Walking through the southern qarafa cemeteries along the base of the Muqattam hills on a Friday morning is a sport for residents of this part of the huge Cairo necropolis, for beggars and for those who are following in the footsteps of Sufi saints, awliyaa’. Several spiritual figures have chosen this secluded spot to build their zawiyas (recluse prayer areas) to meditate in isolation, far from the bustling city life. In their seclusion, they spent their time in dhikr, literally meaning remembrance of God. One such figure is al-Sayida Nafisa, the great granddaughter of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), who resided in Cairo from 809 CE until her death in 824 CE.  Accounts tell of her voluntary seclusion in a retreat cell there where she meditated in khilwa, or utmost isolation from worldly preoccupations and a total concentration in the presence of God. With time, the southern qarafa came to be called the Valley of the Overpowered by the Love of God (wadi al-mustad’afin) in reference to it being an abode of the saints. The first Friday of the month of Muharram is a day that Sufi murids (students) and seekers never miss. It is the mawlid of al-Muharram, one of the established festivity traditions of the Wafa’iya Sufi … Continue reading The Hidden Spiritual Sanctuary of Cairo Where Sufi Mystics Celebrate