My heart for the ones who own it: my husband and our beautiful angel... My soul with all the goodness and the feelings of joy, hope and happiness for all my friends!
While the fire was put over the library (in Alexandria, Egypt in the year 640 AD), an old librarian hidden on a narrow alley, was watching how the flames rise to heaven. After a few days when the building, once so great, became just a ruin, the librarian started again his job, scratching among the debris with a stick. There remained no papyrus.
With broken heart, he was about to leave when he kicked with his leg a vessel almost charred, from which came rolled thin and yellowed papyrus, the only remaining document from the Library of Alexandria. The librarian grabbed it and shook the ashes on the label because of shriveled heat. The titlu was: "The secret of magic stone." He looked around and made its way from the ruins, to research his discovery .
The secret of magic stone emerges as he was keep reading. Enchanted Rock was, in fact, a pebble, but this had magical powers. Any material in contact with the stone turn in gold!
The papyrus indicate that magic stone looks like thousands of stones covering a specific and isolated high cliff above a narrow beach where the waves struck the Mediterranean Sea with its noise. But the secret was the following: real magic stone was warm to the touch, while the rest of the pebbles were cold.
Librarian speed up to that cliff and began searching. He knew he should have a method of removal of all common pebbles, so he devised a plan: each time when he picked up a cold pebble, he throw it into the sea and like this the search will be easier until he will reach the hot stone, the magic one.
Spent his first day, from sunrise to sundown, picking up stones and throw them in cold whirling sea. He worked methodically, ensuring that no stone will escape. Days were made weeks, during which he divided into plots and he limited his search to a small plot of earth rocks.
"Now it can't take much longer - he said while climbing the cliff. I have to work two days, maybe three. Soon, the magic stone will be mine! "
He smiled and thought it picked up a pebble and cast it with an automatic gesture, then he collapsed on his knees. The last pebble was hot!
Moral of the story:
Like the old library, we are all the result of our own habits. The custom of the librarian to throw stones of no value was so well entrenched that when finally he found the magic stone so priceless, he threw it away on the sea withiut thinking.
So it is with opportunities too. If we are not careful, easily ignore an opportunity, especially if there is something familiar and found it right under our noses!
This article is dedicated to my sister Heaven! Allah heal her and bring her back to us!
There was a gorgeous bird, adorned with a pair of beautiful wings. One day, a woman saw her and loved her. She was watching her stunning flight, with the heart beating faster and the eyes glowing with excitement. The woman urged to fly with her and both traveled across the sky in perfect harmony.
Although she was adoring this bird, it ran through her mind a crazy thought that maybe at some point the bird would like to know and see the far mountains. She was terrified with thought thinking that she will never have the same feeling for another bird and like this she will feel alone. To avoid this drama, the woman put a trap to catch the beautiful flying bird.
The bird, also in love with the woman, came back the next day, fell into the trap and she was locked in a cage, from where her mistress looked at her daily. Meanwhile, the woman lost her interest for the one that use to make her dream ...
And the bird, unable to fly, began to weaken, losing her brilliance. One day, she lost her spirit.... She died.
The woman was seized by a deep sadness and she was living her days thinking about her friend who died. But she could not remember the cage, just the day she had seen the bird for the first time flying happy through the clouds.
If she could have seen herself, she could seen that the freedom and the energy of bird's wings were the things that filled her heart with happiness and emotions.
Without her daily companion, the woman's life has lost the meaning and Death came to knock at the door: - Why you are here? the woman asked. - For that you can fly again with the bird in the sky, answered the Death. If you would let her leave and return unhindered, you could love and admire her more. But now you need me to meet her again.
Since the Ramadan is so so so so close to enter in our homes, I was thinking that there is no Ramadan without the greetings and the good wishes we want to send to all our beloved ones, from relatives until friends or maybe just good, wonderful people that we met lately.
Considering this, I will post here a few messages that you can send through e-mail (and you can attach also a card made by you or picked from the sites of the internet) or maybe as a SMS.
So here we go:
1. Welcome Ramadan
Walk humbly
Talk politely
Dress neatly
Treat kindly
Pray attentively
Donate generously
May ALLAH bless & protect you!
2. It's the month when the devils are chained,
the gates of hell are closed and those of paradise are opened.
It's the month the holy prophet used to pray to witness.
It's the blessed month of ramadhan.
May Allah shower his blessings and
grant you forgiveness in this holy month.
3. May This Ramadan be as bright as ever.
May this Ramadan bring joy, health and wealth to you.
May the festival of lights brighten up you
and your near and dear ones lives.
May this Ramadan bring in u the most
brightest and choicest happiness and
love you have ever Wished for.
May this Ramadan bring you the
utmost in peace and prosperity.
May lights triumph over darkness.
May peace transcend the earth.
May the spirit of light illuminate the world.
May the light that we celebrate at Ramadan
show us the way and lead us together on the
path of peace and social harmony
Wish you a very happy Ramadan Mubarak!
4.May the festival of lights be the harbinger
of joy and prosperity. As the holy occasion of
Ramadan is here and the atmosphere is
filled with the spirit of mirth and love,
here is hoping this festival of beauty brings
your way, bright sparkles of contentment,
that stay with you through the days ahead.
My Best wishes for u on Ramadan!
5. As the mountain high,
U move without sigh;
like the white linen flair,
Purity is always an affair;
As sunshine creates morning glory,
fragrance fills years as Flory;
with the immaculate eternal smile,
attached to u mile after mile;
All darkness is far away,
As light is on its way;
Wish all of u a very Happy Ramadan Mubarak!
6. Today i pray that:-
Happiness be at ur door
May it knock early
Stay late & leave the gift of Allah's
Peace,love,joy & good health behind.
7. Dear!
May Divine Pour His blessings on you
like rain throughout this holy month
recite Quran for blessings
b caring about your prayers
the Merciful will give u more than
your heart desires.
"Ramadan Mubarak"
8. As the crescent moon is sighted...
And the holy month of Ramadan begins...
May Allah bless you with happiness
and
grace your home with warmth & peace !
9. RAMADAN RECIPE
A Glass of Care
A Plate of Love
A Spoon of Peace
A Fork of Truth &
A Bowl of Duaas.
Mix with spices of QURAAN.
Enjoy This Meal. RAMADAN MUBARAK
10.He is the one GOD;
the Creater, the Initiate, the Designer.
To Him belong the most beautiful names...
He is the Almighty, Most Wise.
Wishing you a blessed Ramadan..!
11. The holy month of Ramadan,
For all Muslims has begun.
Praising Allah through the day,
From dawn to dusk we fast and pray.
We pay zakah (charity) for those in need,
Trying hard to do good deeds. Wishing you wonderful Ramadan.
12. As the candle light flame,
Ur life may always be happiness claim;
As the mountain high,
U move without sigh;
like the white linen flair,
Purity is always an affair;
As sunshine creates morning glory,
fragrance fills years as Flory;
with the immaculate eternal smile,
attached to u mile after mile;
All darkness is far away,
As light is on its way;
Wish all of u a very Happy Ramadan!
13. Fortunate Is The One
Who Has Learned To Admire,
But Not To Envy.
Good Wishes For A Joyous Ramadan
And A Happy New Year With A Plenty
Of Peace And Prosperity.
14.As the Fajar azan begins
And the 1st holy fast begins
May Allah bless you with happiness
and grace your home with warmth & peace.
15.Wishing u 1 month of ramadan,
4 weeks of barkat,
30 days of forgiveness,
720 hours of guidance,
43200 minutes of purification,
2592000 seconds of Nuur..!!
Ramadan Mubarak
16.Best
Leader - Allah
Guide - Quaran
Lyrics - Aazan
Loyality - Imaan
Request - Dua
Protection - Fitra
Oath - Kalma
Exercise - Namaaz
Self Control - Roza
So Good Luck 4 Ramazan
17. Ramadan is the (month) in which was sent down the Quran,
as a guide to mankind,
also clear (Signs) for guidance
and judgment (between right and wrong).
18. Narrated Aisha:
Allah's Apostle said,
Search for the Night of Qadr in
the odd nights of
the last ten days of Ramadan.
19.Allah's Apostle used to
practice a aitakaf in
the last ten days of
the holy month of Ramadan,
May Allah removes all the hurdles
and make it easy to follow our prophet.
20. Prophet said:
"Whoever stood for the prayers
in the night of Qadr out of sincere
faith and hoping for a reward from Allah,
then all his previous sins will be forgiven".
21. Prophet never proceeded (4 the prayer)
on the Day of Id-ul-Fitr unless he had eaten some dates.
Anas also narrated:
The Prophet used 2 eat odd number of dates.
22. "... turn your face towards the Sacred Mosque;
and wherever you are, turn your faces towards it... "
The Holy Koran [ 2:150 ]
Wishing you all the blessings from Allah
and praying for a blessed Ramadan !
Banging his drum in the early hours of the morning during Ramadan to wake people before the daily fast, the mesaharati has been disappearing from Egypt's towns and villages in recent years.
"Wake-up sleepers, praise Allah!", calls the mesaharati as he strolls through the streets before dawn, banging his drums to wake people up for their sohour meal during Ramadan.
The neighborhood mesaharati has always shouldered the burden of waking people up, often by name, so they can have a late night meal in preparation for the next day's fast.
Before alarm clocks and mobile phones, the mesaharati's job was crucial, but even in the digital age, the mesaharati remains a steadfast Ramadan tradition.
While fading in some areas, the tradition is still alive and well in the popular districts of Old Cairo or in the beautiful city of Alexandria and started again since a few years in the city of Nasr. Surprisingly, you may even find some female mesaharatis competing in the male-dominated profession.
In rural areas, each mesaharati is usually in charge of waking up their entire village. He would ride a bicycle and stop at each alley, beating his drum to tell sleepers it's time for their pre-dawn meal.
The tradition has been maintained thanks to those who have refused to give up the job they take on for only one month a year. Still, one wonders why the tradition of the mesaharati has persisted for so long?
"We were handed down the job by our parents and grandparents, says Saber El Mesaharati, who has been in charge of El Darb El Gedid area in Sayeda Zeinab for the past 35 years.
"My mother was a mesaharati. My brother and I used to follow her on her route as she woke people up in this area for decades. My brother is now responsible for the Darb Elgamamiz area, he said.
Saber is responsible for El Darb El Gedid area, and pitches a small tent near the Sidi El Gineidi Mosque for the duration of Ramadan. Saber used to live in the area but had to move because his house was badly affected by the earthquake that hit the capital in 1992. Now he's living in Salam City and works as a painter.
Every year he comes back to El Darb El Gedid at the residents' request to wake them up for sohour each night. Everyone in the area knows the place near the mosque is his temporary home, and the municipality officials wouldn't dare ask him to move an inch.
"This is because the residents would never be able to find another mesaharati, explained Saber. "Don't underestimate our job. To be a mesaharati, you have to know every building in the district. You have to be able to remember the residents' names, walk long distances, and call out loudly so your voice can reach the top floors. This is why it isn't that easy to replace one mesaharati with another.
"You can't be a mesaharati job in a district you're not familiar with. This Ramadan I was asked to work in Dar El Salam, but I simply refused because I don't know the place.
Saber starts his tour of the town at 1 am so that he can finish in time for the dawn prayers.
Question is, do people really depend on Saber more than their alarm clocks?
"Not really, he said, "Very few do, but mostly the mesaharati walks along beating his drum and calling out to the townspeople because it triggers a kind of joy with kids who have come to associate Ramadan nights with the mesaharati.
He recalled, "One time a man who lived on the fourth floor asked me to come up. I thought he was going to tip me, but it turns out his daughter just wanted to see the mesaharati. It's one way of encouraging children to love Ramadan.
There is no guarantee that the residents will tip him, but sometimes parents give him money so he would call out to their children by name. Still, some people give the mesaharati a eidaya (a monetary gift offered during the Eid holiday).
At the end of Ramadan, Saber packs up his tent and heads back home to Salam City with his wife Om Mohamed, who insists on accompanying him to look after his needs.
"There is no Ramadan without a mesaharati, insists Saber.
"My only wish is to go on a pilgrimage to Mecca. I am doing a religious duty for peanuts and the little I aspire to is to go to Mecca before I die, says Saber.
El Mesaharaty in Nasr City
The mesaharati of Nasr City has will start again his job in this Ramadan. Roaming the streets, he tries to reach out to the residents to remind them of Sohour time (sohour is the meal before sunrises). The job has become rather difficult and insignificant in the noisy streets of the big cities.
It has become very rare to hear a real mesaharati, the man who traditionally wakes people up before sunrise during Ramadan in order to eat before fasting starts. Indeed, the mesaharati has become something of a dying profession, even though it has been practised since the early days of Islam.
The first mesaharati is believed to have been Bilal Ibn Rabah, one of the Prophet Mohamed's companions, who was well known for his harmonious voice. Since Ibn Rabah's time, however, a harmonious voice has not always sufficed, and later the mesaharati used a small drum, calling out people's names in order to wake them for sohour, the last meal before sunrise in Ramadan.
Later still, it sometimes became difficult even to walk in the city streets, what with the noise and the traffic. Happily, people today have other wake-up calls to choose from, with televisions, mobiles and alarm clocks all at hand. All this has contributed to the decline of the mesaharati 's trade, even though many people still love to hear one.
One mesaharati who continues in the ancient ways is 48-year-old Rabea Hussein, who walks through the streets of Nasr City every night in Ramadan from half past one in the morning until quarter past three, banging his drum and calling on people to wake.
His nightly round starts in Abu Dawoud Al-Dhaheri Street, moving to the Hadiqat Al-Tifl (the children's park) and the Institute of Social Services in Ahmed Fakhri Street, before returning to Hassan Al-Maamoun Street to finish. Hussein wears the traditional clothing of turban, galabiya and scarf, and he has worked in the district for 13 years as an employee of the local mosque, though that last Ramadan was the first time he has been employed as a mesaharati.
Hussein first entered the profession by helping a friend, the mesaharati of his hometown, the village of Abbad Sharona in Minya in Upper Egypt. "Ahmed Saleh, head of the Wa Islamah Association, proposed that I work in Nasr City as mesaharati this Ramadan. I liked the idea, so they provided me with a drum and I started working," Hussein comments.
Wa Islamah, a charitable association, carries out activities in seven Egyptian governorates, among them finding foster parents for orphaned children, running educational programmes, distributing clothes to the needy, helping to cover the medical costs of those not able to afford them, and helping school pupils and women to memorise the Quran. The association has many supporters from the field of business and sport, including football stars Sayed Abdel-Hafiz and Ahmed Koshari.
Hussein says that because he is responsible for a fairly large area, he likes to start early, at half past one rather than three in the morning. "I myself barely have time to eat before beginning to fast again during Ramadan. One day I couldn't find the time to eat anything at all, as I was late on my round," he says.
When he worked as mesaharati in his village, he used to sing religious songs and call people by their names. This is not possible in the different circumstances of Nasr City, Hussein says, because of the district's size and the number of people living there. "However, if I do know someone, then I call him by his name. The children also ask me to call them by their names," he says.
Hussein loves the work, which he sees both as a way of drawing closer to Allah and as a way of helping people. "Many people wake up as soon as they hear my drum. Two days ago, I didn't go along Mahmoud Ghoneim Street as usual, and people were quite upset because their children had been waiting for me. A few days ago some Arab tourists in Egypt asked me if they could have their photographs taken with me, saying that they liked to spend Ramadan in Egypt because of the presence of the mesaharati."
As Hussein does his rounds at night, many children and some adults can be seen watching him from their balconies. Sometimes children clap along with him as he passes.
According to Hani Abdel-Ghani, a member of Wa Islamah and a Nasr City resident, Hussein's round was small at the beginning, but when residents expressed their plaudits for his work the association decided to expand it.
For 11-year-old Louay Khaled, who lives in an 11th-floor flat in the area, it is important to stay awake during Ramadan to see the mesaharati pass by. "It is better to have a mesaharati in Ramadan than not to have one, and I very much enjoy seeing him," he said.
However, while the children and many adult residents of the district like the idea of having a traditional mesaharati during Ramadan, others see another side. One resident, a student at the Faculty of Commerce at Ain Shams University, thinks that a mesaharati should work in traditional areas, where he knows the residents, rather than in middle-class areas where he does not.
However, despite such criticisms, Ahmed Saleh, head of Wa Islamah, insists that having a mesaharati in areas like Nasr City is important because it can contribute to reviving and strengthening religious traditions.
"We weren't sure that the idea would work when we started it, and we were even half expecting it to fail. But to our pleasure and surprise people liked it," Saleh said.
El Mesharaty or El Mesaharaty remains until today the connection of people with the old past, with traditions, memories, childhood, fanous (the special lamp of Ramadan). Every Muslim is expecting to hear the drum of el Mesharaty waking up the people in time for Sohour. And in every night in Ramadan, the Mesharaty comes to remind us that we have to let all away and start our day in the name of Allah - Bismillahi Rahmanu Rahim.
Simple, with modesty, for the happiness of Allah, el Mesharaty is doing his wonderful job and he knows, that each house is waiting patiently for him, in the night...
Khodragy? Fakahaany? Ba2al? What could possibly mean this? I assure you that all of you have seen or met these 3 characters (yes, you have already a clue - it is about 3 characters that it is impossible not to be seen in our daily life).
Vegetables and fruit seller
Khodragy, Fakahaany and Ba2al are very popular and famous in Egypt, as in other parts of the world too, but under other identities and in some places, a little more modernized (this thing with modern it is not all the time the best choice and sure not all the time brings that "plus" that was missing; sometimes, old keeps the taste and the quality of the things; you will understand me well while you will read this article).
Khodragy is the vegetables seller, Fakahaany is the fruits seller and Ba2al is the seeds and beans seller.
First time I came in Alexandria, I remember that every morning I use to see from the window of mama and baba's home the vegetables seller or the fruits seller passing under the window and ringing a little bell to make the women hear them and come to the window to see their products. Usually the clear sound of the bell it is adjusted by their voices, - “Potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplant, onioooooooooooon!” - because who don't know to sell his products, returns home with empty pockets.
Fresh vegetables home delivered
Every time I was jumping to the window to see the beautiful colors show from above and to clear my eyes in the most fresh view I ever seen! Above of this, the flavor of fresh fruits and vegetables, just picked up, was always making me droll... yes people! DROLL! Because I am a fruits and vegetables lover (on our wedding day, I asked my husband as a gift a big water melon! So, what you expect???).
I was looking and measuring each fruit and each vegetable with my eyes from the second floor of the building. I still remember how during my first visit in Alexandria, the flavor of fresh strawberries was kidnap me completely!
You can see these men carrying the big cargo on the streets hoping that today they will have Insha Allah a good day in market. I never saw a woman as a street seller for fruits and vegetables and it is understandable - it must be a strong person who can carry all those kilos even if they use a carriage to do this attached to a bicycle, or sometimes using just a sort of big handcart which they push it with their own hands; so indeed it must be a man to handle with this effort.
Street seller with handcart
Evening street seller in Cairo
Looking to them, I noticed that between the street sellers, are also young ones and old ones, so old some of them - that you can even think - from where they still have the power to carry all this cargo every day? (because they do this every day - they don t have day off or holiday; they have just days of work, to be able to support their families, sometimes too numerous to can be maintain from street trade).
Yet so, they know that if they return home without money, the family will not have the necessary things to live; this is the reason why also the young ones, just recently married or even not married chose to be street sellers and they walk everyday for hours, starting early in the morning, until the afternoon and even in the evening. But they know that people buy their products in the morning and the chances to sell something after this, during the day light or in the evening, decrease because of their perishables products (under the merciless heat's sun, the vegetables and fruits lose their vitality and not just once I saw from the window, the street sellers wetting their products, trying like this to extend the freshness of fruits and vegetables... but in the end, the sun wins).
Street seller in Alexandria
The sun lets marks not just on the vegetables and on the fruits... but also on the face of the street sellers: their skin darkened by the sun and aged by time, make you see real lessons of life and feel ashamed while you dare to complain that you die because of the heat on your way to your office (where you have air conditioner like at home) or on your way to return home... or maybe just when you go out to buy something! And not just this... if you once have the chance to buy something from these people, look to their hands and it is impossible not to see the marks of the land working, the callus on their palms from carrying the huge cargo everyday... some of them are weighed down by the life worries and by the many kilos they push or drag after them every day. Passing slowly on the street, dressed in their grey or white kaftans, wearing a hat or not and comfortable shoes, the street sellers are always ready to serve you in the best way (but you can always have the other option - to go to the market and pick up from there).
Many women chose to buy it directly from the window. You can see bellow of the windows baskets on a long string, rope coiled up and ready for when the fruit and vegetable sellers come. You can see windows open, housewives look down. Most of the heads of these women are covered in scarves. They yell down, inquiring prices and freshness:"bekam kelo el batates?w el batates di ataftaha emta?"
Housewife buying products from the street seller from her window
The baskets gets lowered. The vegetable man places his produce inside. The women pull them hand over hand up to their second or third or fourth floor apartments. They haul them inside, take out their purchases, then re lower them with money.
About el Ba2al - well you can see them on the street too and as a memory from Egypt, first time when I was in Alexandria, I received as a gift, a sculpture representing el Ba2al from Egypt :). That time my husband told me that el Ba2al is a so famous figure in Egypt :).
Seeds seller in Cairo
This is Heaven... for me :D
Coconut seller
Yet so, no matter how many problems they face and how hard is their life, the street sellers never forget to smile to you and to invite you to taste from their products before you buy, to make sure that you will be satisfied with your choice and that next time, you will buy from them again. I think now to the market sellers from back home - every time I was going me or my father or mama to buy something... no matter from what market, there could not be possible to chose your products and put it in your bag with your hand! Just touching the products a little bit to check the quality, would go nuts the sellers and make them bawl out to you - how you dare to touch his products? you want to spoil his work?"... And of course, the seller was always the one who picked up for you (many times you could find damaged fruits or vegetables inside and if you point that, with a big lack of respect, they would say to you, that if you don t like it you can chose from someone else!!! :O :O :O Lack of respect on my own money?? What is this? Beside the high price that sometimes was making you feel that you deal with thieves!!!).
Fresh fruits
Fresh vegetables
My parents were always proud people and never let the opportunity to others to show them lack of respect. So, when they were facing a situation like this, they always said: "Let's go somewhere else! The lake has enough fish for all of us" - trying to point out that we can buy from others too, the same products and even in better quality). After supermarkets appeared, we started to get use to chose from there, even that we many times missed the local products.
I remember that in our wedding day, while we were getting ready to go to the Ministry of Justice to marry, I went down with my husband, mama and baba. Mama stopped for a few minutes to chose from the seller some delicious products and guess what?! After mama picked up all and payed him, she asked him kindly to take the fruits up, where our niece was waiting to receive them. I can't imagine something like this in Romania, except maybe if I would pay him the road and double price for the fruits and bonus for his effort!
Vegetables seller waiting customers
Kindness in a smile
While mama was choosing the products, she told to the seller that I am the wife of her son and we are in our way to close the marriage to the Egyptian authorities. The old man prayed for us and wished us the best in our new life as a couple. The happiness and joy for us was so visible in his eyes... with all his worries stamped on his face, he still had time and power to be happy for other people.
All the parts fresh fruits and vegetables
Sometimes I use to watch with mama from the window, the street seller passing under the flat and mama was asking me to look and to tell her what I want to eat from there. Many times, without even asking me, baba came home with kilos of fruits, knowing that I love this so much (every time when he use to go out, baba asked me if there is something that I need... yes, from the beginning I felt at home).
Kaftan, street seller, vegetables, fruits
Kindness and politesse were all the time 2 qualities so important for me and so well searched by me in people. Sometimes I found this, sometime I didn t. Sometimes I found a sort of masked politesse, but under a vicious mind, that could make you feel disgusted! You know that type: I ll help you, but what you got for me?
AlhamdulilAllah, the best persons in my life are way far from cheap behavior like this! My parents always protected me from people like this until I learn to do this myself and now my husband is like my knight - always ready to protect me and to stand up beside me... even to fight with a water melon which don t let me to cut him in pieces quick and fast as I want!
