Ahmed Amin in his gem, "The Dictionary of the Egyptian Customs, Habits and Expressions", has defined the word "Al-barakah" as the secret clue of God and Prophets in all things.
If the "barakah" reaches the money for example, the money will be increased and become enough to cover much buying; If the "barakah" touches the age, the age will be spent on great doings, and if the age lacks it, it would be spent in useless doings, He adds, "The ( Mubarak ) man is always a source of happiness to the people around him.
People also called some seeds (herbs), "barakah herbs" or hab al-barakah as they believed that they cure many diseases; they also named their children "Barakah", "Mabrouk", "Barakat" and "Mubarak".
Surely Ahmed Amin, who authored his book in the period from 1938 to1953, did not anticipate the coming "Mubarak" age in modern Egyptian history; otherwise, he would have had second thoughts about defining the "Mubarak" man as always, the source of happiness to the people around him!
In 1981, he ascended the Pharaoh's throne and delivered his first speech promising that electing the same president would be confined to a maximum of two successive terms. And like a broken record, the story is repeated!
The continuous story could not be defined better than Amin's words, "The relationship between the Egyptians and the ruler throughout history used to be a relationship of injustice and oppression on the citizens in favor of the ruling class, a foreign power, or a local oppressive one.
The relationship formed a heritage of beliefs, actions, expressions, and even jokes; and most significant, it formed the Egyptian's vision of their small society and the bigger surrounding world.
The society which knew "oppression" had to know many other matters so it could adapt to living under oppression to keep the continuity of life. The social entity itself had to be divided into many classes, different according to their portion of power and wealth, added Amin giving a live example of Egyptian fondness for "titles" before the revolution such as "Pasha", as many would offer all their wealth to get the title, and of course, their wealth was to be returned doubled later!! The rush to be elected in the "People's Congress" or "Magles el shaab" in Arabic - after the revolution- had a similar goal!
"Mubarak" man was always the source of happiness to the people around him; but the story of "Mubarak"'s Egypt was, on the contrary, a new chapter of the suffering of the majority of simple Egyptians, who unfortunately missed the "Barakah", which picked up only a very few individuals and put them on the top of the new Egyptian pyramid!
© SAYED
