Sheikh Ali Gomaa, the former Grand Mufti of the Republic of Egypt and a senior member of the Council of Scholars in al-Azhar, reiterated the importance of the Site of the Head of Imam Hussain, peace be upon him, in Cairo to the Egyptians and their veneration for it.
“The Head of Imam Hussain, peace be upon him, arrived in Egypt, according to Islamic history books and an old manuscript kept by the British Museum, which narrates the scenes of the entry of the noble head,” said Gomaa in a televised program on national television.
The Sheikh of Al-Azhar also touched on the incident of the Imam’s killing in the land of Karbala, and how the people broke their covenant with him after they sent him letters in which they pledged their allegiance to him.
The Sheikh also referred to the incident of the killing of Imam Hussain’s ambassador, Muslim bin Aqeel, peace be upon him, who was sent by the Imam to Kufa and was exposed him to betrayal and conspiracy by the followers of Ubaidallah ibn Ziyad.
Gomaa pointed out that “After the martyrdom of Imam Hussain, peace be upon him, his honorable head was severed and later buried in an armory in Cairo, which later turned into the site of the honorable head.”
The Egyptians believe that the head of Imam Hussein, peace be upon him, remained preserved among them and was not returned to the pure body, however according to the narrations of the Ahlulbayt, peace be upon them, the head is buried with the holy body in the holy city of Karbala.
