Pages from the Ikhwan al Muslimun: Ordeals of Zainab al Ghazali

Zainab al Ghazali al Jubaili (or Zainab Ghazali) was born in 1917 . She died in 2005 at age of 88. She led various Islamic Institutes including the famous Jamiat Al-Sayyidat-ul-Muslimeen (Muslim Women’s Leadership Association). Many were influenced by her dedicated work towards the Islamic call. She became an organizer of welfare and  wellbeing  for the helpless whose family members were being imprisoned in the dark and secret prisons of Nasser’s Egypt.

She was accused of conspiracy and incitement and contributing to attempts to assassinate President Jamal Abdul Nasser. She spent 7 painful years in a secret political prison. Men and women of the Muslim Brotherhood were rounded up, arrested and put to torture during those troubling times. It was the 50’ and 60’s and women were already in the forefront of Ikhwan’s idealism and struggle. Women such as Amina and Hamidah Qutb joined their brothers Muhammad and Sayyid Qutb in being imprisoned. Their guilt was just by association. Many members of the Ikhwan fled the country seeking exile. Others left the movement or went deeper underground. Some died being tortured and many were sentenced to death. Many thought the Ikhwan were broken and completely finished as an organization. Many wondered why there were no popular response towards such persecution and ill treatment. The population seemed sedated and mesmerized by the fantasies of Nasser and his delusional brand of Arabism.

Zainab al Ghazali’s fervour and leadership in seeking the practical  implementation of Islam in governance and society lead to the regime’s regarding her as a threat to their consolidation of authoritarian power. The regime attempted to assassinate her by engineering a road accident but she survived.

After the bungled assassination, the regime sought to bribes and blackmail so that Zainab al Ghazali  would transfer her own personal Islamic schools [Jamaa'at al-Sayyidaat al-Muslimaat] to the government, and to give up her call of Islam in replacement for payments and funding. However, she rejected all of them. Her followers became more in number and stronger in belief, and due to the oppression of the government - many were imprisoned, but shockingly the numbers continued to grow. The regime feared that people might overthrow the government. The infamous intelligence services then  falsely accused these Muslims of plotting against Jamal Abdul Nasser. They desperately needed to get rid of people like her. 

Zaynab al Ghazali’s  house was raided, her property confiscated, and she was abruptly taken to prison.

Here are some of the  ordeals that she had to go through in the “Pharaoh’s” jail.

On her way to Room 24, accompanied by two men holding whips, she was deliberately taken past different places inside the prison such that she could see for herself the hideous things taking place. She could not  believe her eyes and could not stomach such inhumanity.  In silence she was forced to  watch as members of the Ikhwan were suspended in the air and their naked bodies ferociously flogged. Some were left to the mercy of savage dogs which tore at their bodies. Others, with their face to the wall awaited their turn. Sadly she knew many of these pious  believing youth personally. They were as dear to her as her own sons. They had attended the usrah - study circles of Tafsir and Hadith in her home.

One by one, these youth of Islam, the hope of the ummah, were tortured . Some had blood running down their foreheads. Foreheads that she knew did not bow to anyone except Allah. The light of Tawhid shone from their raised faces, proud to belong to the cause of Allah.

One of them shouted to her: 'Mother! May Allah make you firm!'

She replied: 'Sons! It is a pledge of allegiance. Be patient Yasir's family, your reward is Paradise."

Then, the guard me struck her so hard on her head that she felt her eyes and ears turning as if hit by an electrical force. And light coming from inside the cells made her aware of the many, many more tortured bodies filling the place.

'Let it be for the sake of Allah!',  she bravely said.

The door to a dark room number 24 was opened, she was hurled inside, and the door crashed shut behind her.

'In the Name of Allah, peace be upon you!', she repeated recited. The next moment the door was locked and a bright light switched on. The room was full of dogs! She could not count how many! Being frightened, she closed her eyes and put her hands to her chest. Within seconds the snarling dogs were all over her, and she could feel their teeth tearing into every part of her body. Clenching her hands tight into her armpits, she began to recount the Names of Allah - Asma al Husna, beginning with '0 Allah! 0 Allah!'

The dogs were unrelenting, digging their teeth into her scalp, her shoulders, back, chest and wherever another had not already taken hold. She repeatedly invoked her Lord, calling: '0 Lord! Make me not distracted by anything except You. Let all my attention be for You Alone, You my Lord, the One, the Only, the Unique, the Eternal Absolute. Take me from the World of Forms. Distract me from all these phenomena. Let my whole attention be for You. Make me stand in Your Presence. Bestow on me Your Tranquility. Clothe me with the garments of Your Love. Provide me with death for Your sake, loving for Your sake, contentment with You. 0 Lord! Hold the steps of the faithful firm.'

She repeated this inwardly for what seemed like several hours until at last the door was opened, the dogs forced from her body and she was taken out.

She had expected that her clothes would be thoroughly stained with blood, for she was sure the dogs had bitten every part of her body. But, incredulously, there was not a single blood-stain on the clothes, as if the dogs had been in her imagination. She praised: “May God be exalted! He is with me”. She began questioning inwardly - ihtisab whether she deserved all these bounties and gifts from Allah. Her warders could not believe it either. She glimpsed the sky outside filled with evening twilight, indicating sunset. She concluded that she must have been locked in with the dogs for more than three hours. She extolled: “Praise be to God for any adversity!”

She was pushed, and staggered along for what seemed a long time. A door was opened, and she felt lost in the vast hall. She was led along another long corridor, past many closed doors. Cell No. 3, next to Cell No. 2, was opened and she was hurled inside.

The door was locked behind her, and immediately the lamp hanging from the cell's roof lit. The sheer intensity of the light was enough to terrify and intimidate. It could only mean further barbarism and torture. After a while she knocked on the door and a gloomy faced demon harshly wanted to know what for. She asked permission to go to the toilet to make ablutions.

Ignominy of ignominies, she was not allowed to knock on the door, nor was she allowed to go to the toilet, nor make ablutions, nor allowed to drink.

'Knock on the door again, you B……, and I'll flog you 50 times.' The guard hit the air with his whip, to demonstrate his eager readiness to carry out his threat.

In her bare cell, exhausted from the ordeal in Room 24, she took off her coat, spreading it out on the floor. She performed her ablution by  tayammum in substitute for water, prayed Maghrib and 'Isha and sat still. Her leg, still painful from the recent operation was beginning to trouble her, so, placing her shoes underneath her head, she lay down.

The silence was soon broken by the sounds of a wooden post being erected outside the cell window. Then, one believing youth after another was brought, strapped to the post in the crucifixion position and beaten ferociously. Each in turn would invoke Allah, asking for His help.

After half an hour or so of this intensive whipping their torturers would ask each youth, many of them engineers, doctors or councilors, when they had arrived here.

'Today or yesterday', was the response.

'When did you last go to Zainab al-Ghazali's house?'

If these brothers said they could not remember, the butchers would continue their torture, demanding that they curse Zainab with the most despicable, lowly expressions. The brothers would refuse, and the flogging continued unabated. Some who were brave enough and strong enough to say that they had not observed in her anything except sincerity and good virtues, were beaten unconscious.

All this was intended to break her resolve and will. She began invoking Allah, begging Him for His mercy. She cried out for the butchers to torture her instead of these youth, for she thought it would be less painful for her. She began asking Allah to put her in their place, to spare her as well as these brothers from such heinous torture. She begged that her brethren should say what the butchers wanted to hear such that they could be spared further pain. But they did not, staying steadfast in their refusals. The floggings multiplied, the cries of anguish increased and her shame at what was being done was immeasurable.

In her compassion and grief, she continued to invoke Allah, saying: '0 Allah! Make it such that by my attentions to You I am distracted from them, and make it such that by their attention to You they are distracted from me. Lord! Inspire them to do good deeds You are pleased with. Lord! Shield from me the cries of these tortures.

Lord! You know what is within me and I do not know what is within You and You are the most Knower of the unseen. You know people's innermost secrets and what breasts hide. Lord! Have mercy on Your people!'

She beseeched Allah: '0 Allah! I am Your slave-girl, following Your path as much as I am able. I am calling You out of my weakness, despondency and inability to drive away the sins of these evil-doers. Protect me with Your Might, and help me surmount their injustice.'

She was awakened from her invocation by the voice of the surly brute who had been brought to rape her.

 'Aunty!', he called.

She looked at him in amazement. His countenance had changed, resembling more that of a human being's.

'Don't be scared Aunty! I won't hurt you even if they tear me apart.'

'May Allah guide you my son. May Allah bestow His bounties on you!”

The cell door opened violently and the chief torturer Safwat leapt on the man, beating and cursing him: 'You accursed dog! Now you've exposed yourself to the death penalty. Either get on with this job or it is a military court for you. I'll be back in an hour to see what you've done. Save yourself, obey my orders.'

'Yes Sir.'

'0 Allah!', Zainab called. 'This is Your mission and we are its soldiers and martyrs. Protect Your soldiers and their honour. Make us stronger than their injustice and torture.' She was also praying to Allah to guide this man. She had expected after the brutal reminder of his orders that he would be scared and turn into the monster they hoped for. But surprisingly he was kindly and courageous.

'Why are they torturing you like this Aunty?', he asked with the innocence of a child.

'My son, we are calling people to Allah and want Islam's rule for this country. Don't misunderstand, for we don't want power for ourselves.'

She heard the Adhan of Zuhr, and made tayammum on the wall and prayed. The man asked her to pray for him, so she did. When she stood up to pray the sunnah, he said: 'Pray to Allah to help me begin my prayers, Aunty. You are good people, may the wrath of Allah be on you Nasser!'

'Do you know how to make wudu'?'

'Of course. I used to persevere in performing prayer, but had the army found out about it, I would have been jailed.'

'Pray, even if they jail you, my son.'

'I will', he said, the light of iman - faith shining in his face.

At this juncture a soldier banged violently on the cell door. 'You son of a dog!', he shouted. 'What are you doing?'

The good young man said, 'The lady has not finished praying yet.'

'Safwat is coming, he sent me to see what you've done.'

Safwat charged in like a rabid dog. He attacked the young saviour with the utmost savagery, hitting him until he no longer even groaned. Finally they picked him up and took him out. She was left alone to reflect on the suffering this young man would endure on her behalf. Allah had illuminated his heart such that he could not obey the unjust.

Safwat came alone and threw her back into the adjacent room. Then, after, back to the cell of water where she stayed until the following day. Day in day out, this same routine ensued until she completely lost track of time and her senses became numbed. Again, she was taken from the cell of water to the adjacent room.

Safwat entered, screaming: 'Nasser has sent devils from the Nubah [Africa] who will devour you. Where are you going to run to now? Every minute that goes by brings you nearer to your end!'

Safwat began explaining to the soldiers what they had to do, in the most despicable, pornographic manner, all vestiges of decency removed. Pointing to one of them, he took unashamed pleasure in his instruction: 'Execute the instruction, you dog! And when you've finished call your friend to do the same. Understood!'

He then left the room and locked the door. The soldier began begging her to tell them all they needed to know, for he had no wish to hurt her. But if he did not obey orders then a great harm would befall him.

With all the strength she could muster, she warned him:

'Come near me, just one step, and I'll kill you. Kill you, understand?'

She could see the man was reluctant but still he moved towards her. Before she knew it, her hands were firmly around his neck.

'Bismillah, Allahu Akbar', she shouted, and sank her teeth into the side of his neck.

The man slipped out of her hands, white foam, like murky soap suds, frothed from his mouth. He fell to the ground motionless.

Hardly able to believe what had happened, she slunk backwards, what little strength she had now diluted. For now, at least, she was safe. Allah, the Exalted, had infused in her a strange force. A force sufficient to overcome this beast.

“0 my God! How generous are You! How vast is Your Gift! You are our Lord and the Lord of everything! Those who follow Allah's commandments are fought and resisted, but the final abode is always to the righteous!”

The cell door opened and arch torturer Hamzah al Basuni and Safwat, and their motley crew stood confounded by what they saw: their compatriot gurgling on the ground. They looked, on silently in disbelief. (. . . Thus was he confounded who (in arrogance) rejected faith . . .) [Quran al Baqarah 2:258]

They carried the soldier's body away between them. Then the cell of water was again her destiny.

There she was made to stand and await her deliverance. In the middle of the cell was a fire, and at each corner a soldier, each of them proudly displaying their snake-like whips. One of them hit her so that I was forced towards the fire, but when she tried to turn away from the flames another hit her to turn her back again and so on and so forth. All the while the heat of the fire scorched her exposed flesh. She was tortured in this way for about two hours, between the flames of the fire which she was scared of falling into and the searing lashes of their whips. Hamzah al-Basyuni came in, repeating his deluded nonsense: either she confirm the plot to assassinate Nasser, or else. In any case she lost consciousness and when she awoke she was once again in a hospital.

She was supposed to have been arrested for a specific crime. If this was so, why did they persist in trying to get her to say that she conspired to kill Nasser, that she planned this crime? If all the details of this crime were available, as they said, why this persistent demand to confess the crime? Why ask her to give proof of a crime which existed only in their imaginations? The reason was clear: all their torturous efforts were directed at one goal - at fighting Islam and destroying its foundations…

The chief torturer taunted: 'You want us to do like you, and fail as you've failed! You want us to leave the Soviet Union who rules half the world and yield to the words of somebody like al-Hudaibi, Sayyid Qutb or Hasan al-Banna?! You're crazy! We're not like you! Answer me!'

She reflected: '(For they, when they were told that there is no God except Allah, would puff themselves up with pride. And say: "What! Shall we give up our gods for the sake of a Poet possessed?".[Quran al Saffat:36]

She said: “These gods were idols, and the rulers are the custodians of idols. It was they who accused the Prophet (peace be upon him) of insanity. And, thus, is history repeating itself. You say to those who call you to Allah, you are insane.”

'Safwat, suspend her in the air and flog her!'

She was moved to hospital and she did not recollect what happened that night, for she  was unconscious and remained so for three days...

Once the chief torturer remarked: 'Didn't I tell you this woman would not enter my office again alive! Why have you brought her to me alive?'

Zainab replied: 'It is neither according to your will nor mine that I should live or die, it is Allah's Will, He is the Bestower of life and death!'

(adapted and edited from the book Return of the Pharaoh – Memoirs in Nasser’s Prison)