Mawlid of Hussein: Europeans flock to the mosque of the ‘Master of the Youth of Paradise’

“Evil and calamity are warded off by their love, and charity and blessings are lured by it. They are mentioned after mentioning God in every obligatory prayer, and speech is sealed by their mention. They were the imams for many of the people of piety. If it is asked, ‘Who are the best people of the earth,’ then it would be said, ‘Them.’”

It is not only the hearts of the people of the East that thirst for the shrine of the Hussein Mosque in Cairo, but the hearts of the people of the West also incline towards it, hoping that a miracle will hit them and correct their life path. 

If you walk through the crowd, you see faces that did not sprout from the land of the Nile but whose love of Ahl al-Bayt – the family of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon them all) – led them to the courtyard of the Hussein Mosque in Old Cairo in order to celebrate his Mawlid, raising their voices in dhikr (remembrance) and praise of the “People for whom love of them is religion, hatred of them is disbelief, and closeness to them is refuge and salvation.”

Our master Hussein

He is Hussein bin Ali bin Abi Talib, the son of Fatima al-Zahra, the daughter of God’s Messenger Muhammad (may God bless him and grant him peace), and was described by the Prophet as the "Master of Youth of the People of Paradise." 

Our master Hussein was born in the fourth year AH (after Hijra), and he lived his childhood close to the Prophet. Both he and his brother Hassan accepted the pledge of allegiance to Muawiyah bin Abi Sufyan, but he refused the pledge to Yazid bin Muawiyah before being killed in the battle of Karbala in 61 AH by Shimr ibn Dhi’l-Jawshan.

Hussein’s head was cut off and hung on the gates of Damascus by order of Yazid. It was then placed in vaults for safekeeping, before being transferred to the Palestinian city of Ashkelon. With the start of the Crusades, his head was transferred to Egypt, after Tala'i ibn Ruzzik, vizier of the Caliph al-Fa'iz bi-Nasr Allah, feared for it. 

Islamic researcher Mohamed Emam said in press statements that, at the time, the Egyptians received the procession that brought Hussein’s head by taking off their shoes and scattering roses and perfumes, until the smell of musk wafted throughout Cairo upon the arrival of the noble head. The Fatimid caliph decided to establish a mosque to house it in 1154.

Foreigners in the courtyard of Hussein

Peter Wilson, a Dutch national, visited Cairo for several days, which coincided with the celebration of the Mawlid of Hussein. “I heard about Sufism in Europe, a Muslim friend told me, and when I learned about the celebration I wanted to see what was happening. I cannot imagine the amount of love that drives all of them to stay up to late hours and practice their religious rituals here,” he said. 

“I like the music I hear here. You can feel comfort as you look at the movements of these individuals as they harmonize with the sounds. I will try to come here again if the opportunity permits,” he added. 

Meanwhile, Muhammad Kashif Khan came from India. He had visited the mausoleum before, but this was the first time he visited during the Mawlid of Hussein. “I very much love the Prophet’s Ahl al-Bayt and Imam Hussein, so I came to attend and celebrate the Mawlid,” he said. 

“What I saw was a very beautiful scene. I loved the prayers and activities of the Egyptian people. If anyone came from outside like me, they would be dazzled by the love of the Egyptians for the Ahl al-Bayt. This is a lesson for all people around the world of how the Prophet’s family is completely loved,” Khan added. 

Muhammad Alexander agreed with Khan. Despite studying medicine at Ain Shams University and needing to prepare for exams, he insisted on attending the Mawlid, because “loving them (Ahl al-Bayt) is a duty for us,” he told the Reference. 

Alexander, a Malaysian student, added, “This is my first time here celebrating the Mawlid of our master Hussein, but when I learned about it I came to celebrate. I tried to reach the tomb, but the crowd was very large; I did not expect this much attendance.”

German citizen Davis Miller noted that this was his third visit to Hussein since 2015. “An Egyptian colleague brought me. I was afraid in the beginning, but now I insist on attending whenever I am in Cairo.” 

“I tried to read about Hussein and his story after my first visit. Now I know a lot about him and about Sufism. I can understand the secret of the Egyptians coming here; it's very spiritual, you can feel this here,” Miller added. 

Nazim Khan, an Indian, was not only interested in the Sufi dances, but he liked “the generosity of the Egyptians in dealing with Hussein’s guests. I love their food.” He noting that he becomes more and more attached to the place over time, considering this as evidence of the miracle of the Ahl al-Bayt. “I did not expect the people to come from distant governorates to attend the Mawlid celebration,” he said.

Nazim pointed out that the Egyptian people are not the only ones interested in the Mawlid, but the authorities are also involved. “I really like the services the Egyptian government provides for visitors of the Mawlid of our master Hussein, where security personnel, ambulances, and fire engines are abundant around the mosque,” he said. 

The fascination with the Egyptians’ love for the Ahl al-Bayt did not stop at the borders of India, but also spread to Indonesia. Haider Masher Fadil has insisted on attending the Mawlid of Hussein for three years in a row.

Fadil, who is Indosnesian, said, “I joined Sheikh Habib Ali Al-Jifri’s tariqa (Sufi order). I seek the blessings of our master Hussein, so I come every day to visit his mausoleum, whatever the circumstances. What I see of the Egyptians’ conduct here makes me very happy; they love the Ahl al-Bayt very much. This is the best Sufi ceremony I have attended in my life. Even after I travel to my country, I will return here to attend the celebrations and observe the Egyptians.” 

Raul Carvalho, a Spanish national, insisted on attending the celebration while in Egypt. “I know Sufism well because I am from Seville,” he said, adding, “I wanted to see the way the Egyptians celebrate. Is it like what we know in my country or not? Sufism has deep roots in Spain.” 

"I was very surprised by the numbers; however, the dances are almost the same between here and my country. But you can feel the love here. People scramble to reach the site,” Carvalho added.

From Malaysia, Zain al-Abbad Muhammad came for his first visit to Hussein’s mausoleum. He pointed out that the Egyptians resemble the Malaysians in their love and celebration of the occasions of the Ahl al-Bayt. 

Zain al-Abbad praised the Mawlid’s organization, as cars were prevented from passing at a far distance, security personnel of all kinds were present, and guides and elders helped people move in the right direction. “It made me feel comfortable and safe during my stay in the celebration,” he said. 

But not everyone attending the celebration comes seeking the blessings of the Ahl al-Bayt, as perhaps it was only their love that led them.