What You Should Know about the Mother of the Egyptians

The Title "Mother of the Egyptians"

When the fires of the Egyptian revolution flared up in 1919, the "House of the Nation" was the qibla of the revolutionaries; their processions streamed toward it from every direction, and the soldiers fired their rifle bullets at the demonstrators. It happened that some young men were struck, and the wound of one of them was mortal. The noble departed lady bent over him tenderly and set about caring for him. The young man revived a little, and understood that his hour had come, and said:
— I shall die far from my mother...
She said to him — God rest her soul — as she washed his wounds with her tears:
— Are you not in your mother's arms, my son?
And the young man said, as he breathed his last:
— Yes... rather, you are the "Mother of the Egyptians," all of them...

A Fighter...

Whoever imagines that the role of the "Mother of the Egyptians" in the national movement was a passive role, or one that went no further than guidance or the offering of opinion, is mistaken... The truth is that she performed a practical role, involving courage rare of its example, and a sacrifice worthy of Saad's partner...

No sooner had the fire of the revolution broken out than she set about kindling its embers, plunging into its depths, firing enthusiasm in the hearts of the men, and wresting free the Egyptian woman — who at that time sat confined to her house, dragging the chains of worn-out traditions — thrusting her into the thick of the revolution and leading her forward into the public squares, heedless of rifle bullets and of machine guns. Hence the "Mother of the Egyptians" is counted the one to whom the first credit is due for the renaissance of the Egyptian woman, whose fruits society reaps today...

In the Field

During the revolution she would tour the streets and squares in her automobiles to rescue the wounded, carrying them to the House of the Nation and devoting herself to binding their wounds and giving them aid, heedless of the effort and money she expended...

And when she had finished this task, she would go searching for the families of the revolution's victims, wiping away their tears with her merciful hand and stretching out her hand to them with what would support them and keep them on their feet.

Saads...

And when God took to Himself the leader of immortal memory, the members of the Wafd came thronging to her to offer condolences, and she said to them:
— Saad has not died... rather he has left behind him many Saads...

The Split in the Wafd

She — God rest her soul — was not pleased with the disputes that broke out within the Wafd, and when the well-known dispute occurred that led to the separation of the late Hamad al-Basil Pasha and those with him, Her Ladyship preferred to withdraw from taking part in political affairs, especially when she felt the weakness of her health. But she never ceased to offer her counsels and her guidance, nor to try to preserve the unity of the nation.

Farewell

One day before the noble departed lady's death, she went — as was her custom on the Friday of every week — to visit her intimate friend, the wife of the late Qasim Bey Amin, and to take lunch with her... It was her habit to leave her after lunch and return to her house to rest, but on that day she stayed with her until six o'clock in the evening, then bade her farewell, saying: "May our Lord prolong your life."

It was as though the Mother of the Egyptians felt that she was departing, and so wished her friend long life!

And by a strange coincidence, she had invited all the members of the family to come to the House of the Nation on the afternoon of that day to celebrate the birthday of her sister's daughter, the wife of Taher Bey al-Lawzi; but death overtook her minutes before the hour of the party — as though she had invited them to bid her the last farewell!

May God have mercy on her with an ample mercy, and may He grant all the Egyptians the fairest consolation for the "Mother of the Egyptians."

"Al-Ithnayn"