From Associated Press to AROPL Studios - Taymour's Journey to the Faith

As part of our Professional Profiles series, we highlight members of AROPL with accomplished careers and expertise, showing how their professional paths led them to join the community of Abdullah Hashem.

Taymour Elalfy has spent over a decade on the front lines of history — from the Arab Spring to anti-lockdown protests in Europe — capturing some of the world’s most pivotal moments as a video journalist for prestigious news organizations like the Associated Press. Today, he uses his professional camera skills to perfect the series The School of Divine Mysteries on The Mahdi Has Appeared YouTube channel, which has fascinated millions online.

Tell us a bit about yourself — your name, your background, and how old you are.

My name is Taymour Elalfy. I’m Egyptian, and I’m 37 years old.

What does your professional journey look like? Where did it begin, and what kind of work have you done?

I hold a Master’s degree in Television and Digital Journalism from the American University in Cairo, which I completed in 2014, after earning my Bachelor’s in Journalism and Mass Communication from the same university in 2010.

Over the past 15 years, I’ve worked as a video journalist and field producer for leading international news agencies including Ruptly and the Associated Press. My experience spans major global events such as the Hong Kong protests, the Arab Spring in Egypt and Libya, the South Sudan referendum, and European protests against COVID-19 lockdowns. I’ve also worked with Eurovision, NBC, and other major outlets, covering events of historical importance.

What originally drew you to journalism, and what did you love about it?

I loved being where important things were happening and witnessing history firsthand. I saw the Arab

Spring erupt in countries like Egypt and Libya. I was in Juba when the people of South Sudan voted to become their own nation. I documented the rise of far-right movements in Europe and stood among millions protesting in Hong Kong, risking everything for what they believed in.

There’s something deeply human about being present in those moments. I chose this job because I felt a calling to see the truth for myself and share it with the world.

Every day was rewarding because I was able to capture reality and give a voice to people who might otherwise go unheard. That, to me, is the greatest purpose of journalism.

How did you come across this religion?

I first heard about this religion from Abdullah Hashem, through his 2011 series The Arrived. At the time, I was in the middle of covering the Egyptian revolutions and Abdullah Hashem was calling us to follow his father Ahmed Al-Hassan. My faith in Ahmed Al-Hassan gave me strength, clarity, and courage even in the most dangerous environments I worked in.

I was deeply moved by the words of Imam Ahmed Al-Hassan in his recorded speeches and his books. In his explanation of the story of Moses and the people of Israel, he spoke of a generation that left Egypt but died in the wilderness because they lacked the courage to enter the Promised Land. It was their children, born wild and raised free, who crossed over.

I knew he was speaking to me. My parents' generation was broken by decades of dictatorship and submission. They raised me to keep my head down, not ask questions, and avoid risk. But I always felt a fire in me to break free. Ahmed Al-Hassan was my Moses, calling me out of Egypt. And Aba Al-Sadiq was my Joshua, leading us into the Promised Land.

How have you been able to apply your professional experience to your spiritual path?

I bring a wide range of media skills including camera work, editing, live video production, storytelling, and the discipline of field journalism. I’ve channeled all of that into serving the Imam’s studio and the message of the call.

More importantly, I bring a mindset. As journalists, our mission is to seek the truth. I’ve always believed that truth must guide our work. Now that I’ve found the truth in this call, I serve it with everything I have.

What message would you share with those still working in mainstream media?

Integrity is the soul of journalism. Too often that integrity is compromised by political or economic agendas, personal ambition, or the pursuit of clicks. That’s not journalism. That’s entertainment.

Remember, the first thing oppressive powers go after is the media. If they blind the media, they can act freely in the dark. If truth doesn’t guide every frame you shoot or every word you write, this job isn’t for you. You should consider marketing or PR.

I know this may sound idealistic, but I still believe in what we were taught in school. Even if the world doesn’t live up to those ideals, we must. You have to be sure you are on the right side of history. And the right side of history is the side that stands with humanity first.

Let me just say this. I didn’t leave journalism. I brought journalism with me into a higher purpose. I still chase the truth. I still document what matters. But now I do it not for ratings or headlines, but for a divine mission that stands for justice, freedom, and the awakening of humankind.