Cairo’s streets are filled with images and symbols, some more subtle than others. On my daily commute from one side of Cairo to another, stuck in traffic, I frequently see a face smiling at me: Mohamed Metwali Al Shaarawi popularly known as Imam Al Duaa or the Imam of Prayer. Shaarawi’s face is a poster on hundreds of vehicles, stores, and cafés, his voice constantly echoing through radios and televisions, even over 20 years after his death. He is a symbol and an icon to many Muslims in the Arab World, despite his famously controversial fatwas (rulings given by recognised Islamic authorities). Shaarawi was an Azhar graduate best-known for the galvanizing, populist, and accessible nature of his preaching and for simplifying verses of the Qur’an. His television show was a staple in the homes of Egyptians airing every Friday after the Jumaa prayer. He was also appointed to various governmental positions, most importantly as the Minister of Endowments in 1976. And, to this day, reruns of his show are aired whether on television or on the radio; his voice is iconic to Egyptian and Arab Muslims, as he is the…
‘Spot Shaarawi’: The Page Deconstructing the Legacy of Egypt’s Imam Al Duaa
February 26, 2022
