Ramadan Arabian Nights 2025 : The Tale of Fatima, Halima and Karima “ Now, They became Three Orphans ” EP.11

Ramadan Kareem

Reema successfully executed the first part of her devilish plan by poisoning Ka’b El-Ghazal to seize his house. Tonight, we will find out what she intends to do to eliminate his daughters—Fatima, Halima, and Karima.

But first a little chitchat

You will hear and see in tonight’s episode in Arabic this Egyptian popular proverb "يقتل القتيل ويمشي في جنازته" (literally: He kills the victim and then walks in his funeral). This proverb is a widely used expression describing someone who commits a wrongdoing but then pretends to be innocent or even mourns the consequences of their actions. It refers to hypocrisy, deceit, and false sympathy, especially when someone tries to distance themselves from a crime or betrayal they were responsible for.

It is unclear if there is a certain backstory or historical incident related to it, but history is full of incidents that manifested this proverb, whether in the East or West.

There is also this Egyptian term “Ox in a waterwheel” which you will hear tonight. In Egypt, the phrase "الثور في الساقية" (the ox in the waterwheel) is a well-known metaphor used to describe someone who works tirelessly and endlessly without rest or reward. This imagery comes from the traditional ساقية (sāqiya), a waterwheel system that was widely used in Egyptian agriculture since the Ptolemaic era.

You will also hear this word in Arabic “Sahtout”, it is not a fictional currency created by Taher Abu Fasha. The Sahtout (السحتوت) or Suttout was an old Egyptian currency with a very small value used particularly during the Ottoman and early modern periods in Egypt. It was equal to a quarter of a millieme, meaning that one Egyptian pound was worth 4,000 Sahtouts. The coin had the phrase "من ربع عشر القرش" (one-quarter of a tenth of a qirsh) inscribed on it. The name "Sahtout" originated from Syria and Palestine, where it was also used historically.

The term suttout is sometimes still used colloquially in Egypt to refer to insignificant amounts of money.

Now enough of our trivia chitchat

So without further delay, here is the 683rd episode of our Arabian Nights Egyptian radio show—or the eleventh night in this year’s tale, The Tale of Fatima, Halima, and Karima.

Ramadan Arabian Nights 2025 : The Tale of Fatima, Halima and Karima “ A deadly Mouth Blocker ” EP.10

Ramadan Kareem

We know the secret of the treasure hidden in the house of Fatima, Halima and Karima from their father Ka’b al-Ghazal last night, we will know tonight Reema’s next move, but first a little chitchat.

Without spoilers, tonight you will hear and read those two words “Sadd al-Hanak” or “Mouth Blocker”. This is not a fictional dish, it is actually an authentic Egyptian dessert with a long history.

Sadd al-Hanak (سد الحنك) is a traditional Egyptian dessert known for its rich, dense texture. The name literally means "Mouth Blocker" because it's so thick and filling. It's made primarily with flour, butter, sugar, and milk, creating a smooth, pudding-like consistency.

The dish dates back to the Ottoman period and became a staple in Egyptian households. Its name, which literally means "Mouth Blocker," humorously refers to its thick and heavy nature—it fills you up quickly and makes you quiet!

It was often considered a winter dessert because it’s rich and provides warmth and energy, much like halawa or basbousa.

Sadd al-Hanak was popular among both the wealthy and the working class. The wealthy could afford to add nuts, spices, and even cream, while the common folk made it simply with flour, sugar, butter, and milk. It was sometimes called "the dessert of the broke" because it could be made with basic, affordable ingredients found in any home.

The name itself became a joke in Egyptian culture, often used to describe something that makes people speechless—whether from its thickness or from being too full to talk. Some old Egyptian proverbs and sayings mention it humorously, implying that after eating Sadd al-Hanak, you wouldn't be able to argue or complain!

Now here is the recipe itself : 

Ramadan Arabian Nights 2025 : The Tale of Fatima, Halima and Karima “ The House and The Dervish ” EP.9

Ramadan Kareem

Before Scheherazade continues her tale and we discover what happened to Fatima, Halima, and Karima after Ka’b al-Ghazal fell into Reema’s trap and married her.

it’s time for a little chitchat and some trivia about this season of One Thousand and One Nights, Egypt’s legendary radio and TV show. It is not a spoiler but tonight, we will meet a dervish. It is another recurring theme or rather character in the One Thousand and One Nights Book that Taher Abu Fasha loved to borrow for his adaptations and inspirations.

Now to trivia.

According to Deepseek AI “Chat-GPT failed to do it”, determining the exact number of mentions of "dervishes" (Arabic: darāwīsh, دراويش) in the Bulaq edition of the Nights book (1835, Cairo) is challenging without a full-text analysis, as the term appears in both major roles and fleeting references.

 However, based on the structure of key stories in the Egyptian recension, there were 30–40 explicit uses of the term dervish in the book and up to 50+ mentions if counting repetitions in dialogue, titles, and descriptors.

There is also mention of Qaron or Korah. In Egypt, there is a widespread belief that Qarun lived in Fayoum and that Lake Qarun (Birket Qarun) was named after him because his wealth was buried beneath its waters when he was swallowed by the earth. This belief is not explicitly mentioned in the Quran or the Bible, but it has been passed down through Egyptian folklore.

There is also Qasr Qarun in Fayoum, which is actually a Ptolemaic-Roman temple dedicated to ancient Egyptian and Greek deities of Sobek and Dionysus, not an ancient palace.

Dedicated to the crocodile god Sobek, worshipped in Fayoum, and Dionysus, the Greek god of wine and festivity, the temple is near Lake Qarun

The name “Qasr Qarun” (Palace of Qarun) likely comes from local folklore linking the site to Qarun or Korah

So without further delay, here is the 681st episode of our Arabian Nights Egyptian radio show—or the ninth night in this year’s tale, The Tale of Fatima, Halima, and Karima.

Al-Azhar at 1078: Calling for Ahl Al-Qibla to unite but no one wants to hear the call

Egypt’s Al-Azhar celebrated the 1,085th Hijri anniversary of its inauguration with its first prayer on 7th Ramadan (361 AH / 972 AD).

Al-Azhar Al-Sharif, originally established as a center for Shi’a Islam, has become the world's largest and most influential Sunni Islamic institution—one of history's greatest ironies.

In another irony because from two weeks ago, its Grand Imam Sheikh Ahmed El-Tayeb launched a call in the Islamic world to end the sectarian division between Sunni and Shi’a Muslims.

Al-Tayeb led top Islamic scholars and religious leaders from across the Muslim world who signed the Call of Ahl Al-Qibla declaration, a landmark document aimed at strengthening dialogue and unity among different Islamic sects and schools of thought.

In other words, the dialogue between Sunna and Shia.

The Call of Ahl Al-Qibla asserts that sectarian diversity is a natural and legitimate part of Islamic scholarship, rejecting any attempts to impose uniformity by dissolving distinct sects into a single doctrine.

Instead, the document calls on Muslims to focus on the shared foundations of the faith, which are rooted in the Qur’an and the Sunnah.

The declaration also underscores the historical harmony among Muslims across different regions and theological backgrounds, highlighting their shared contributions to intellectual, social, and economic development. It reaffirms that Islamic unity is a sacred covenant that must be safeguarded against political and ideological divisions.

Ramadan Arabian Nights 2025 : The Tale of Fatima, Halima and Karima “ Becoming Mrs Ka’b al-Ghazal ” EP.8

Ramadan Kareem

Before Scheherazade continues her tale and we discover what happened to Fatima, Halima, and Karima’s Ka’b al-Ghazal as he falls into Reema’s trap—" no spoiler”—it’s time for a little chitchat and some trivia about this season of One Thousand and One Nights, Egypt’s legendary radio and TV show.

Now it is the turn of Ka’b al-Ghazal, the three sisters’ father.

The actor who narrated the role of Ka’b al-Ghazal in the radio version, which we listen to throughout Ramadan, is the same actor who presented it on the TV screen in 1987: the late Egyptian comedian Mohamed Ahmed El-Masry.

Late Egyptian comedy icon Mohamed Ahmed El-Masry

El-Masry is known in Egypt and Arabs for generations as Abu Lam’a El-Masry, the big bluffer who exaggerates everything with everyone till he falls in trouble to the level that they did not know that his name was Mohamed Ahmed El-Masry, who had a very high ranking position in the Ministry of Education and was the Principal one of Egypt’s oldest and most famous high school.

Born in February 1924, in Zagazig, Egypt, El-Masry earned a bachelor’s degree in applied arts, followed by a Diploma from the Teacher Training Institute in 1949.

He initially worked as a teacher before becoming the principal of Al-Sa'idiyya High school, and you do not become a principal for the school that graduated Egypt’s top icons except if you truly deserve that position.

The Civilian High School turned into a military high school in 1973. Till this day, Mohamed Ahmed El-Masry is remembered among the top principals back in its civilian days. 

El-Masry, he held a high-ranking position at the Ministry of Education, where he served as the Director of Public Relations.

Now it comes to acting, El-Masry was among the original cast to join the Egyptian Radio show Sa'a Le Qalbak (An Hour for Your Heart) troupe in 1953. Sa’a Le Qalbak was our radio Saturday Night Live and was recorded live.

El-Masry portrayed the character of Abu Lam’a, originally played by Amin El-Heneidi. He later formed a comedic duo with Fouad Rateb, known for his role as Greek El-Khawaga Bijo (The Foreigner Bijo) who always falls for the lies and tales of Abu Lam’a

The show ran till the early 1960s when its stars, including actors and writers, moved to TV and Cinema.

El-Masry passed away in January 2003.

Thanks to social media and the Egyptian Radio uploading those episodes of Sa’a Le Qalbak, new generations of Egypt continue to know Abu Lam’a El-Masry.

Anyhow, we will leave Abu Lam’a and go to Abu Fatima, Halima, and Karima, Ka’b al Ghazal in the Arabian Nights universe. First, here is last night's episode to refresh your memory.

Kodak Agfa presents: Cairo’s Ramadan Bazaar of Ahmed Maher Street or from Bab El-Khalk to Bab Zewaila Gate aka Taht el-Rab’a “Part.1”

I initially thought this would be a simple walk down a single street. But I should have known better. We’re talking about a street in Islamic Cairo—layers upon layers of history.

That’s why this post will be divided into two parts.

Ramadan crescent became a lantern too in Taht al-Rab'a 

This year, I decided to explore the street on foot instead of driving, as I did last year when I took Bab El-Khalq to Bab Zuweila via Ahmed Maher Street, historically and socially known as Taht el-Rab’a.

Walking through it is an entirely different experience, especially with the annual Ramadan bazaar taking shape in the middle of Sha’ban, about 15 days before the holy month begins.

Tahte El-Rab’a Street starts at the Cairo Security Directorate—currently undergoing major renovations—and ends at Bab Zuweila.

For more than 150 years lanterns have been made and sold in Taht el-Rab'a 

The street is the heart of Egypt’s traditional handmade Ramadan lantern industry, locally and globally.

It is home to workshops that craft these lanterns from glass and tin, most of them family businesses passed down through generations.

One of the workshops specialized in lanterns, as well as tinware and copperware 

Some of these workshops also produce other tinware and copperware items, as demand for such dinnerware has recently increased.

However, during this time of year, the primary focus remains on Ramadan lanterns.

 

One of the workshops specialized in lanterns, as well as tinware and copperware 

The exact reason why or how Taht El-Rab’a became a hub for lantern-making remains unclear, but historians trace this tradition back about a century and a half.

Ramadan Arabian Nights 2025 : The Tale of Fatima, Halima and Karima “Into her web ” EP.7

Ramadan Kareem

Before Scheherazade continues her tale and we discover what happened to Fatima, Halima, and Karima as they fall deeper into the web of their auntie Reema, it’s time for a little chitchat and some trivia about this season of One Thousand and One Nights, Egypt’s legendary radio show.

Our radio Scheherazade, Zouzou Nabil, portrayed Reema in the 1987 TV adaptation of the tale. However, the Reema we hear in this Ramadan’s radio broadcast is voiced by the renowned Egyptian actress Malak El-Gamal.

Colorized photo of Malak El-Gamal in 1966 "Tofahet Adam"

I had recognized Reema’s voice in the radio version as familiar, yet I couldn’t pinpoint which veteran actress it belonged to—until I stumbled upon the answer by accident.

Born in Port Said in 1929, El-Gamal graduated from the Faculty of Arts, English Department, before enrolling at the Higher Institute of Acting Arts. She began her career in radio before transitioning to theater and eventually becoming a well-known film actress, specializing in complex roles, particularly as a villain.

She is remembered as the first Egyptian actress to portray a queer character on the silver screen in Salah Abu Seif’s El-Tareeq El-Masdood (1958), based on Ihsan Abdel Quddous' novel. The role was groundbreaking, even though the character was one of the antagonists the heroine encounters in her journey.

Her role in the 1962 film Black Candles was a classic performance, and she became a horror icon despite the film not being a horror movie.

Both Malak El-Gamal and Zouzou Nabil are among Egypt’s legendary villainesses and radio icons. If Nabil was our Radio Scheherazade, then El-Gamal was our talkative, bubbly Auntie Bamba—the beloved voice who guided Egyptian housewives for 12 years on the famous radio show To the Housewives, the oldest and longest-running program in Egyptian radio history. It has been on air for an astounding 71 years.

The showrunner and presenter of To the Housewives was Safia El-Mohandas, the wife of Mahmoud Shaaban—the creator and showrunner of the One Thousand and One Nights radio series. It is no surprise that both Shaaban and El-Mohandas are often referred to as the father and mother of Egyptian radio broadcasting.

Now, back to Malak El-Gamal—the Villainess Queen. It is said that she was the true muse of the famous Egyptian poet Ibrahim Nagi and the inspiration behind his iconic poem Al-Atlal (The Ruins), which was later immortalized in song by Umm Kulthum. Ironically, another theory suggests that the true muse was none other than Zouzou Hamdy El-Hakim, the undisputed queen of villainous roles in Egyptian cinema.

Malak El-Gamal’s career and life were tragically short. She passed away in 1982, following the deaths of her son and grandson. Yet, her legacy as one of Egyptian cinema’s most unforgettable villainesses of the 1960s and 1970s remains unparalleled.

Honestly, I felt it was a great opportunity to remember and shed some light on that fine actor.

Now, here is the 679th episode of our Arabian Nights Egyptian radio show—or the seventh night in this year’s tale, The Tale of Fatima, Halima, and Karima but first refresh your memory and remember what Reema did last night.