Abdel Rahman Saeed Mohamed Gouda
Abdelrahman was his parent’s eldest son, he had one brother named Osama and 3 sisters: Aish, Sarah, and Khadija. Two months before his death the completed his university studies, obtaining a Bacheolor of Engineering degree from Al-Azhar University. He was known for his social activity in El-Bedaya team for Human Development. His enthusiasm for volunteer work was greater than his desire to work in the public or private sectors since he hoped to influence the behaviors of people around him for the better.
He left a great impact on the lives of the those around him, be it his school peers, those in his volunteering activities, or even his Facebook followers. He had around 13 thousand of them since he was in the habit of writing small influential phrases on his profile, especially during the 2011 Revolution. Including:
“If the last thing they think of is the homeland then to hell with their thoughts, but if our dream was the homeland then we will forever be reformists and warriors”.
“I do not know any limit for this dream but the sky, for if it is the sky then it is a blessing and if it is something else then I am only left with carrying on the dream to the end…”
“It seems that time raids those who possess dreams and those who live it, but those who among with the dream possess the willingness to continue. Those who have tasted the sweetness of the dreams, the time will bend for them in respect… and history will remember them with appreciation… and honor.”
Abdelrahman participated in the 25th of January Revolution since the beginning. He also participated in the Rabaa sit-in since its first day. He was at every initiative and protest, following his death a large number of his friends gathered in front of his house in Alexandria demanding vengeance for his death and punishment for the offenders.
One of his peers had came to attend this gathering and said: “Every word Abdelrahman Gouda ever wrote was to motivate the strengths and determination of the people around him.”
Losing him was not the last of his family’s sufferings, four months after Abdelrahman was killed the armed forces arrested his sister Aisha, who at the time was a student at Al-Azhar University. Aisha was among those released from prison months later. The armed forces then arrested his brother Osama at the beginning of 2017. He was accused of many things and this piling of sorrows led to their mother falling ill and dying.
In Abdulrahman’s will, he said:
In the name of Allah, the merciful, the compassionate, to whom we give thanks, I thank Him, ask for His help, His guidance and His forgiveness. I seek refuge in Allah Almighty, I seek refuge in Allah Almighty from the evils of myself, I seek refuge from him from every sin or wrongdoing I have committed with intent without upholding the sanctity of my Lord and His watchful eyes and His kindness over me. I seek refuge in Him from every sin I have committed without intent and I ask for his forgiveness now. I seek refuge in Him for my unfaithfulness and for not being devoted, for the whims of the heart and reasons of Dunya. I thank Allah His due thanks for His eternal blessings, I thank Him for the blessing of my existence and my coming into being.
My parents and my family, my companionship and my gift of the blessing of my Islam for the blessing of being covered for and being given, for the blessing of repentance and forgiveness, for the blessing of heaven and paradise, prayer and peace be upon Allah’s final messenger, peace be upon him, may Allah’s prayer and everlasting peace be upon him till the day of Judgment.
Accordingly, this is the will of this poor servant of his Lord.
Abdelrahman Said Mohamed Mohamed Gouda, writing this after the dawn of Thursday, the second of Jumada al-awwal, for the year thirty-four after the thousand and four hundred of the Prophet’s immigration, Peace be Upon Him, easing my will in with praise for Allah Almighty and compliment for his blessings. Leaving behind a country taking steps on the paths of freedom by the hands of its girls and the forearms of its youths, devoted to it those whose names and faces are unknown, those who try and work in silence and change, those who raise and persevere. Those who raise and persevere, I see them, hear them and sit with them, they are the people of Allah to whom they belong, may Allah bring forth more people like them and ease their ways and make their quests and their labors full and crowned with devotion and acceptance, and may Allah reward them on my behalf with welfare.
First: Leaving behind my mother: my mother of whom the last I touched was her foot when I kissed it, asking for her contentment with me. Mother, you know the amount of my love and attachment I have for you, and my diligence in loving and pleasing you. Forgive me for my obvious shortcomings, and my ignorance of your worth, and the distance I’ve put between us and my inadequacy in giving you what you deserve. Please forgive me for being away from you if I died a martyr and think of me as a martyr with contempt and expectation, my will for you is to have patience and pray and not panic. What Allah has is better and longer-lasting.
Leaving behind my father: my father whom I would never cease to not pray Allah to assist him and bless him for his worshiping, devotion and patience with paradise. My father, my will for you is to be there for my mother and siblings, and to be devoted to Allah and have patience for the hard times in life, my will for you is to make your path to Da’wah and to have diligence in delivering the right message of Islam that you believe in to those around you as they are in dire need for it from you.
Leaving behind my siblings, Osama, Aisha, Sarah, and the apple of my eye, Khadija: my will for all of you is to guard the blessing of your parents and your family, my will for you is to take care of each other, with good, compassionate hearts and brotherly affection, and a warm salute from me to my young one, Khadija, the one that I’ve loved with all of my heart and my being. I loved her fear and attachment of me, I loved her childhood spirit, the sweetness of the word and her love for the good, I love you my little one, and when I leave, dear little one, I will leave behind for you a homeland and a religion, creating a better country for you and a brighter religion if Allah wills. So smile and keep your smile and pray for me a lot.
Leaving behind from the life’s pleasures the slightest of money and belongings and the cheapest of values and riches: what I posses of money is in fact my father and mother’s money. From items and clothes, they are things I gift to the poor. What I owned from knowledge and books they are for my siblings and for what my friends who would want. Leaving behind my volunteering work in the communities and universities of Egypt, willing for it to be carried on by those who are better than me, more devoted than me, my will for you, volunteers, is to have good intent and build relations with righteous people, to love people and be humble to them, to show compassion and patience. My will for you is to be honest in your words, your work and your intent, to always feel Allah’s support and to know that to be distant from him is the greatest loss. Leaving behind role models, Allah had chosen for me, to raise me, and sworn to take care of me and guide me. Role models that have upheld patience and perseverance, have put efforts and planted my skills and rooted my values having grown good plants.
My role models: I will you, like you have willed me, to be devoted to Allah Almighty. My will for you is to not let your efforts be lost with the weights of insincerity or pride. My will for you is the road, I urge you not to leave it. My will for you is the gap, be careful not to abandon it. I urge you not to go looking for suspicions and drifting in its direction as it is what perishes and wastes away your efforts. My will for you is the Qur’an as it is the best constitution, road, guideline and path. My will for you is strictness with those who change the matters of their religion between your back and your families. My will for you is patience, as nothing perishes the people of this time as their isolation and lack of patience. Leaving behind people close to my heart that are listening to some of my words, taking part in my work, accompanying me in my path, friends and brothers, teachers and people who have changed me, always keen to teach me, I salute them and alert them that the road is rough and difficult. So don’t walk it alone, the wolf only eats from the dumb sheep. Those who only rely on their own minds and efforts without consulting others and keeping along a company are those who have gone astray from the road. My will for them is the road of the righteous and reformists. I urge them to take care of each other as you are the ones planting compassion in your community with your own compassion, urging for ongoing charity for me for my volunteering work, and a running charity in the field of volunteering. My will is for ongoing charities everywhere. My will for anyone who has loved me or worked with me to do Umrah on my behalf, taking my salaams to the prophet peace be upon him as my salaams haven’t reached him. Saying my goodbyes at Al-Haram with one prayer that Allah would grant me the ranking of the righteous martyrs and that he would accept my martyrdom. This and what I have forgotten to clarify is to be clarified by my family. To whom I may owe any debt or money, please forgive me or ask my parents for it. To whom I may have done any injustice, please forgive me for it and may Allah forgive you, as this, and Allah Almighty knows, was not intended. Only He will guide us to the right path.”
The martyr, Abdelrahman Said Mohamed Mohamed Gouda.