CAIRO - In these days we all need to wind down and relax. Even in the midst of our fasting there are other things occupying our thoughts about the future. We need something or some occasion to calm us down. Well, the train journey from Cairo to Alexandria is just that – and more. It is true that it may not rank among the great train journeys of the world for spectacular scenery. There are no towering mountains, nor great lakes, nor sweeping wilderness to catch the eye, but there are other places in Egypt for natural wonders, such as the Western desert and the Nile itself. The scenery of the Delta, though, is nonetheless rich and appealing. The train journey through the Delta, though, is restful for another reason. Having left the noise and the commotion and the newly restored Ramses Station in Cairo behind, the train journey gives us time to think as we journey through a different world. In little over two hours even the light will change as we approach the sea at Alexandria. The journey in between affords us views of life in Egypt, in many ways unchanged for centuries. The view is of cities, towns and villages, of factories and farms, of fields and irrigation canals. We cross the great Nile River as it passes beside Benha, with its university and bustling population. We are sure to stop at the railway station in Tanta, now restored to its original glory, and from the train we will catch a glimpse of the Mosque of Ahmed Sayyed Al-Badawi, the scene of one of Egypt's most famous moulids. In Tanta, boys and men will board the train to sell us peanuts and humus. In Damanhour we will pass the Indian-style dome of the mosque at the centre of town. From the comfort of our seats we see small village communities, where diverse groups have lived in peace with each other for as long as they can remember. The occasional palm tree dots the landscape. Water buffalo look up at us as we speed by, and then they carry on chewing. Sheep and goats are being shepherded home. Tractors move slowly through the lanes, back to their farms. Some say that the rich, dark soil of the Delta is among the most fertile in the world. It must have seemed that way to the fellaheen, the workers on the land, when it was given back to them after the Revolution of 1952 and the rich landowners were sent off packing. The water from the Nile and the abundant, gentle rain in the winter keep the land lush and green. The green is broken here and there by the familiar shape of white dovecots, home to doves and pigeons. A newly-built villa attests to the good fortune of its owner. Cars speed by as the Cairo to Alexandria Agricultural road hugs the railway tracks. Truckloads of melons and oranges, carrots and onions pass us by on their way to market. The view from the train is of simple, honest men and women who see God at work in their lives as clearly as they see their hands before them. The sophistication and the concerns of the city are unknown to most of them. We get caught up with so many unimportant things. The anxieties that so preoccupied us when we left Ramses station seem unimportant to us now as the people of the Delta outside our carriages go about their business. They are men and women working hard to earn a living from the land, putting aside what money they can spare, like all of us, to provide for the future of their children. Even though their work is back-breaking and can last from early morning to late in the evening, it is not unusual to see them praying in the fields as they hear the Adhan from the village mosque, reminding us that we, too, in town and city could afford to stop from our work as soon as we hear the Prayer Call. How busy we are! Muslims read in the holy Qur'an in Surat Al-Ankabut: O My servants who believe! Truly, spacious is my earth. Therefore serve ye Me! 29:56 For a couple of hours or so, the train journey through the Delta gives us time to relax and let the minutes just slip by. The train journey can even remind us of another age altogether, when train travel was something of a luxury and passengers enjoyed the excitement of the journey. It also gives us time to think. Whether we are religious or not we should spare a moment for what is valuable in life. Even out in the fields people can find the time to respond immediately to God's Call. As we enjoy once more the restful journey through the Delta countryside, seeing how ordinary men and women can go about the business of their lives without forgetting to spare a thought for their Creator, let us resolve when the train gets back into the station not to let the affairs of life and all the commotion of these days make us forget what is really important. British Muslim writer, Idris Tawfiq, teaches at Al-Azhar University and is the author of nine books about Islam. You can visit his website at www.idristawfiq.com, join him on Facebook at Idris Tawfiq Page and listen to his Radio Show, "A Life in Question," on Sundays at 11pm on Radio Cairo 95.4 FM.
