year 201 H. (816 CE) the Nile failed to flood, as is its normal annual custom.
People went to Sayyida Nafisa asking her to pray that Allah cause the Nile to flood, for without the usual flood no crops would
grow. Sayyida Nafisa gave them her faceveil telling them, “throw that in the Nile and by Allah's grace it will flood.” They took her burqa and threw it in the Nile . Immediately the river began to rise and overflow
its banks.
[One should note here
this is a miracle extremely similar to the incident of the shirt of Sayiddina
Yusuf (as), which when cast on the face of his father Ya`qub (as), was the
cause for his sight to be restored by Allah's Will. Again, such incidents
clarify the true meaning of tawassul
and shafa`a (intercession) by means
of objects related to pure, pious individuals.]
Stolen wool
Al-Imam al-Munawi mentions a story
of Sayyida Nafisa, related to him from al-Azhari in his book al-Kawakib as-sayyaara:
There was an old lady who had four daughters. This woman used to
spin wool into yarn, then take the yarn and sell it. With half the earnings she
would buy more wool spending the rest on their food and drink for the week.
One
day the old lady set out for the market, with the spun wool wrapped in a red
package. Without warning an eagle dove out of the sky, grabbed the package in
its claws and flew off.
The old lady, overcome with fear and worry, fainted.
When she awoke she began crying. People around her, hearing her story told her
about Sayyida Nafisa. She went to Sayyida Nafisa and related this strange
incident.
Sayyida Nafisa said, "O Allah! Exalted in Power and Owner of
this creation: put right what the affairs of Your servant this lady fulana. She
is Your servant and her children are Your servants and You are powerful over
all things." She told the old lady to return to her home and wait.
The
old lady went home crying with worry for the sake of her young children. Night
found her still crying. Suddenly a commotion was heard outside. It was a group
of people seeking Sayyida Nafisa. They told her, “Something very strange just
happened to us. We came to you because we have been ordered to do so."
She
said, "What happened?"
They related, "We were on a ship
traveling at sea. As we began approaching land one of the planks suddenly
sprung loose and the boat began to flood. Some of us did not know how to swim and
we were in deep water still five hours from shore. The boat began to fill up
and sink. All of a sudden an eagle appeared holding a red package in its claws.
It threw that package, which was full of spun wool, into that crack filling it.
The water stopped flooding and we managed to reach shore safely. We heard a
voice saying, 'Go to Sayyida Nafisa.'
The
boat crew presented Sayyida Nafisa a gift of 500 dinars. Sayyida Nafisa began
to cry, "O Allah you are so merciful to Your servants." She asked the
old lady, "How much did you usually get for your wool each week?" The
lady replied, "I used to get 20 dinars." Sayyida Nafisa gave her the
500 dinars and she went home overjoyed. She told her neighbors what happened
and they came in droves to see Sayyida Nafisa. Many ended up giving themselves
over to her service, helping her cook food for the poor, distribute alms and
aid the sick and lame.
Miracles after her death
The miracles after Sayyida
Nafisa’s death are too numerous to mention. Once thieves entered her mosque in
683 H. and stole sixteen silver lamps. As the thieves tried to escape they
discovered there was no longer a door. They were trapped inside until morning,
when the caretaker arrived, opened the door and found the thieves with the
lamps.
Recently in 1940, fifty years ago,
a similar occurrence took place. A person, well-known in the area, entered the
Mosque of Sayyida Nafisa and hid himself. When everyone had left that person
stole a beautiful Kashmiri shawl, a gift from the King of Kashmir to Sayyida
Zainab. When he tried to escape he could not find the door. He was kept
prisoner until morning, when the people found him and took him to the police.
It is related in history that Abul
`Izz al-Yamani said, "I was very well-known in my community, rich in my
family, owning many farms. I was proud of myself and arrogant. Then I came down
with a sickness that caused me to lose my sight and I fell into great
difficulties. I spent most of my wealth seeking a cure, but alas doctors were
unable to help me. They told me I would be blind for the rest of my life.
Finally I sought out Sayyida Nafisa's help. While waiting to see her I fell
asleep. I saw a dream in which Sayyida Nafisa visited me and put something in
my eyes. When I awoke my sight had been fully restored."
The Story of Affan bin Sulayman
Historians relate the story of an
Egyptian named Affan bin Sulayman al-Masri. He bought a house and one day
discovered a treasure buried under it. He began to spend his newfound wealth on
the poor and the unfortunate.
One day he bought 1000 camel-loads
of wheat from Prince Ahmad bin Keeghalgh. After some time the prices soared due
to scarcity of wheat, shooting up to thrice its normal value. Prince Ahmad
called Affan to his palace. The prince told him, “Either return the 1000
camel-loads or pay me for the wheat at today's price.” Affan bin Sulayman
refused, leaving angry. He went and distributed all the wheat to the poor and
needy, leaving only a small portion for himself and his family.
Prince Ahmad went to the governor
of Egypt Taqeen bin Abdullah al-Harbi, an arrogant and ruthless ruler. He
ordered that all of Affan bin Sulayman's wealth and holdings be impounded.
Affan bin Sulayman decided to leave Egypt
Together they left and visited the
governor, who to their surprise hosted them in grand style. The governor said,
"Sayyida Nafisa appeared to me in a dream saying, 'Be generous and host
As-Sayyid Ali very well and return all Affan’s money to him; he asked for our
intercession.'”
Taqeen, raising his hands said, “O
Allah forgive me for what I did.” Turning to Affan b. Sulayman he said, "I
am releasing all your money." The governor Taqeen ordered Affan’s money
returned to him and ordered that his own treasuries be opened and spent on the
poor. He used to say, "All Egyptians are afraid of me, but I am afraid of
Affan bin Sulyman and his du`a at the grave of Sayyida Nafisa." With that
du`a, the governor of Egypt Jerusalem
The Rare Lady of Purity
Her Maqam
The first one to build a masjid by
the grave of Sayyida Nafisa was the governor of Egypt Egypt
Finally the Ministry of Religious Endowments renoveated it in 1314 H. to the
structure it has today. The copper room which is entirely hand-carved over her
grave was made in 1266 H. The door which is now there is ornately engraved, and
was placed there by Ali Pasha, governor of Egypt
From her death and until today,
around the year and around the clock you will find people visiting Sayyida
Nafisa's grave:
from the highest Islamic scholars to common people. Over her
grave her lineage to the Prophet (s) is engraved.
Under that is written
"Anyone experiencing difficulties in his life should visit the grave of
Sayyida Nafisa, recite surat al-Fatiha (Qur`an, 1), surat al-`Ala (87), surat
The method of greeting Sayyida
Nafisa us also described,
“In a low voice say, ‘Peace be upon you, as-salaamu `alayki, O Sayyidina Nafisa,
daughter of Hasan al-Anwar, son of as-Sayyid Zayd al-Ablaj, son of As-Sayyid
Hasan, son of Sayyida Ali, and of Sayyida Fatima, daughter of the Prophet
(s)."
---
[Excerpted from From the Light of Ahl al-Bayt: My Spiritual Experiences Unveiled]
by
Imam Metawalli ash-Sha`rawi
(Post on
this Blog-Edited by ADHM)
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