Sheikh Sharawi and his friends’ donations were the first seed to establish 57357.
Among the causes that avert scourge is contentment, patience, and charitable giving
Recalling his words amid this time of crisis feels like he is still living among us, supporting us through his sermons that will remain relevant for all times .
This is sheikh Mohamed Metwaly Alsharawi who’s 22nd departure anniversary is today.
Sheikh Sharawi always enjoyed Egyptian people’s love and appreciation for his kind humble personality and for the wisdom in his speeches. He is also the initiator of a special school of thought and Quran interpretation that many people around the world have benefited from. He played an important role when he was a minister of Awkaf endowment in the seventies. He was known for his enlightened thoughts which were spread out to eastern and western countries, inviting people to Islam with his wisdom. He gave lectures in Europe and USA about Muslim society and Islamic economic theory.
Besides his engagement in public work, sheikh Sharawi pursued charity work and supported people in need as he paid from his personal money in favor of the people of his native village to build schools, orphanages and hospitals.
Sheikh Sharawi played a big role in establishing the Children’s Cancer Hospital 57357 as his donation was the first seed in building the Hospital.
The story goes back to the late eighties, when the National Cancer Institute, NCI had severe shortages in medical supplies and high rate of mortality of children with cancer. One day at the pediatric ward of the Institute, they witnessed the death of 13 children out of the 16 that were present at that time, which drove the department’s young doctor in charge to despair. Devastated, the young doctor left the institute thinking seriously to quit medicine if he were to fail in finding a way to save the children with cancer at the Institute. He thought of appealing to the generosity of sheikh Sharawi who used to have lunch in a restaurant in the vicinity of the Institute. The doctor went to the restaurant where the sheikh was sitting with three of his friends, Abdullah Sallam, Ahmed Abu Shaqra and Ahmed Abdullah Teama, member of the 52 revolution council. He told them about the institute’s tragedy and immediately the four friends decided to donate fifty pounds each on a monthly basis to buy supplies for the Institute.
This was the start of attracting public attention to the cause of Egypt’s children with cancer and developing the Institute’s pediatric department. Hence, the number of beds increased and so did the survival rate after it was as low as 5%. More business men decided to support the institute, donations increased and the dream of establishing a specialized Hospital for children’s cancer based on donations started luring afar . Sheikh Sharawi and his friends’ donations was the seed that started the great dream of building Hospital 57357.
Today, years after sheikh Sharawi and his friends’ departure, their monthly donations are still provided by their descendants, and the Hospital is still remembering the great man with gratitude. As the years go by the great sheikh’s memory is still alive, engraved in people’s hearts. This is depicted in Prophet Mohamed’s saying “ when a man dies his deeds come to an end except for three things: sadaka jareyah (ceaseless charity), a knowledge which is beneficial, or a virtuous descendant who prays for him (for the deceased)”.