I Am a Hafiz

I asked for a sign from heaven.
He found me in a coffee shop

Coffee with the Prophet
A 21st Century Encounter with Muhammad


By Mark A. Gabriel
Former Lecturer of Islamic History at Al-Azhar University



I Am a Hafiz


I am a hafiz. If you know the meaning of that word, then you already know a lot about me, and I know something about you.


A hafiz is a person who has memorized the Quran, and I became a hafiz when I was twelve.


From then on I was known as Mustafa the Hafiz.
Even adults greeted me with respect in our neighborhood, and during the holy month of Ramadan I had my special place in the mosque where each day I would recite one thirtieth of the Quran so that I would finish the entire book by the day the fast ended.


My family was deeply committed to Islam. My father never missed a prayer time, even when he was sick.


I remember one time he had kidney stones, and he was doubled over in pain, but he went to the dawn prayer before he finally agreed to go to the hospital.


He owned a furniture factory, and he was known for his generosity in giving to the poor.


At the end of Ramadan month, when the fast was broken, he would pay for huge feasts for the poor people of our community.


He treated my mother with great respect, and he never married any more wives, even though Egyptian law permitted him to marry up to four at one time.


Author Biography:

A former lecturer at Al-Azhar University, Mark A. Gabriel is a widely-sourced expert on Islamic teaching and the Middle East. He is the author of several best-selling books about Islam including Islam and Terrorism. For the protection of his relatives, Dr. Gabriel changed his Muslim name to a Western name.


Get your copy from the nearest book store
Or online from Amazon.com

Or visit our websites
www.coffeewiththeprophet.com
www.gabrielpublishing.org