Sayyida Nafisa-final Part

[أبو الحسنيين]

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IN THE NAME OF GOD THE COMPASSIONATE THE MERCIFUL

Subject: THE BLESSED AHL AL BAYT OR PROPHET MOHAMED’S HOUSEHOLD “SAYYIDA NAFISA”
FINAL PART

“And Allah only wishes to remove all abomination from you, ye members of the family, and to make you pure and spotless” Holy - Quran 33-33.


*In the year 201AH (816 CE) the Nile failed to flood, as is its normal annual custom, People went to Sayyida Nafisa asking her to pray that Allah cause the Nile to flood, for without the usual flood no crops would grow, Sayyida Nafisa gave them her face veil telling them, “throw that in the Nile and by Allah's grace it will flood.” They took her Burqa and threw it in the Nile, and immediately the river began to rise and overflow its banks.

*Imam al-Munawi mentions a story of Sayyida Nafisa, related to him from Al-Azhari in his book “Al Kawakib as-Sayyaara:

There was an old lady who had four daughters, this woman used to spin wool into yarn, then take the yarn and sell it, with half the earnings she would buy more wool spending the rest on their food and drink for the week, one day the old lady set out for the market, with the spun wool wrapped in a red package without warning an eagle dove out of the sky, grabbed the package in its claws and flew off.

The old lady, overcome with fear and worry, fainted , when she awoke she began crying , while People around her, hearing her story told her about Sayyida Nafisa and directly she went to Sayyida Nafisa and related this strange incident. Sayyida Nafisa said, “O Allah! Exalted in Power and Owner of this creation: put right what the affairs of your servant this lady Fulana, she is your servant and her children are your servants and you are powerful over all things”, she told the old lady to return to her home and wait.

The old lady went home crying with worry for the sake of her young children, night found her still crying; suddenly a commotion was heard outside. It was a group of people seeking Sayyida Nafisa. They told her, “Something very strange just happened to us. We came to you because we have been ordered to do so.”, she said, "What happened?" They related, "We were on a ship travelling at sea. As we began approaching land one of the planks suddenly sprung loose and the boat began to flood. Some of us did not know how to swim and we were in deep water still five hours from shore, the boat began to fill up and sink, suddenly an eagle appeared holding a red package in its claws. It threw that package, which was full of spun wool, into that crack filling it. The water stopped flooding and we managed to reach shore safely. We heard a voice saying, “Go to Sayyida Nafisa.”

The boat crew presented Sayyida Nafisa a gift of 500 dinars, Sayyida Nafisa began to cry, “O Allah you are so merciful to your servants.” she asked the old lady, "How much did you usually get for your wool each week?" The lady replied, "I used to get 20 dinars." Sayyida Nafisa gave her the 500 dinars and she went home overjoyed. She told her neighbours what happened and they came in droves to see Sayyida Nafisa, many ended up giving themselves over to her service, helping her cook food for the poor, distribute alms and aid the sick and lame.


The miracles after Sayyida Nafisa’s death are too numerous to mention it was said that once thieves entered her mosque in 683AH, and stole sixteen silver lamps, as the thieves tried to escape they discovered there was no longer a door, they were trapped inside until morning, when the caretaker arrived, opened the door and found the thieves with the lamps.

Recently in 1940, a similar occurrence took place, a person, well-known in the area, entered the Mosque of Sayyida Nafisa and hid himself, when everyone had left that person stole a beautiful Kashmiri shawl, a gift from the King of Kashmir to Sayyida Zaynab, while trying to escape he could not find the door; he was kept prisoner until morning, when the people found him and took him to the police.

It is related in history that Abul Izz al Yamani said, “I was very well-known in my community, rich in my family, owning many farms, I was proud of myself and arrogant, then I came down with a sickness that caused me to lose my sight and I fell into great difficulties, I spent most of my wealth seeking a cure, but alas doctors were unable to help me. They told me I would be blind for the rest of my life. Finally I sought out Sayyida Nafisa's help, while waiting to see her I fell asleep. I saw a dream in which Sayyida Nafisa visited me and put something in my eyes. When I awoke my sight had been fully restored.”

The first one to build a Masjid by the grave of Sayyida Nafisa was the governor of Egypt, Ubaydullah bin Sirri bin al-Hakam, and then it was renovated by Badr al-Jamali, the commander in chief of the army of Egypt, in the year 482AH. It was renovated again by Mohamed bin al-Qalawun in 740AH. Then Prince Abdur Rahman Katakhada renovated it further in the year 773AH. Finally the Ministry of Religious Endowments renovated it in 1314AH. to the structure it has today. The copper room which is entirely hand-carved over her grave was made in 1266 AH. The door which is now there is ornately engraved, and was placed there by Ali Pasha, governor of Egypt in 1170. Water was piped in for people to drink. Above the water-dispensing room is a room for memorizing Quran, all Abbasid caliphs were buried on the eastern side of the grave in the time of Zahir Baybars.

From her death and until today, around the year and around the clock you will find people visiting Sayyida Nafisa's grave: from the highest Islamic Scholars to common people , over her grave her lineage to the Blessed Prophet is engraved , under that is written “Anyone experiencing difficulties in his life should visit the grave of Sayyida Nafisa, recite Surat al-Fatiha (Quran, 1), Surat al-`Ala (87), Surat al-Ikhlas (112) and al-Mu’wadhitayn (113, 114), gift that recitation to her and make Du`a for Allah to solve that problem.”

The method of greeting Sayyida Nafisa is also described, “In a low voice say, ‘Peace be upon you, Assalamou Alayki , O Sayyidatina Nafisa, daughter of Hasan al-Anwar, son of as-Sayyid Zayd al-Ablaj, son of As-Sayyid Hasan, son of Sayyidina Ali, and of Sayyidatina Fatima Azzahra, daughter of the Beloved Prophet Mohamed (PBUH).

*Source: Nafisa At-Tahira the Rare Lady Saint of the Egyptians - Excerpted from the Light of Ahl Al-Bayt: My Spiritual Experiences Unveiled, by Imam Sheikh Metwalli ash-Sha`rawi.[/frame]

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