At times of great tribulation and turmoil, the first casualty is always the truth. Why? Because the greatest weapon in the hands of the oppressors and tyrants is their ability to manipulate the facts to suit their agenda. Because without the truth, we cannot see what is right and what is wrong. Without the truth, there is only falsehood… and injustice.
And that is how we find ourselves where we are in Egypt today, where the elected President of a nation – who was kidnapped and held incommunicado for months till his supporters could be imprisoned, crushed, tortured, killed and banned – stands trial for crimes that seem to multiply by the day. Depending on which side of the divide you fall, President Mursi is either a principled hero of epic proportions or a bungling nefarious criminal mastermind. So who is the real President Mursi?
Here are ten little known facts that may help provide us with some clues:
1. He is a Hafiz of the Qurʾān : One of the little known facts about the president is that he has memorised the entireQurʾān by heart. This is no mean feat and something that itself is worthy of praise. The Prophet ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) said: “The best among you (Muslims) are those who learn theQurʾān and teach it.” Abu Musa Al Asharee raḍyAllāhu 'anhu (may Allāh be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) said,“Part of showing glory to Allāh is to show respect to a white-haired Muslim, and a carrier of the Qurʾān who does not exaggerate in it nor ignore it and a just ruler.” An interesting combination of virtues there don’t you think?
2. He is intelligent: It is widely assumed that Mursi is not that bright. He is repeatedly portrayed as bumbling and dimwitted. His detractors point to a series of decisions that seemed to exacerbate anger against him – such as the taxation U-turns, the choice of governor for Luxor and his battle royale against the judiciary. And yet the majority evidence points to Mursi being much more academically gifted than any of his detractors. He has a PHD, is a professor and was the head of the Department of Engineering in Zagazig University. He has previously worked on various projects in America and was a visiting professor there. In his short time in office, he managed to achieve a fair amount and surrounded himself with individuals with proven track records in their fields.
Abu Hurayra Radiyallahu ‘anhu said, "I heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, 'What do you think would happen if there was a river by someone's door in which he washed five times every day? Do you think that any dirt would remain on him?' They said, 'Not a scrap of dirt would remain on him.' He said, 'That is a metaphor of the five prayers by which Allah wipes out wrong actions.'"
Jäbir ibne-’Abdullah Radiyallahu ‘anhuma narrates that Nabi Sallallahu alaihi wasallam said: 'The key to Paradise is Salat and the key to Salat is Wuzu'. (Musnad Ahmad)
Anas Radiyallahu ‘anhu narrates that Rasulullah Sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam said: 'The comfort and delight of my eyes has been placed in Salat.' (Nasai).
Hanzalah Al Usaidi Radiyallahu ‘anhu narrates that Rasulullah Sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam said: 'The person who guards the five times Salat, its Wuzu, its prescribed time, its proper Ruku’ and Sujüd, while perceiving it to be the Right of Allah on him, he is forbidden upon Fire.' (Musnad Ahmad)