Aisha Rafea
Aisha Rafea, great grand daughter of of Rifa‘a al-Tahtawi (1805–1873), a key figure of the modern Egyptian Renaissance. Aisha was (born November 2, 1952, Cairo, Egypt) is an Egyptian jouralist, writer, researcher in spirituality, and psycho-spiritual trainer. She is the designer of the Be Yourself programs for psycho-spiritual growth, and a co-founder and head of the board of trustees of the Ain Foundation: Between Soul and Soil. She has worked for more than three decades on personal development, women's leadership, and equity through a spirituality-based framework.
Aisha Rafea is the sister and disciple of Master Ali Rafea, head of the Egyptian Society for Spiritual and Cultural Research (ESSCR).
Aisha Rafea has been referenced in academic literature discussing contemporary spiritual movements in Egypt, particularly in relation to ESSCR.
Source: Routledge Handbook on Sufism (ESSCR analysis)
https://ebrary.net/261653/education/sufism_time_egyptian_society_spiritual_cultural_research
Early life and education
Aisha Rafea was born into a family where spiritual values shaped daily life. Her father, Assayed Rafea Muhammad Rafea (1903–1970), was a spiritual teacher and Sufi leader of the twentieth century. Her mother, Assayeda Hazami Rifa‘a (1921–2012), was a great-granddaughter of Rifa‘a al-Tahtawi (1805–1873), a key figure of the modern Egyptian Renaissance. Both parents are described as descendants of the Prophet Muhammad.
Rafea received a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Cairo University in 1974. In 1976, she obtained a Diploma in Translation (English–Arabic–English) from the American University in Cairo (AUC). She completed a Master’s Degree in Mass Communication from AUC in 1984.
Following her formal education, Rafea undertook more than 15 years of self-directed study in transpersonal (spiritual) psychology, cognitive-behavioral psychology, positive psychology, dynamic psychology, and logotherapy. She also became a certified Positive Discipline Parent Educator.
Career
Journalism (1984–1995)
Aisha Rafea worked in journalism and media in Egypt and abroad. Her work included roles at:
- Voice of America
- Arab Radio and Television (ART)
- Al Alam Al Yom
- Al Ahram Weekly
Psycho-spiritual training (2005-2017)
She developed and delivered personal development programs such as:
- Be Yourself… Be Happy
- Awakening Our Inner Child
- She also conducted training sessions for educators and psychologists through various organizations focused on psychological awareness and personal development.
- Her work has been discussed in academic studies of contemporary spiritual movements in Egypt (Source: Routledge Handbook on Sufism (ESSCR analysis)
- In July 2009, Aisha Rafea led a spiritual training workshop in Kuala Lumpur as part of a conference for WISE (Women’s Initiative for Spirituality and Equity). From 2011 to 2020, she presented personal growth programs with expert trainers under the umbrella of The Human Foundation.
- Her work has been discussed in academic studies of contemporary spiritual movements in Egypt Source: Routledge Handbook on Sufism (ESSCR analysis) https://ebrary.net/261653/education/sufism_time_egyptian_society_spiritual_cultural_research
Women’s rights and advocacy (2017-todate)
Aisha Rafea has advocated for women’s human rights throughout her career, working toward global change through spirituality, equity, and women’s leadership.
Bibliography
External Links
-(Egyptian national database)
- Aisha is Listed as a recognized Egyptian expert in writing, translation, psychology, and spirituality.
- Described as:
- Founder / program designer
- Writer and translator
- Trainer in self-development and spirituality
https://whoisshe.wmf.org.eg/expert/aisha-rafea/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
- WISE ( International Women's archive)
- Identifies Aisha Rafea as:
- Co-leader of the women’s group at ESSCR
- Writer, researcher, and spirituality teacher
- Notes she has:
- Designed self-development programs for adults and children
- Been active in spiritual education and interfaith development work https://www.wisemuslimwomen.org/muslim-woman/page/59/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
Academic and Independent References
- Routledge Handbook on Sufism (ESSCR discussion) https://ebrary.net/261653/education/sufism_time_egyptian_society_spiritual_cultural_research
- WISE Muslim Women profile https://wisemuslimwomen.org/muslim-woman/aisha-rafea-6/
- ESSCR official materials https://www.esscr.org/
- Helminski, C. A. (Ed.). Women of Sufism: A Hidden Treasure
- Sufism: An Inquiry Journal
- Indeoendent academic profile, Indicateing visibility in scholarly-sharing platforms https://independent.academia.edu/AishaRafea?utm_source=chatgpt.com
Sole-authored works
• Rafea, A. (1992). Bal Azamtel Rouh بل أزمة الروح (Spirit in Turmoil). Sadek Publications, Alexandria. ISBN 977–5337‐01–1
• Rafea, A. (1993). Kulluna Hadhal Insan كلنا هذا الإنسان (We Are All This Human). Sadek Publications. ISBN 977–5337‐04–5
• Rafea, A. (2002). Al Bad’ Fil Islam Kalimah (The Start in Islam Is a Word). Sadek Publications. ISBN 977–5337‐15–1
• Rafea, A. (Ed.). (2005). Islam: Living in Harmony with the Laws of Life. Sadek Publications. ISBN 978–977–85005–1–6
• Rafea, A. (2007). Nahw Hadaraten Afdhal نحو حضارة أفضل (Towards a Better Civilization). Sadek Publications. ISBN 200711415
• Rafea, A. (2013). Kun Nafsak… Takun Saidan كن نفسك تكن سعيدا (Be Yourself… Be Happy). The Human Foundation
Publication. ISBN 978–977–85005–0–9
• Rafea, A. (Ed.). (2013). Al Islam: Kitab wa Insan (الإسلام: كتاب وإنسان). The Human Foundation Publication.
• Rafea, A. (2015). Attarbeya: Tawasol, Ta‘oun, Mut‘a التربية: تواصل، تعاون، متعة. The Human Foundation Publication. ISBN 978–
977–05–2
Journal articles
• Rafea, A. (2016). Be yourself, be happy. Sufism: An Inquiry Journal, 17(3), pp. 37–40.
• Rafea, A. (2013). On a night journey. Sufism: An Inquiry Journal, 9(2).
• Rafea, A. (2006). Sharpening of the global crisis: Spiritual evolution—the human civilization in search of wholeness. Presented at the Petersburg 2006 Conference, sponsored by the International Coalition for Humanism.
• Rafea, A. (2013). The soul’s longing. In C. A. Helminski (Ed.), Women of Sufism: A Hidden Treasure, p. 201. International Association of Sufism.
Co-authored works
• Rafea, A., Rafea, Alī, & Rafea, Aliaa. (1990). Memoirs of Khabarides: The Future of Spiritualism. Vantage Press, New York. ISBN 978–9775337160
• Rafea, Alī, Rafea, Aliaa, & Rafea, A. (2002). Islam from Adam to Muhammad and Beyond. Sadek Publications. ISBN 977–5337‐19–4. OCLC 855004573
• Rafea, Alī, Rafea, Aliaa, & Rafea, A. (2005). The Book of Essential Islam: The Spiritual Training System of Islam. Book Foundation, Bristol. ISBN 1–904510‐13–2. OCLC 60660832
• Rafea, Alī, Rafea, Aliaa, & Rafea, A. (2005). Beyond Diversities: Reflections on Revelations. Cairo. ISBN 977–14–3220–6. OCLC 1200947154
• Rafea, Alī, Rafea, Aliaa, & Rafea, A. (2007). Islam: Living in Harmony with the Laws of Life (anthology). Alexandria. ISBN 977–17–5236–7
• Rafea, Alī, Rafea, Aliaa, & Rafea, A. (2015). Tanzīl ilāhī wa-mafāhīm bashariyah: āfāq bi-lā ḥudūd (in Swahili). Cairo. ISBN 978–977–85005–4–7. OCLC 932335458
• Rafea, Alī, Rafea, Aliaa, & Rafea, A. (2021). Divine Revelation and Human Interpretations: Opening New Horizons. The Human Foundation for Publication and Distribution, Cairo. ISBN 978–977–6657‐07–6
• Rafea, Alī, Rafea, Aliaa, & Rafea, A. (2022). One Home: Journeys of Spiritual Seekers. The Human Foundation for Publication and Distribution, Cairo. ISBN 978–977–6657‐09–0
External links
Ain Foundation: Between Soul and Soil
Aisha Rafea profile – WISE Muslim Women
The Human Foundation
References
1. Ain Foundation: Between Soul and Soil. http://www.ain-eg.org/
2. Women’s Islamic Initiative in Spirituality and Equality. https://wisemuslimwomen.org/muslim-woman/aisha-rafea-6/
3. The Egyptian Society for Spiritual and Cultural Research (ESSCR). (2020). https://www.esscr.org/masteralyspeechessearch
4. Rafea, A. (2013). The Soul’s Longing. In Helminski, C. A. (Ed.), Women of Sufism: A Hidden Treasure, p. 201. https://www.mnblind.org/pdf/16-history/9716-130-camille-adams-helminski-women-of-sufism/file
5. Nahdet Misr. (2016). Children Character Development Workshop. https://nahdetmisr.com/event/children-character-development-workshop-by-dr-aisha-rafea/
6. Sufism: An Inquiry. On a Night Journey. http://sufismjournal.org/practice/practicenightjourney.html
7. Youm7 Newspaper. Kun Nafsak (in Arabic). https://www.youm7.com/story/2013/9/29/...
8. The Human Foundation. https://www.hfegypt.net/