In the streets of Cairo, a female musaharati wins praise from her neighbours
Each Ramadan, musaharati roam Cairo’s streets, banging their drums every night to wake sleeping Muslims for their suhoor.
The job has almost always been done by men, but one woman has carved a place for herself in the seasonal duty, which dates to the time of the Prophet Mohammed.
After the death of her older brother a decade ago, Dalal Abdelqader embarked on a career as one of the few female musaharati in Egypt.
Her brother spent 25 Ramadan seasons banging his drum and chanting to wake the faithful for their predawn meal, the last permitted before sunset.
Cairo streets are not where women safely go at night, but Ms Abdelqader’s passion for her calling has made her a familiar figure in her neighbourhood each Ramadan.
At night, residents flock around her as she makes her rounds through the streets. Many have praised her chanting, describing her voice as beautiful.
Ms Abdelqader’s family have been very supportive of her effort to be the neighbourhood musaharati, unlike many Egyptian families who would not allow a female relative to go out so late at night.
Typically consumed right before dawn, suhoor is an important meal at Ramadan that many fasting Muslims do not like to miss, a fact that has always made the musaharati’s journey around the streets an important one.
Performed under different names all over the Arab world, the traditional drum and chanting performance has significance for many who believe that Bilal ibn Rabah, one of the Prophet Mohammed’s disciples and a muezzin, started the tradition at the Prophet Mohammed’s suggestion.
The calling reached its peak in Mamluk-era Egypt, when a syndicate was formed to represent all the musaharatis.