CAIRO, March 20 (MENA) - President Abdel Fattah El Sisi emphasized Egypt's commitment to completing the development of the places associated with the Prophet Muhammad's family (Ahl al-Bayt), including mosques.

He highlighted how Egyptians' attachment to the Prophet's family reflects their recognition of their value and acknowledgment of their merit, praying to Allah Almighty to grant Egypt and its people security, stability, and prosperity during the blessed month of Ramadan and to protect all Arab nations and the whole Islamic world.

Presidential spokesman Mohamed El-Shennawy said that President Sisi visited the Sayyida Nafisa Mosque early this morning to inaugurate the renovation works at it after performing Fajr (dawn) prayers there. He was accompanied by Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Ahmed El-Tayeb, Awqaf Minister Osama el Azhari, Cairo Governor Ibrahim Saber, Egypt’s Mufti Nazir Ayyad and Head of the Armed Forces Engineering Authority Major General Ahmed el Azazi.

The spokesperson added that the President inspected the mosque and listened to a briefing from Azazi regarding the development work carried out by the Engineering Authority at the place as part of efforts to develop the mosques associated with Ahl al-Bayt within the state's plan to revitalize historic Cairo.

He mentioned that after performing the dawn prayer at the mosque, the president visited the shrine of Sayyida Nafisa.

The Sayyida Nafisa Mosque is recognized as the first mosque dedicated to the Prophet’s family in Egypt. It was originally built by the Mamluk Sultan Al-Nasir Muhammad ibn Qalawun adjacent to the shrine of Sayyida Nafisa. The mosque, in its current form, was established during the reign of Khedive Abbas Helmy II after the shrine suffered extensive damage from a devastating fire in 1892.

Sayyida Nafisa holds a special place in the hearts of Egyptians. As a distinguished scholar and descendant of the Prophet’s family. She loved Egypt and its people—and in return, Egyptians loved her.

It is worth noting that President El Sisi inaugurated the first phase of the renovation and restoration works of the Sayyida Nafisa Mosque and the Sayyida Nafisa shrine in August 2023.

Sayyida Nafisa is the great granddaughter of Hasan, the older of the Prophet Muhammad's two grandsons. She was the wife of Ishaq al-Mutamin, the son of the sixth Shii imam, Jafar al-Sadiq. She emigrated with him from the Hejaz to Egypt and settled in Fustat (Old Cairo). She was famous for her piety and scholarship. She taught hadith to the jurist Imam al-Shafii and had a great reputation for possessing barakah (blessings from God) and performing miracles. Traditionally she is considered among the city's patron saints. Her shrine is located in Cairo's Southern Cemetery. It is said that she built it herself and read the Quran there long before her death. The shrine's prominence dates to the Fatimid period, and the structure has been repeatedly embellished and rebuilt. The present mosque dates to 1897.
(MENA)
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