he Hanafite imam had made great preparations on behalf of his son for this night. He produced four candle-bearing chande-liers of varying styles, some being like trees with branches laden with all kinds of fruits, fresh and dry, and some being.without branches. They were arranged in line before his hatim, on whose summit were boards and planks covered with lamps, torches, and candles, that illuminated all the hatim until it shone in the air like a great crown of light. The candles were brought for-ward in brass candlesticks, and then was set in place the mihrab with the wooden balustrades, its upper part ringed with candles and itself encompassed by candlesticks that threw a halo of light around it.

Early next day, the Shayba began to wash the Ka'bah with the blessed water of Zamzam, for many of the women had brought their little children and sucking babes with them. They found it proper to wash it both out of respect and in order to rid it of imp,_urities, as well as to remove what might put thoughts in the mind of him who has no self-control that would pre-vent him from committing an unclean act in that noble

Yet on the whole, in comparison with the men, they are wretched and cheated. They see the venerated House and may not enter it, they gaze upon the blessed Stone but cannot touch it, and their lot is wholly one of staring and feeling the sadness that moves and holds them. They have nothing but the tawaf at a distance. This day (therefore) which is an annual event, they expect as one expects the most solemn of festivals, and for it they make many provisions and preparations.

The noble House is opened daily in this blessed month, but on the 29th it is reserved especially for women, and on tt..at day they appear in Mecca in great multitudes. It is their famous day of festival, for which they make (great) preparation. On Thursday the I 5th of this month we witnessed a concourse for the 'umrah t~at ~as almost equal to the first, ~hich we spoke of at the beg1Ill11Ilg of the month, and there was not a man or woman but went forth to it. In a word, all this blessed month is attended by various forms of devotional practices such as the 'umrah and other ceremonies, and a particular attention is paid to its beginning and middle part as well as to the twenty-seventh day.

134 THE TRAVELS OF IBN JUBA YR the Bedouin on the way who are wont to prey upon the pilgrims fear their boldness and avoid en.countering them, leaving the road clear to them. The pilgrims making the visit accompany them and praise their company, for despite our description of their habits they are a people who believe sin-cerely in the Faith

They are firmly persuaded that t~e1r prosperity is wholly due to these provisions that th:y brmgt and in this too they enjoy a profitable commerce with Great and Glorious God.

132 THE TRAVELS OF IBN JUBA YR have settled there, so that they are well nourished and sustained. Prices are lowered, and commodities are everywhere to be found, and the people take from them what will las~ them for a year and until the next provisioning. But for th_1s pro-visioning the population of Mecca would lead a miserable ~-th d A curious fact concerning these victuallers is that ey o not sell any of the things we have mentioned for dinars or dirhams but exchange them for cloths, 'abat and shimal [kinds of cloaks]. The Meccans preRare these. fo: the~, together with women's veils and strong qmlts, and similar thmgs such as are worn by the Bedouin, and thus they ~uy_ and ~ell from them. It is related that when these Saru remam m their own country and do not bring provisions, they are afflicted with a drought and death visits their flocks and herds, but when they come with them their land produces a bountiful harvest, and bless-ings are shed on their substance

A curious fact concerning these victuallers is that ey o not sell any of the things we have mentioned for dinars or dirhams but exchange them for cloths, 'abat and shimal [kinds of cloaks]. The Meccans preRare these. fo: the~, together with women's veils and strong qmlts, and similar thmgs such as are worn by the Bedouin, and thus they ~uy_ and ~ell from them

victuallers

Prices are lowered, and commodities are everywhere to be found, and the people take from them what will las~ them for a year and until the next provisioning. But for th_1s pro-visioning the population of Mecca would lead a miserable ~-th d

Let it be enough to tell you that his care extended to the repair of all the roads of the Muslims in eastern parts, from 'Iraq to Syria and to the Hejaz, as we have said, and that he dug wells, built cisterns, founded hostelries in the deserts with orders that they be furnished as a place of rest for the sons of the road [poor travellers] and indeed for all travellers, built inns in the cities between 'Iraq and' Syria, and appointed them for the lodging of those poor sorts of the road who could not pay the account, assigning to these inns and hostelries a staff who should administer to their needs. This he ordained in per-petuity, and these noble requests remain until this day, so that travellers upon the way speak handsomely of this man, and the horizons are filled with his praises.

well you find it, to the sense of taste, like milk coming from the udders of a camel.

In this miracle of God Most High is evidence of His care and blessing that needs no description. 1ft serves the purpose for which it is drunk' [see note 50], as aaid the Prophet - may God bless and preserve him. 'God, with His grace and favour, grante4 that all who thirst for it should drink therefrom'. One of the tried effects of this blessed water 1s that if perchance a man should feel a touch of sickness or languor of the limbs, either from many circumambulations ( of the K.a'bah) or from the performance on foot of the lesser pilgrimage or for other reasons causing fatigue, and pours this water on his body, he will on the instant find relief and be enlivened and that which afflicts him will pass away

hey even declared that the blessed water of Zamzam had become more palatable, and that before it had not been of this purity. A singular feature of this water is that when you drink it on its issuing forth from the bottom of the

No, in the name of God it is more than I described, aujl above what I said. Mecca has a honey better than that (called) al-mahdi and which has become a proverb; they call it al-mas' udi. The various kinds of milk are of the highest excellence, and. all butter made from it you can scarce distinguish from hon~ for its goodness and sweetnes

All this 1~ within the eight days that follow the pilgrimage, and exclusive of what might suddenly arrive throughout the year from the Yemen and other countries. Not on the face of the world are there any goods or products but that some of them are in Mecca l\t this meeting of the pilgrims. This blessing is clear to all, and one of the miracles that God has worked in particular for this city.

Wise men avoid it for this reason, and more particularly for another and humiliating reason, which is that the gener; of men believe that he who cannot fit it, and who is caug by it and cannot escape, is not a child of lawful wedlock. T. story has so run upon their tongues that it has become with them an absolute truth of which there is no doubt. He, ther11-fore, who is caught and fails to get through, mu~t reek?~ witi bearing this shameful and mortifying th~u~ht, 111 addition. to what his body is suffering from the constnct1on of that narro\1 place, from which because of pain he looks on death, cut sho of breath and afflicted by suffering. Some men quote the P~Of verb, 'None but a thaur (ox, i.e. fool] would go up Je~ Abu Thawr.

His favour - as described by ~ ;od Most Hi~h in His Glorious Book [Koran IX, 40]. I read In the work, Notes on Mecca, by Abu 'l-Walid al-Azraqi, that the mountain called to the Prophet - may God bless and preserve him-saying, 'To me, oh Muhammad, to me, oh Muhammad, for I have given sanctuary to a prophet before you.' On this mountain Great and Glorious God worked especi-ally for His prophet palpable miracles. In one of these the Prophet - may God bless and preserve him - entered with his Companion [Abu Bakr], a cleft in the rock two-thirds of a 1p:m wide and a cubit deep. When they were at peace imide le, God ordained that a spider should make it~ home over it, and that a bird should build its nest and have its egos therein. The idolators arrived, led by a tracker who followed the foot-r,rints on the road and stopped them at the cleft, and said, Herc the footprints end. Your friend either ascended from here to the skies, or was swallowed by the earth.' They looked llpnn the spider spinning its web across the face of the cleft, 1,d the bird hatching its eggs, and saying, 'No one has entered ~,re,' they departed. Said the Faithful One-may God hold ~lm in His favour-'Oh Messenger of God, had they got in 1 us through the mouth of the cave what should we have .nc' and the Apostle of God-may God bless and preserve "'" - replied, 'Had they got in to us, we should have gone .rth from there,' and with his blessed . hand ,he pointed to .. other side of the cave. In it there had been no cleft, but 1 the instant, and by the power of Great and Glorious God, 1 r opened a door in its face. Glory to God who can 11 harge that which He wishes.

Another of its noble shrines is the House of the Khayzuran, where the Prophet - may God bless and preserve him -wor-shipped God in secret with the noble group of pioneers for Islam, some of his Companions - may God hold them in His favour - until God spread Islam from it by the hand of al-Faruq [The Distinguisher between True and False] (the Caliph) 'Umar ibn a,1-Khattab -may God hold him in His fav0ur.

This blessed place is opened, and all men enter it to be blessed, on every Monday of the month' of Rabi' al-Awwal; for on that day and in that month was born the Prophet - may God bless and preserve him. All the holy places mentioned are opened on that day, which is always· :t famous one in Mecca.

Also amongst its noble shrines is the birthplace of the Prophet - may God bless and preserve him - and the undefiled ground that was the first earth to touch his immaculate body and over which has been built a mosque that never was seen more finely built, being for the most of inlaid gold.

A note on some of the illustrious shrines of Mecca and its holy relics

Mecca - may God exalt it - is all a noble shrine. Honour enough for it is God's especially placing in it the August House, and the prayers that anciently ~e Friend ( of God) Abr~an\ made for it [Koran II, 126]. It _is the Haram [sa~re_d precm~] of God, and His place of security. Enough that 1t 1s the ~laoi of origin of the Prophet - may God bless an~ pre~~rve ~ ◄ whom God distinguished with honour and liberality, sendint with him the verses of the Koran and wise invocations. It I the source of inspiration and revelation, and the first pla.1 where the spirit of the faithful Jibril [Gabri~!] descended: was the resort of the prophets of God and his. noble aposde. and also the birthplace of many of his Quraysh Companioil the emigrants whom God made as lamps of religion and as stars for those upon the right path.

Mecca is walled only on the side of al-Ma'la where there is a way into the city, on the side of al-Masfal where also there is an entrance, and of Bab al-'Umrah. On the other sides there are mountains, so for walls there is no need. The Walls of Mecca. are now destroyed, but traces remain and the Gates stand.

Amongst the famous mountains of Mecca, after Jabal Abu Qubays is Jabal Hira'.

We were told tha_t they were idols worshipped by the Quraysh in the days of ignorance [before Islam], the greatest of them being Hubal. (Now) prostrate they lie upon their faces, trampled op, by men and treated with the contempt of their slippers, unable to help themselves much less their worshippers.

ihram [pilgrim garb]

haram [ sacred territory of Mecca]

hill [country unbound by the sacred prohibitions on carryin. arms, molesting game, fighting, etc.].

The pilgrim will find, a great convenience for washing, ritual ablu-tions, and drinking; and its founder is on the prosperous road to reward and recompense (from God)

Round those four mountains are others, and some say that the mountains on which Abraham put the birds were seven of these. God best knows,

From here, after a mile, you come to al-Zahir, which is built on both sides of the road and has houses and gardens. All are the property of a Meccan. Places for bathing and drinking have been made for those performing the 'umrah. At the side of the road is a long bench on whid1 is a row o( (drinking) mugs,

God's curses on them. From old times on, men have not ceased the custom of stoning them, until now they are covered by two large mountains

It is reported that it is the place where the Prophet - may God bless and pre-serve him - sat and rested when he returned from the lesser P.ilgrimage. Men win blessings by kissing it and smoothing their cheeks against it, as indeed they should in duty, and they lean against it that their bodies might receive blessings by its contact.

large and long, filled with creatures so many that only Great and Glorious God can count them.

Mecca is a city set by Great and Glorious God amongst the 111ountains that enclose it. It is in the bosom of a holy valley,

nd when the torrent comes, it turns from the dam to its (former) 1 '0urse, passing the Bab Ibrahim to the place called al-Masfalah lthe Lower Part], and leaving the town

the Peak of the Debris

it was the first moun-tain made by God, Great and Glorious is He, and that on it was deposited the Black Stone at the time of the Flood.

the cou~se of the torrent

, which IS the ~istance of the running, for coming and for gomg, from the mil to the two mils, and from the two mils to the mil.

The mil is a green column, dyed that colour, at the angle of the minareC that is at the eastern comer of the Haram

Every pilgrim who comes to Mecca - may God exalt it - on the 'umrah [lesser pilgrimage] should preferably enter by the Bab Banu Shayba, then perfor~ the _seven circuits, and finally leave by the Bab al-Safa mi.kmg his way between the two columns that the Mahdi - God's mercy on his soul - had ordered should be erected to show, as we have already remarked, the way that the Messenger of God had taken to al-Safa.

mihrabs

Haram

minaret

The Month of Ramadan the Sublime

The Month of Sha'ban the Honoure

He fol-lowed on by mentioning the Well of Zamzam a1!-d the Maq~, pointing at them with both fingers.

a sort of quadri-lateral mihrab with a ~ooden balustrade, standing on four pedestals and having at its summit wooden shafts, from which hung lamps, and on which stood lighted lanterns and torches. Round the mihrab were driven sharp-headed nails on to which were fixed the candles that surrounded all the mihrab

His father had made uncommon preparations for this night, having arranged a chandelier, made of wax, with branches, set with all manner of fruits, fresh and dry, and furnished with many candles

We have descanted upon the zeal of the settlers [ mujawirin] in the noble Haram in discharging religious duties and reciting the tarawih of the blessed month (of Ramadan), and on the number of imams (officiating) in the Haram. On every odd night of the last ten nights of the month the whole of the Koran is recited

But this availed nothing, and they continued to swarm, raising themselves over each other and persisting in this until the khatib arrived

The people had now assembled for the midday prayers, and the Emir returned to the Sacred Mosque in the same frighten-ing and impressive manner,

This troop of Ghuzz [Seljuk Turks] hurled itself into God's Ancient House with the impetuosity of moths at a lamp,

In the forenoon of Wednesday the 3rd of the blessed month, we were sitting in the honoured Hijr when we heard the drums of the Emir Mukthir and the voices of the women of Mecca ululating for him. While we were listening, the Emir entered, for he had returned from meeting the Emir Sayf al-Islam. He made the tawaf of the taslim around the venerated House, while the people manifested their joy at his return and their happi-ness at his safety. Report had gone abroad that Sayf al-Islam had come to al-Zahir, and that his tents had been pitched there. An advanced party of his army had arrived at the Haram, and encompassed. the Emir Mukthir as he performed the tawaf While the people were gazing on them, they suddenly heard a great clamour and fearful shouting and the~e they saw the Emir Sayf al-Islam entering by the Bab Banu Shayba. The flashings of the swords before him almost obstructed the view of him. The Qadi was on his right, and the chief of the Shayba on his left. The Mosque was in great commotion, being filled with spectators and pilgrims; and the voices of men in prayer for him and for his brother Saladin rose so high as to deafen the ears and confound the understanding. From his high post the Zamzam muezzin raised his voice in prayer and praise for him; the voices of the people rose above the muezzin's; and great was the awe of the scene to look upon and hear. As the Emir drew near to the sublime House, swords were sheathed, spirits contracted, the fine clothing was cast off, necks were depressed and their napes enhumbled, and minds were bereft of steadi.:~~s, in awe and reverence of the House of the IGng of IGngs, the Powerful, the Mighty, the One, the Con-quering, who grants possessicns to whom He wishes, and takes them away from whom He wills, Praise be to Him. Great is His strength, glorious His powe

As to the .reason for his journey, men said that he was on his way to the Yemen because of some disputes hat had ris~n. there, and because of a rebellion raised by its emirs. But into the minds of the Meccans entered a dreadful apprehension, and fear fell upon them.

The Zamzam muezzin is encharged with the duty of THE MONTH OF RAMADAN THE SUBLIME (579) 147 announcing the daybreak meal [sahur]. He does it from the min-aret in the east comer of the Mosque because of its nearness to the Emir's house. There he stands, at that time, calling, remind-ing, and urging to the meal. With him are two younger brothers who answer him and call in their tum. At the top of the minaret has been fixed a long board at whose end, crosswise like out-stretched arms, is a pole supporting at its tips two small pulleys on which hang two large glass lanterns that remain alight throughout the time of the meal. When the 'first gleams of dawn draw near' [Koran II, 187], and the signal to end the meal has time and again been sounded, the muezzin lowers the two lanterns from the top of the board, and commences the call to prayer, when from all sides the muezzins take up the call. All the houses of Mecca have high roofs, and who-soever does not hear the call to the daybreak meal because of the distance of his house from the Mosque may see the two lanterns alight on the top of the minaret. When he does not see them, he knows that the period for eating has ended (and the fast resumed). The night of T

The whip which we mentioned is used in this blessed month. It is cracked three times at the conclusion of the sunset call to prayers, and simi-larly at the end of the call to evening prayers. Beyond a doubt it is one of the recent innovations in this august Mosque - may God sanctify it.

Venerated Comer

Multazam

The Mosque shook witb-the voices of reciters in every part, so that the eyes behel~ a sight, and the ears heard strains that ravished the senses with emotion and fervour.

The Shafi'ites, who had precedence over the others, had set up an imam on one side of the Mosque, and the Hanbalites, the Hanafites, and the Zaydis had done the same. As for the Malikites, they had gathered round three reciters who recited in turn.

imams

Thus the Malikite part of the Mosque excited wonder for its beauty and overpowered the eyes with its radiance.

mihrab

qintar,

Bab Banu Shayba

The signal for the fast ,vas given by drumbeat on the Sunday night, following the rites observed by him and his sect the 'Aliites and those of their persuasion. For, as it is said, they deem the fast to fall due on a day that is doubtful [being either the last day of Sha'ban or the first of Ramadan]. God best knows concerning this

The assemblies of these foreigners, in sensibility, in emotionalism, in the ready ~cstasies, in zealous ardour of worship, in assiduity in acts of piety and in the manifestation of grace, are truly remarkable and exalted

At last a foreign woman passed and crymg, Is it thus you leave this man, and in this state?' made sReed t? take _a little water from the Well of Zamzam and sprinkle 1t on his face

he went retelling these lines, while his tears flowed and his voice trembled and grew weak, until it came to Ahmad ibn Hassan that the man would faint. This thought had no sooner passed through his mind than on the instant the man fell swooning to the ground, and lay there like something cast aside, moving not.

Black Stone

Dome of Zamzam,

Oh what a spectacle, that the imagination could not conceive or the fancy conjecture!

rak'ah

taslim

Suddenly a foreign man came and sat on the bench beside his head and began to recite the Koran in a moving and gentle voice, accom-panying it with deep sighs and sobs. He recited beautifully, instilling the sentiments into the soul, and infusing them with a power to move (even) the insensible. Our comrade abstained from sleeping that he might enjoy the beauty of what he heard, with all its yearning and emotion. At last the man ended his reciting and said: 'If evil deeds have taken me far from You My honest thoughts have brought me near again,' repeating the words in tones of harmony that would cleave stones and break the heart.

That blessed night one of us, Ahmad ibn Hassan, witnessed a remarkable circumstance; one of those strange events that are memorable among things of sensibility.

Their aim in this was to gain the grace of that blessed water whose rise was evident.

This blessed night, that is, the night of the middle of Sha'ban. is held in high esteem by the Meccans, because of the noble tradition that has come down to us concerning it. They con-tend with each other in performing pious acts such as the 'umrah1 the tawaf, and prayers, both singly and in congregation, dividing into blessed divisions.

But if anyone had remarked that day that the water had not risen, he would have been thrown into the well, or been trodden under foot until he dissolved.

On the morning of Saturday the 15th of the month, we carefully examined this measurement in order to clear all doubt as to the truth of the matter, and found it to be as it was before

One of our number that .day entered into the dome, and from the press of the crowd suffered distress and difficulty. He heard men crying, 'The water has risen seven cubits,' and direct-ing himself towards one of the white-moustachioed ones who bore some impress of intelligence and perspicacity in his features, questioned him concerning it. 'Yes,' he replied, the tears stream-ing down his face. 'The water has risen seven cubits, there is no doubt ofit.' 'Is your information sure?' our comrade asked, and the man gave answer, 'Yes.' It is very strange that among them was one who said that he had come at dawn on Friday, and found the water to be about the stature of a man from the brim. Oh strange and false invention! We take refuge in God from such seducements. It was by chance that we concerned ourselves with this affair, through the predominance of the reports spread about it, and their continuance over many years among the common people of Mecca

fowid that the measurement was the same, neither more nor less.

On Friday night one of us lowered his bucket into the blessed well until it touched the surface of the water, and made a knot in the rope at the place where it reached the brim. We were thus able to measure it truly.

cubits

orisons

Men and women were crowding round the dome of the blessed well because they thought, rather on the affirma-tion of the ignorant than of the wise, that the water of Zamzam rose on the night of the middle of the month of Sha'ban

Emir

'Recite.the tahlil ["There is no God but God"] and the takbir ["God is Great"]

Haram

muezzin

tawaf