الحمد لله رب العالمين، وصلى الله وسلم على نبينا محمد وعلى آله وأصحابه أجمعين، أما بعد
Continuing with the account of his journey; Al-‘Allaamah Siddeeq Hasan Khan (rahimahullaah) said:
However – Allaah had mercy upon us with safeguard until the appearance of dawn – and then we came to witness that mountain in the light of the day.
From the oddities which must not remain hidden, is that the seamen; when they would be hesitant in an affair of the vessel; from the inactivity of the wind or its blowing in detrimental contravention – or something from fear over the ship and its people; they would call out in the name of: ‘Shaikh ‘Eedroos’ and other than him from the creation.[1] Seeking rescue and aid from him, and yet they would not mention Allaah, The Mighty and Majestic – at all. Nor would they call upon Him by His Beautiful Names, and when I heard them calling upon other than Allaah and seeking help from the Awliyaa – I feared for the people of the vessel – an immense fear from destruction.
I said to myself: O Lord; how strange! How will this vessel along with its people reach the shore in safety?! For indeed, the pagan Arabs would not remember their false deities in the like of this standing, rather they would call upon Allaah, The Most High – alone without associating partners with Him, as He, The Glorified mentions concerning them in His decisively clear Book:
فَإِذَا رَكِبُوا فِي الْفُلْكِ دَعَوُا اللَّهَ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ الدِّينَ
((And when they embark on a ship, they invoke Allaah, sincere to Him in religion)) (Al-Ankaboot: 65).
Yet these people who call themselves Muslims call upon other than Allaah, and they call out with the names of the creation, and indeed Allaah, The Most High, was Truthful when He said:
وَمَا يُؤْمِنُ أَكْثَرُهُم بِاللَّهِ إِلَّا وَهُم مُّشْرِكُونَ
((And most of them do not believe in Allaah except that they attribute partners [with Him])) (Yusuf: 106)
However, since The Mercy of Allaah precedes His Anger; The Most Merciful of those who have mercy led the vessel by His Grace howsoever the case may have been after exasperating debacles; to the intended stopping place. They raised the anchor of the ship on the morning of that terrifying night onwards to Jeddah and were harmonized with an agreeable wind. Therefore the vessel completed the rest of the course in a day and a night, and so reached the shore of Jeddah at the Dhuhr prayer on Sunday – the ninth of Dhil-Qa’dah; and all praise is for Allaah for that – many praises.
That which came about for us by way of happiness of the heart and the radiance of the face and the joy at that time could not be known of in its realities except by The All-Knowing of that which is within the chests. How? For indeed the appearance of the objective had become clearly manifest after two months – on the back of sheer desperation. For we would say: ‘O Lord of the people! Set our ship upon Jeddah just as the Ark of Nooh (‘alaihis salaam) came to rest on mount Judiyy, for that is not hard or difficult upon Your Exalted Grace.’
When I descended at Jeddah I remained there for three days recuperating from the fatigue of travel, as well as for the hiring of the camels that were to carry the heavy loads.
I found at Jeddah; tax collectors (customs officials) from the Turks, who were oppressing the people by taking their wealth through, false ploys.[2]
Then on Wednesday the twelfth of Dhil-Qa’dah we mounted at Jeddah heading for Haddah after the Maghrib prayer; and then from Haddah to the intended Ka’bah and the threshold of munificence – after we had combined the Dhuhr and the ‘Asr prayers, and so we entered the Balad Al-Ameen (the City of security) after midnight with Sayyid Abee Bakr Al-Mutawwif.
We dismounted from the camels and walked on foot leaving behind the baggage and heavy loads with the attendants – and we did not halt at anything, we were intent on the Masjid Al-Haraam – and thus we entered it through the ‘Baab As-Salaam’ and so we performed the actions for the ‘Umrah by way of tawaaf and the sa’ee and the shaving of the heads – in accordance to correct sequence.
It was made easy for us – with praise of He, The Most High, to attain what we had hoped for in kissing the (black) stone, as well as taking the corner in every circular round due to the emptiness of the areas of circumambulation and the sa’ee – and other than them from every native resident and foreigner.
And from the very first glance that fell upon the beauty of 
the noble Ka’bah we forgot the tribulations of the journey and its hardships – all of them. It was as though we had not so much as been pricked by a thorn along the way – and this is the affair of every one that has longing and is truthful. How is it when the radiant Ka’bah – may Allaah increase it in illumination and eminence; its ruby is like an embellishment that clears in brilliancy the visual sights of the righteous – evident to the onlookers in its dignified black attire.
After we had finished completing the sa’ee between Safaa and Marwaa; we saw that we should complete the remainder of the night beside the Ka’bah. So we remained beside it until Fajr; praying the night prayer and making supplication and seeking forgiveness until daybreak. We prayed the Morning Prayer along with the first congregation of the Shaafi’ees[3] and then we returned to our lodging and we shaved our heads and dressed in our (usual) stitched garments and we came out of the state of ihraam.
We remained in Makkah awaiting the Hajj; since the time for journeying to Al-Madeenah had elapsed due to the delay in our ship’s arrival. If it had not been for that; then we would surely have journeyed to the Prophet’s Mosque and we would have had the pleasure of conveying As-Salaam upon the pure illuminated Ahmadi grave (i.e upon the Prophet – sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam). Yet still we did not leave off busying ourselves with knowledge during this short time, I mean at the end of the month of Dhil-Qa’dah, rather within it we bought some books and attained many benefits.
On the twenty ninth of the aforementioned month, a man with the Qaadhee of Makkah sighted the moon for the month of Dhil-Hijjah, and so what would have been its thirtieth day became firmly established as the first day of Dhil-Hijjah. The people of Makkah did not see the moon at that time, nor did any others from the travelers; however the people followed the Qaadhee in that regard there. So I assumed the ihraam on the day of At-Tarwiyyah – and it was the eighth of Dhil-Hijjah, and hence I proceeded in the direction of Mina and I arrived at Mina and I was walking. Then I rode from there to ‘Arafah; and so I completed the actions for the Hajj in the mentioned sequence contained within this manual[4] – and in accordance to the method described in the authentic Sunnah.
I read Al-Hizb Al-‘Adham of ‘Ali Al-Qaaree – all of it before the standing at ‘Arafah, then I stood there; and I spared no exertion in supplicating and seeking forgiveness until sunset. As well as in humility and earnest implore to The One Who has Knowledge of the unseen, hoping for acceptance from Allaah. Then I departed from it to Muzdalifah; and from it to Mina and then I completed the rest of the actions and I performed them in the best of circumstances. Yet in the utmost enthusiasm for the sciences of the Sunnah; I did not leave off writing knowledge at ‘Arafah and Mina in the days of stay there, however; it was in other than the set times of the rites of Hajj.
When I returned to Makkah on the thirteenth; I did not find a caravan bound for Al-Madeenah, so I remained awaiting a company of travelers. Then on the fifteenth of the month of Safar in the year 1280H, I started out on the journey from Makkah Al-Mukarramah to Al-Madeenah Al-Munawarrah. I reached it in twenty days – contrary to scheduled limit, since its marching journey is usually twelve days commonly in most cases, however; the camel-drivers were not amiably courteous with us, and so they abandoned the caravan at ‘Usfaan and they harboured ill will and transgression. Yet Allaah sufficed the foreign believers of their evil and harms, and caused everyone to arrive in safe integrity of wealth and souls at Taabah (Al-Madeenah), and He caused their supplications to be answered.
It happened that I stayed in this blessed city for a week. It was 
facilitated for me to attend the Prophet’s Mosque, and to give salutation upon the illuminated resting place of al-Mustafa (i.e upon the Prophet – sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) and his companions, and visit its Baqee’ (cemetery), as well as the martyrs of Uhud, especially the head of the martyrs Hamza (radhiyallaahu Ta’aalaa ‘anhu) – and other than that from mosques and wells.[5] In particular Masjid Qubaa in the manner which has been transmitted according to the Sunnah, the city of Tayyibah (Madeenah) is filled with an array of blessings.
I purchased in Al-Madeenah the book: Al-Madkhal of Ibn al-Haaj, and it is a book comprising of a refutation of the innovations of those attempting the acquisition of knowledge, as well as the newly invented affairs of the mystics.
At the time of returning from it I assumed the Ihraam for ‘Umrah and arrived at Makkah on the twelfth day since beginning the journey in the middle of the night as I reached it from Haddah, and I consequently found the area of circumambulation and the sa’ee void of people. So I came with its actions in accordance to correct sequence, and thus there was procured for me – and all praise is for Allaah, The Most High, a Hajj along with two ‘Umrahs.
So the duration of my stay at Makkah and in nearness to Him, The Most High, from the beginning to end was around four months, and with me; the essence of my life were those very days, and that which passed by from other than it was nothing but sleep or dreams. Therefore I hope from Allaah, The Most High, for the recurrence of this time, and to see out what remains of life in nearness to The Most Merciful.
I stayed at Makkah in the district of the people of India, I would come and go to the respected Haram through the ‘Baab Az-Ziyaadah’ and I would recall the saying of Allaah, The Most High:
لِّلَّذِينَ أَحْسَنُوا الْحُسْنَىٰ وَزِيَادَةٌ
((For those who did well [in the world] will be the finest [reward], and an increase)) (Yunus: 26)
I hope from Him, The Glorified, that He makes me from the people of that bliss, and often I would pass by ‘Baab as-Salaam’ with the aspired goal of the books of knowledge and I would say to myself: enter it in peace.
I performed the farewell circumambulation at the beginning of Jumaadil Ulaa, and I proceeded to Jeddah and boarded the vessel named ‘Faidhul Qadeer’. Its capacity was for some nine hundred (900) people aside from baggage and heavy goods, and so we again passed by the coast of Al-Hudaidah on the return, and the vessel called in there for three days for some necessities, then it proceeded to Mumbai.
The time was a time of severe heat, and the wind was a simoom (hot wind), and the water of the sea was ablaze. So the people of the vessel became sick – except for those that Allaah safeguarded, and some of the people died from the severity of the heat until the vessel covered the distance of half way. When it passed by ‘Aden, along came the cold and the rain, and so the sickness and heat went, yet when the vessel approached the coast of Mumbai, the ship’s master lost track of course due to the obscurity of the sun and the amassing of the clouds.
The season was a season for deluge (typhoons) and the dashing together of the sea and surging waves, hence the rooms above the awnings of the vessel were shattered from the crashing of the waves – and the timbers of the vessel would stir in agitation, and its people became certain of the advent of death. So the ship upon the sea was like a feather in the wilderness, and the souls became constricted against the sweetness of life. This was until the Mercy of Allaah, The Most High, came – and He is The Most Merciful of those that have mercy.
So the sun came out from its point of ascent, and the ship master’s meridian observation was put right due to its appearance, and the ship consequently proceeded along the correct course, and a mail ship arrived from the direction of Mumbai and met us and then accompanied this vessel until it conveyed it in to the coast of success, and all praise is for Allaah, The One Who, by His blessings; good things are perfected.
I witnessed in this voyage of mine many extraordinary things, and I saw a number of tribulations, and the people were put to test – and so the insolent became distinguished from the discerningly astute. I likewise stood against the ceremonious formalities of the people and their innovations and their newly invented matters and their being engrossed in the fineness of garments and food and matrimony and dwellings – with their ardent determinations being confined to that, whilst not so much as raising their heads to the Sunan and that which has died from it as well as the weakness of Islaam – and this is a dishonouring for the people of the religion.
And so in twenty two days we reached Mumbai from Jeddah, and we remained there for some days due to an abundance of rainfall, and then we reached the journey’s end of Bhopal in the early part of the month of Jumaadil Aakhir on board ‘Al-Babur’ – spanning those way-stations which we had passed by originally.
The entire duration since going and returning had been eight months, and all praise is for Allaah upon that, and the day of departure from Bhopal and the day of returning to it was the same day – and it was a Saturday, so it was as if this blessed journey had not been; except for a single day.
We now reside in Bhopal – until Allaah, The Most High Wills, and it is hoped from our Lord, The Possessor of Majesty, to be facilitated in a position of continuity – until the moment of death – beside the Sacred House of Allaah, or the City of the best of mankind (‘alaihis salaam).
و بالله التوفيق – وهو الهادي لأقوم طريق
And with Allaah lies ability (to success), and He is The Guide to the most upright assured path.
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[1] Al-‘Allaamah Siddeeq Hasan Khan said in his book Qatf Ath-Thamar fee Bayaan ‘Aqeedah Ahlil Athar (p.101): “Indeed the misguidance of the Sufi’s has increased, their being followed by the rabble and ignorant folk. Satan has preoccupied them; causing them to forget the remembrance of Allaah. So you do not hear except: O my master Ahmad Al-Badawee; and O my master Az-Zayla’ee; and O ‘Eedroos; and O Jeelaanee. You will not hear one that remembers Allaah and so turns to Him upon the oceans and land – except a few. They fabricate lies (fallacies) that have no basis, for their ignorance has reached the extent today that it envelops the general people of our time as well as their particular – except those that Allaah wills. So they attribute to them things from omnipotence and the possessing of the knowledge of the unseen as well as having a power of the disposal of affairs in the universe; from the things which are exclusive only to Allaah, The Perfect…” In a footnote to this statement Shaikh Rabee’ bin Haadi (hafidhahullaah) mentions: “In the position of this Imaam is that which adds support to the stance of Imaam Muhammad (bin ‘Abdil-Wahhaab) from these aspects of shirk. As well as a confirmation from him that this destructive scourge was widespread throughout the Islamic lands, enveloping the particular from them and the general – except those that Allaah safeguarded. (See: Dahr iftiraa’aat ahl az-zaigh wal irtiyaab p.143-144)
[2] The region of Al-Hijaz – in which the cities of Makkah and Madinah are located was under Turkish Ottoman control during this time.
[3] From the bizarre peculiarities of this era was that in the Masjid Al-Haraam; there would be four separate congregational prayers conducted for every obligatory prayer with each congregation performed by adherents and followers of its relevant Madhab. Al-‘Allaamah Ahmad Shaakir (rahimahullaah) said concerning this in his notes to Sunan At-Tirmidhee (vol 1 p.432):
“…Rather it has reached us that this abomination – meaning the plurality of the congregational prayers in accordance to the four Madhabs in one mosque – which was the case in the Haram Al-Makki; that four Imaams would pray there with the claim that it was for the four Madhabs, however we do not see this. Since we did not come across this era in Makkah, instead we performed the Hajj in the era of King ‘Abdul-‘Azeez bin ‘Abdir-Rahmaan Aal-Sa’ood (hafidhahullaah), and we heard that he annulled this innovation and so gathered the people in the Haram behind a single stipulated Imaam. We hope that Allaah grants the scholars of Islaam the ability in nullification of this innovation from all of the Mosques in the countries – by the Favour of Allaah and by His Aid, for indeed He is The One Who Hears the supplication.”
[4] The greater part of the book from which this story is taken consists of a manual in which the author cites the virtues of the city of Makkah and of performing Hajj and ‘Umrah, as well as an explanation of the rites of Hajj and other issues related to Hajj and ‘Umrah.
[5] Shaikh ‘Abdul-‘Azeez bin Baaz (rahimahullaah) said: “…This is that which has been legislated for the one who visits Al-Madeenah, as for his intending (the visitation) of other places such as wells or other Mosques or places, then this is not legislated. That which is legislated for the one who visits Al-Madeenah is that which we have cited; firstly: prayer in the Prophet’s Masjid (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam). Then: sending Salaam upon him and his two companions, then: visiting Al-Baqee’, then: visiting the martyrs (of Uhud), then: visiting Masjid Qubaa. All of this is a Sunnah and is not obligatory, if a person did not visit them then there is nothing to it, however – this is a Sunnah and is recommended – and is not obligatory.” (See: Fataawa Noorun ‘ala-Darb no.219)
Shaikh Muhammad bin Saalih Al-‘Uthaimeen (rahimahullaah) said: “…There is nothing that is to be visited there in Al-Madeenah other than these: visiting the Prophet’s Masjid, and visiting the grave of the Messenger (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) and the graves of his two companions (radhiyallaahu ‘anhumaa), and visiting Al-Baqee’ and visiting the martyrs of Uhud and visiting Masjid Qubaa. Anything other than that from the places which are visited; then it has no basis.” (See: Majmu’ Fataawa vol 23 p.411)
Point of benefit: Al-‘Allaamah Siddeeq Hasan Khan went on to help propagate the religion through financing the large-scale printing and distribution of books of sound ‘Aqeedah and the Sunnah as well as other sciences of the religion, as was indicated by Al-‘Allaamah Hammaad al-Ansaaree (rahimahullaah) who said: “Indeed Shaikh Siddeeq Hasan Khan Al-Qinooji was the first to begin the distribution of the books of scholarly heritage works (through book publication) in India; and this was due to his marriage to a Queen (Monarch) in India.” (Al-Majmu’ fee tarjumah Hammaad al-Ansaaree vol 2 p.751)
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