Return of the Pharaoh

Zanab Al-Ghazali Al-Jubaili was born in Egypt in 1917. At the age of twenty she formed a major women's charitable organization which rendered valuable service to the poor, orphans and the underprivileged. Although she had acquaintance with Shaikh Hasan al-Banna, the founder of the Ikhwan, since the late 30's and actively participated in many Islamic programmes, she formally joined the Muslim Brotherhood (al-Ikhwan al-Muslimun) in 1948. After the assassination of Hassan al-Banna in 1949, she played a major role in the re-organization of the Muslim Brotherhood. She was arrested in 1965 for an alleged conspiracy to kill Gamal Abdel Nasser and overthrow his government. She was released from prison in 1971 during Anwar Sadat's presidency. In addition to being very active in Da'wah work, Zainab al-Ghazali has been a prolific writer, contributing regularly to major Islamic journals and periodical. Her latest book is a two-volume study on the Tafsir of the Qur'an. "Return of the Pharaoh" relates how, falsely accused of conspiring to kill Gamal Abdel Nasser, the president of Egypt, in 1965, the author was arrested and imprisoned. While awaiting trial she was subjected to the most terrible and inhuman torture. This book describes in a captivating manner the ordeal which this Muslim activist went through in the notorious Egyptian prison. Instead of dampening her enthusiasm for Islam and the Islamic movement, the afflictions and savageries in Nasser's prisons increased her commitment and dedication to the cause of Islam. This autobiographical work can be considered a historic document in that its author was an active witness to one of the most volatile periods of Egypt's contemporary history.

Quotes and significance

The events Zaynab related in her book "Return of the Pharaoh" (in Bangla "Karagare Rat Din") took place more than a quarter century ago. But what is happening today in many parts of the Muslim world is exactly the same as happened to Zaynab, her Muslim brothers and sisters in Islam. For the kind perusal of the respected readers we are quoting some excerpts from "Return of the Pharaoh" ("Ayyam min Hayati" in Arabic):

The condition that she made to her husband prior to their marital bond is as follows:

"However, I believe one day I will take this step that I wish and dream of. If that day comes, and because of it, a clash is apparent between your personal interests and economic activities on the one hand, and my Islamic work on the other, and that I find my married life is standing in the way of Da'wah and the establishment of an Islamic state, then, each of us should go our own way."

"I cannot ask you today to share with me this struggle, but it is my right on you not to stop me from jihad in the way of Allah. Moreover, you should not ask me about my activities with other Mujahideen, and let trust be full between us. A full trust between a man and a woman, a woman who, at he age of 18, gave her full life to Allah and Da'wah. In the event of any clash between the marriage contract's interest and that of Da'wah, our marriage will end, but Da'wah will always remain rooted in me."

"I accept that ordering me to listen to you is amongst your rights, but Allah is greater than ourselves. Besides, we are living in a dangerous phase of Da'wah."

The response of her husband was: "Forgive me. Carry on your work with Allah's blessing. If only I could live to see the establishment of an Islamic state and the Ikhwan's goal achieved! If only I was still in my youth to work with you!"

Description of the persecution on her in prison: "The next moment the door was locked and a bright light switched on. Now their purpose was revealed; the room was full of dogs! I could not count how many!

"Scared, I closed my eyes and put my hands to my chest. Within second the snarling dogs were all over me and I could feel their teeth tearing into every part of my body. Clenching my hands tight into my armpits, Ibegan to recount the Names of Allah, beginning with 'O Allah! O Allah!'…. I expected that my clothes would be thoroughly stained with blood, for I was sure the dogs had bitten every part of my body. But, incredulously, there was not a single bloodstain on my clothes, as if the dogs had been in my imagination only."

"I do not know how but I fell asleep while invoking Allah, and it was then that I experienced the first of four visions of the Prophet (peace be upon him) that I was to see during my stay in prison. There in front of me, praise be to Allah, was a vast desert and camels with hawdahs as if made of light. On each hawdah were four men, all with luminous faces. I found myself behind this huge train of camels in that vast, endless desert, and standing behind a great, reverent man. This man was holding a halter, which passed through the neck of each camel. I wondered silently: Could this man be the Prophet (peace be upon him)?

"Silence has no safeguard with the Prophet, who replied: 'Zaynab! You are following in the footsteps of Muhammad, Allah's Servant and Messenger.'"`

"I remained in my cell for six consecutive days: from Friday 20th August to Thursday 26 August 1965. My cell door, during these six days was never opened. I was given neither food, drink, allowed to go to the toilet nor any contact with the outside world, except my warder who, now and then, peeped through the small hole in my cell door. You can imagine, dear reader, how a person can live in such circumstances."

"Write down the names of all your acquaintances on the face of this earth. If you don't, we will shoot you where you stand. Write down the names of all your Ikhwan acquaintances and everything about your relationship with them.

"They then left the cell, closing the door behind them. I wrote: 'I have many friends, in many countries, who have known me through Islamic da'wah. Our movements on this earth are for Allah, and He leads those who choose His path. This path is the same as that which the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his Companions followed before us. Our aim is to spread Allah's message and to call for the implementation of His rule. I call you, in the Name of Allah, to leave your Jahiliyyah, renew your Islam, pronounce the Shahadah and submit and repent to Allah from this darkness that has swathed your hearts, and which prevents you from doing any good deed. If you do so, perhaps Allah will take you out of this abyss of Jahiliyyah and bring you to the light of Islam."

"Then, at the Adhan of Fajr, I prayed, raising my hands and invoking Allah: "O Allah! If You are not angry with me I don't care, but Your grace is more befitting to me. I seek refuge in the light of Your Face, That which has enlightened darkness and on Whom the matters of this life and the Hereafter have settled, that Your Curse does not befall me. To You is our obedience until You are pleased and there is no might or strength except with You."

"His whips found every part of my body, the cruelest thing that Jahiliyyah had known both in terms of cruelty and bestiality. As the torture and pain intensified, I could not suppress my creams any longer; I raised my voice to Allah. I repeated His great Name: 'O Allah! O Allah!' Whilst the whips tore into my body, my heart found contentment and affinity with Allah. I lost consciousness but they tried to arouse me to take more punishment. Blood poured from my feet, and unable to pull myself up, I tried to lean on the wall. Safwat persisted with his whip. I begged to be allowed to sit on the floor but Shams Badran shouted: "No! No! Where is your God now? Call Him to save you from my hands! Yet call Nasir and you'll see what will happen! Answer me, where is your God?

External links

* http://www.islamicthinkers.com/index/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=273&Itemid=26