President El-Sisi and Syedna Saifuddin Deliver Addresses During Inauguration of Imam Husain’s Shrine in Cairo

His Holiness Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin delivered an address in Arabic during the inauguration of the renovated al-Husain Mosque and the blessed shrine of Imam Husain in Cairo, Egypt. Below is an English rendering of his entire address:

Address delivered by His Holiness Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin

All praise is to Allah and salaams upon His chosen ones,

May Allah’s salawat (blessings) be upon Mohammed and his progeny as well as His benedictions and salaams.

‘O Lord! Inspire me so that I may forever be grateful for those blessings of Yours with which you have graced me and my parents, and that I may do what is right [in a manner] that will please You; and include me, by Your grace, among Your righteous servants.’ (27:19)

Respected President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, His Excellency Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, honourable guests and respected brothers.

On this blessed day of the holy month of Ramadan al-Muazzam, within these hallowed precincts, I thank the government of the Arab Republic of Egypt; its dear president, its administration and all of its citizens, for giving me the opportunity to renew this blessed sepulchre which was built by my grandfather, Dr Syedna Taher Saifuddin. It is the sepulchre of the blessed head of Imam Husain; the Prophet Mohammed’s beloved and the one cherished by his daughter Fatima Batul, who was unjustly slain for the cause of Allah;

‘But do not think of those that have been slain in Allah’s cause as dead. Nay, they are alive! They find their sustenance in the presence of their Lord, exulting in that [martyrdom] which Allah has bestowed upon them out of His bounty. And they rejoice in the glad tiding given to those [of their brethren] who have been left behind and have not yet joined them, that they need have no fear and neither shall they grieve.’ (3:169,170)

The Prophet Mohammed has stated, may Allah bestow his blessings upon him, his progeny and his companions: ‘May Allah love those who love Husain.’ Indeed all those who love him, long to express their love in many ways and spend in his cause what is most precious to them. Without any doubt, this service with which Allah has blessed me, is insignificant compared to the nabawi, fatimi jewel that resides within this most blessed of sepulchres. By Allah, we bear a pure love for Imam Husain and love all those who love Husain.

I reiterate my gratitude to you, respected President, for the numerous efforts you have undertaken for the love of the Prophet Mohammed and the revered members of his household, for the development of their masjids, shrines and sahat (courtyards). This undoubtedly draws towards you the prayers and good wishes of all those who love the Ahl al-Bait. I wholeheartedly thank Your Excellency for giving me this fortuitous opportunity, that I may share in the happiness of this grand opening. I applaud the efforts of the republic’s numerous administrative apparatuses, especially the Ministry of Endowments and the Armed Forces. They have both endeavoured for the completion of this most august cause under your guidance.

May Allah recompense you and may He accept this humble service and inspire us to always stay true to the lofty ideals of Islam which were taught to us by His most noble Prophet and members of his household. It is by their grace that this land and all its people live in peace and safety.

I conclude my address by reaffirming what my respected grandfather has stated in the remembrance of Imam Husain: ‘Indeed it is more befitting for us to sacrifice our souls for his sake, not merely gold and silver.’

Our final prayer is that all Praise be to Allah, Lord of the universe.

The President of Egypt, His Excellency Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, thereafter gave a brief statement wherein he said:

Address delivered by His Excellency President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi

In the name of Allah the most Merciful the most Beneficent.

Salaams upon you together with Allah’s mercy and blessings.

Please give me this opportunity to welcome you, our dear guest whom we always value greatly, you and the delegation accompanying you. We thank you for your enduring attention and endeavour towards the shrines of the Ahl al-Bait. This gratitude is not mine alone; I present to you the gratitude of all the people of Egypt. May all your years pass in happiness. We are always fortunate to have you in our midst. Thank you very much, may Allah bless you as well as those that accompany you, with health, safety and wellbeing. Welcome, welcome, welcome!