Sufis celebrate birthday of Sheikh Abu El-Haggag at Luxor mosque

The mawlid or birthday celebrations in Luxor during the Islamic month of Shaaban celebrate the life of 12th-century Sufi scholar Sheikh Yusuf Abu El-Haggag (1150-1245).

The Egyptian mystic, whose lineage goes back to Imam Hussein bin Ali, was born in Baghdad and died in Luxor.

The celebrations last for seven days in the presence of a large number of devotees from all sections of society.

Held two weeks before Ramadan, the mawlid includes horse racing, traditional music and stick dancing, as well as a parade of boat-shaped floats.

Ahmed Abu Haggag, an organizer of the celebrations, said: “The mawlid celebrations feature ancient rituals and customs that are greatly intertwined with the pharaonic festivals.

“Inside the mosque, the descendants of Abu El-Haggag hold a council known as Al-Dayem, raise religious chanting, sing prophetic praises and read the Qur’an, all in a spiritual atmosphere that restores the soul’s serenity and purity.”

He added: “The atmosphere outside the mosque also spreads the spirit of joy among the devotees.”

Abu Haggag said that caterers and perfumers offer free services with smiles on their faces at the Abu El-Haggag Square in order to please the owner of the site.

He said participants in the traditional stick fighting “come from the governorates of Sohag, Qena, Luxor and Aswan.”

Sheikh Abu El-Haggag devoted himself to knowledge, asceticism and worship. He traveled to Alexandria, where he met prominent Sufis and became a student of Sheikh Abd Al-Razeq. He then returned to Luxor and met Sheikh Abdal Rahim Al-Qanai, the owner of the famous mosque in the city of Qena.

The scholar lived in Luxor until his death during the reign of King Najm Al-Din Ayyub. He was buried in a shrine inside a mosque named after him, built on the ruins of the Luxor Temple.