Hazrat Musa (AS)

Assalam u alaikum,

This morning I was reading Surah Kahf and I was reminded of the story of Hazrat Musa (AS) and Hazrat Khidhr (AS). Since I've come to Egypt, everything has a new significance for me. The story of Hazrat Yusuf (AS) is the story of a prophet who came to Egypt, as well as being a young man. The story of Hazrat Musa (AS) is doubly significant for me because he is an Egyptian, in a manner of speaking. And he also went out on the path of knowledge, even though he was a prophet. "Ya rajul ya batal" as my teacher would say. There is a lot you have to learn.

I thought I would describe more of the people that we have met in Egypt so that you can get a better idea of what our life is like here. I love one man who comes, who looks like an old Indian chief. He has that bronzed, chiselled face that looks like its made of wood, and he always has a serious expression until he smiles a large wide smile. Dressed in a long jubba with a big brown cloak, he has been here every fajr that I have been here. I don't know what it is that I like about the man. Maybe its just the smile, that breaks forth like a car driving with no headlight straight at you (don't worry, we're very careful when we cross the street-as careful as is possible, after that we just leave to Allah and taekwondo instincts).

Yesterday we ordered Prego's. True to its reputation, the food was very good, alhamdulillah. We ate burgers and fries, but alhamdulillah we have stopped drinking Pepsi. The problem is is that at Tomatoes, the man insists on giving us a free pepsi as part of the "bromotion". But what I try to do know is substitute pepsi with a coleslaw, and bring my own water in a small water bottle. Alhamdulillah that is working better.

Alhamdullillah my class was really good today. We studied about how to read "jareedatun arabeeyatun" (an arabic newspaper). The thing I love about Arabic is how everything is related. No word is isolated, like in English. The way you can convert a three letter word, like k a t a b a, into a million different words with so many different meanings is amazing. And all you need to know is the root, and you have the key.

My teacher drew a tree along with its roots. "The roots," he said in Arabic, "is called al-jizr. It is usually only three letter. When you look at the qamus, you search for the word using its jizr, not the actual word. The branches of this are the mustaqqat. By knowing the roots, you can figure out every mustaqqat by knowing the wazn or the balance." I wrote this at the risk of sounding pompous because I want 1.) to make it clear to myself, 2.) to try to convey the fact that it was not mistake that the Qur'an is in Arabic.

I am learning in Egypt that there is no such thing as a coincidence.

Ma'a salaam,

~Ameer