A Call To Prayer

An afternoon call to prayer while walking through the Khan-al-Khalili.

Five times a day Muslims pray to God. Five times a day, the Islamic faith has its believers pray and worship the Lord. Five times a day, the sky in Cairo becomes dense with a cacophony of prayer. Five times a day, we hear the call to prayer.


The call to prayer (or adhan) is a Muslim tenet reminding Muslims to pray for 10 minutes five times daily. It is a time of reflection and for me has been a time to remember that God is God.

A spice store at the Khan.

God was definitely in Cairo today. On the metro, I saw so much kindness. A young lady stood up to let an older woman sit in her seat. I also saw a woman wearing a traditional scarf and robe laughing as her son accidentally hit his head on the pole. Her smile was contagious and she chuckled while picking up her 4 year old and rocking him back in forth.

The women car in the metro. There are certain cars on the metro set aside solely for women to sit. Men are not allowed on the all-women cars.

Ally and I went to the Khan-al-Khalili, which is a huge market in Cairo. The video above is when Ally and I heard the call to prayer at the Khan-al-Khalili. The Khah was incredible. There was a melange of people trying to woo us into their tent of goodies. Ally and I braved the clerks and customers to browse the unique shops.

Ally knows some of the speciality stores nestled within the labyrinth of the Khan, so we went directly to their spots. We went to a man's shop who sells camel bone creations. He makes wonderful boxes, jewelry, sculptures, and artwork out of camel bone.

The book-binding store. Outside is a woman carrying a bag on her head.

We also went to this hidden book-binding store, where I got a beautiful journal with my name engraged on it in Arabic. The craftmanship of the handmade journal is priceless.

Me in one of the winding streets in the Khan.

The call to prayer reminds me that God is in control. Whether or not I am ready for the call each time it sounds, once I hear the ominous loudspeaker filling the air, I am reminded that God is with me. The call to prayer comes five times daily, whether you are ready for it or not. And, when the call is made, I remember that God is constant.

Lyrics I'm Humming:

On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand