ˈælɐlˈɑːwɪz fɹˈɛntʃ fɪzˈɪʃən, mɑːɹsˈɛl kˈæɹɪt, ɹˈoʊt ʌv hɪz fˈɜːst mˈiːɾɪŋ wɪð ʃˈeɪk ˈælɐlˈɑːwi: "wˌʌt ɪmˈiːdɪətli stɹˈʌk mˌiː wʌz hɪz ɹᵻzˈɛmbləns tə ðə fˈeɪs wˌɪtʃ ɪz dʒˈɛnɚɹəli jˈuːzd tə ɹˌɛpɹᵻzˈɛnt kɹˈaɪst.
Al-Alawi's French physician, Marcel Carret, wrote of his first meeting with Sheikh al-Alawi: "What immediately struck me was his resemblance to the face which is generally used to represent Christ.