Hajj

Labbaik: The story of my Hajj (Part 12)

Posted by

0

Mohsin Aziz 

Each Hajj journey is unique. Every Hajj pilgrim has some deeply personal, emotional, and spiritual story to share. It is very normal for pilgrims coming back from Hajj to share their unique, often deeply emotional and spiritual encounters. How a stranger helped when there seemed none or how suddenly their problem was solved when their was no hope. People who have still not made the journey listen to these stories with reverence and hope that one day they would also get a chance to go to Macca. However, some stories stand out, become viral (in todays social media driven environment), and provide unique insight on the desire of millions to make once in a lifetime journey. Here are four incredible Hajj stories that I found very unique. I am witness to two of them.

Four incredible stories

The first story is of a poor Ghanian villager, Al Hassan Abdullah. It all started with a Turkish film crew shooting a shot in his village with a drone. Al-Hassan asked the crew, ‘if a drone can take him to Macca’. The story was shared on social media by the crew and went viral in Turkey. The Turkish Foreign Minister, Mevlut Cavasoglu, intervened and helped arrange his trip to Macca (Daily Sabah, 2017). The poor man had no monetary means to do Hajj, but he had genuine desire. Often, we believe that money is required for Hajj. Yes, it’s true. But as this story shows that many times, genuine desire trump’s monetary problems. It was his intence desire that made him ask that innocent question full of hope. Nobody found his question to be childish, though it might look like on the surface. Everyone saw the burning desire of thus poor person to visit the mist desired place for millions of believers.

The second story is an incredible story of faith and hope from Libya. This was the viral story of Hajj 2025. A Libyan man travelling for Hajj was stopped at the airport in Libya. His name flagged on systems no fly list. By the time he was cleared to fly, the doors of the aeroplane were closed. The pilot, despite the request of the ground staff, refused to open the door as all the procedures were done, and he had a go signal from the Air Traffic Controller. The Aeroplane left without Amer Al Mahdi Al Gaddafi. He was determined to go to Hajj and refused to leave the airport. A short distance in the flight, the aeroplane developed a technical snag and was forced to return. The engineers fixed the issue.and the aeroplane took off again. The Aeroplane took off and developed technical malfunction again. The pilot, according to the passengers, said,’ I swear I won’t fly again unless Aamer is with us on this plane’. Aamer boarded the plane and did do his Hajj.

The third story relates to my Hajj. There were people many people from Oman in my group who applied, but their names were not selected for Hajj. There were a few whose names were on the waiting list. They were frentically and fervently praying till the end that some miracle may happen and they may get a chance to the guest of Allah. This is the story of a couple from Rajasthan. The wife, before the Hajj flight from Muscat, fell and hurt her back. It was not a bad fall, and the injury was not serious. They were apprehensive at first but then decided to go ahead. They were on the flight with me. They had a reasonably good time in Madina. With the group, they travelled to Macca for Hajj on 1 June 2025. They completed their Umrah and joined. On the 2nd and 3rd of June, they were in Macca. On the night of 3rd June, the wife had  pain. The next day, we were shifting to Mina to start Hajj. Hajj is a five day affair. Out of the five days, the most important rukan is the stay at Arafat on the second day. It was falling on the 5th of June. If a pilgrim misses any rukan, there is dum (expiation). However, there is no dum for Arafat. It is compulsory. If one misses Arafat, Hajj is considered not done. That is why Saudi authorities have special arrangements for Arafat Day. For those who fall sick and can not go to Arafat, special arrangements are made. Sick are taken to the ground of Arafat on ambulance with doctor and paramedical staff. The duration of the ambulance stay in Arafat depends on the medical condition of the pilgrim. Those who are serious are kept for a while and moved to the clinic or hospital. They stay at Arafat, albeit for a short while, validating their Hajj. Hours before our groups departure for Mina on 4th June, the couple decided that they could not go ahead further and decided to quit Hajj. When Jamal bhai heard of this, he tried to convince them to change their decision. They were not convinced. Their daughter, who was a doctor in Abu Dhabi, counselled them to return. Their son from New York called and said that he will bring their parents next year. Jamal bhai tried to convince them that nobody knew about the future. We may lose health or even wealth by next year and may not be able to do Hajj. We may not even be alive by next year. Despite a lot of prodding from Jamal bhai, they were adamant about their decision. Finally, Jamal bhai gave in and made arrangements for their Jeddah journey so that they could go back to Muscat. When the Saudi authorities got to know of the situation, they sprang to action. At the Jeddah airport, people from Saudi Hajj ministry tried to convince them to postpone their plan for a few days. They were promised to be taken in ambulance for a very short time, The couple did not change their mind. The Saudi authorities kept convincing them. After a while, the husband said,’Who can stop us? Hearing  this statement, the official  said that nobody would stop them, and they were allowed to leave. It was a matter of a few hours, but their Hajj was not to be. I pray that they get to do it very soon.

The last story that I want to share is from Aligarh. I am personally witness to it. The university house that was allotted to my father at the Aligarh Muslim University had a sprawling lawn in front and a huge kitchen garden at the back. Once in a while, we required help to clean the weed. It so happened that once no worker was available. The only one available was a poor old man aged 60. We were reluctant to hire him looking at his age. He insisted that he would do a good job. He was hired by my fatheron condition that instead of 3 days that were usually required, we would hire him for 5 days. He was asked to work at his own pace with adequate rest in between. However, he surprised us with his hard work, finishing the work on the second day itself. Still, we kept him engaged in some work or the other. He was not only very hardworking but very particular about working full 8 hours. In between, he took two very short breaks for Zuhr and Asr. On day four, I learned that he is from Azamgarh and has been living alone in Aligarh for the last three years. He came to Aligarh in search of work. The sole aim of his life at that point was to save enough money to go for Hajj. He was, for the last three years, working and saving every possible Rupee for the dream journeyof his life. He had no other desire. According to his estimate, if he could save at the same rate, it would take him 2 more years to have enough savings for Hajj. It was an incredibly motivating story for me. An old person, living alone for 3 years and doing physically hard labour, striving to get enough money for Hajj. When his work finished on day 5, my father did pay him some extra money, which he took very reluctantly. I hope that his dream was fulfilled.

There are millions of such stories. They provide us motivation to prepare for our Hajj. May Allah allow every Muslim to do Hajj as early as possible in his / her life. May Allah accept my Hajj, Ameen.

(Continued in Part 13)

References:

Ata, Huda (2025) Faith, fate and a flight: How a pilgrim named Al-Gaddafi finally made it to Hajj. Gulf News, 25 May. Available at: https://gulfnews.com/world/mena/faith-fate-and-a-flight-how-a-pilgrim-named-al-gaddafi-finally-made-it-to-hajj-1.500139626

Daily Sabah (2017) Turkey fulfills wish of Ghanian villager dreaming of Hajj. 18 August. Available at: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.dailysabah.com/turkey/2017/08/18/turkey-fulfills-wish-of-ghanaian-villager-dreaming-of-hajj/amp

Labbaik: The story of my Hajj (Part 2)

Posted by

2

Mohsin Aziz

It is truly fascinating how the intricacies of one’s cultural heritage subtly shape and color our understanding of the world around us. The perceptions formed subltly without us realising, but they are in ways deeply influential.

Coming from India, my understanding of Hajj was once shaped by a perspective that felt deeply ingrained in the cultural fabric of our community, yet far removed from the profound spiritual significance it truly holds in a Muslim’s life. For many in the subcontinent, Hajj is revered as an essential duty, but often one that is postponed until after the children are married and the individual has retired from the hustle of daily life. I, too, subscribed to this belief, and it was this mindset that delayed my own sacred journey. However, in 2018, a transformative moment came when I stumbled upon a collection of Hajj travelogues. These beautifully penned accounts, primarily in Urdu—my mother tongue—served as windows, into a deeper understanding of the pilgrimage. Urdu literature, with its centuries-old tradition of eloquent writers and passionate storytellers, has preserved a treasure trove of Hajj narratives that reflect not just the physical journey but the spiritual awakening it fosters. Through these writings, I came to realize that Hajj is not something to be delayed for some distant time in the future, but a divine calling that should be heeded as soon as one is capable. It is a pilgrimage not just of the body, but of the heart and soul, beckoning every believer to embark upon it when the moment is right.

Around 2018, I started preparing for hajj. By 2020, we were ready to go for hajj. But fate had other plans. Once in a century disease, corona, concided with our hajj plans. The world went through unprecedented circumstances. Our hajj was not to be. By the time things came back to normal, the money saved for hajj was already spent elsewhere. By 2024, we started planning for hajj again. As expatriates living in Oman, we had both options. Either doing hajj from india or Oman. We decided that Oman would be a better option for us. It is worth mentioning that out of six GCC countries, only Oman allows expatriates the option of going on hajj from Oman. Oman has given qouta to expatriates from its qouta. The government of oman announced the dates for filling forms in the first week of November. I was a bit reluctant and planned for hajj in 2026. However, my wife was very keen. We filled out the form on 4 November as the Hajj portal was open for only a week for applications. I filled out the application and forgot about it. Suddenly, on 7 January, we received sms that our names have been selected. It was a dream come true. We had five days’ time to pay 50 per cent of the amount on the government website and choose a company out of ten options. The sms mentioned that if don’t submit the required amount within 5 days, our application will be automatically cancelled. The amount fixed by the Government of Oman for the year 2025 was 2650 Omani Riyals, equalling about 6900 usd per person.

After talking to a few muallims and feedback of previous hajjis I decided on Mr. Jamal Al Balushi. Mr Jamals company Al Jazeera for Hajj and Umrah has been in the business for almost 20 years. He is very ably assisted by Mr. Asif Khan. I paid the amount on 9 Janaury in the system and sent the receipt to Mr. Jamal.

Preparations Start

Once it was confirmed that we were going for hajj, the preparations starred in earnest. We had already heard innumerable hajj stories from family and friends. It is very common for hajis to recount their stories when they come back. These stories make sure that most Muslims besides Kaba gave heard about safa and marwa, tawaf, mataf, maqam e Ibrahim, mina, muzdalifah, arafat, jabal e Rahma, muallim, masjid e nabawi, rowdha, jannatul baqi, zamzam etc. However it it is difficult to understand and remember the sequence of the steps. As I had done Umrah in 2015 and had already visited Madina and Makkah before, I had a better sense of places. The most important aspect for us to decide was what to pack for our journey. Nothing necessary was to be missed, yet the baggage should remain manageable. For this, we watched innumerable hajj videos spending hours and hours. A list was prepared. However, we realised that preparing the list was the easier part. Things on the list were not available at one place, hence weekly visits to the market. Still, we had to buy quite a few things from Madina as well as Makkah. Many things that were planned and bought were actually not required at all. Still, most of the things proved to be very valuable, such as a power bank, neck fan, mist bottle, chewable capsules for hydration, coin towel, fragrance free toothpaste, shampoo, sunscreen, and handwash, etc.

Vaccination

Vaccination is compulsory for Hajj. I registered myself and my wife on the website and chose Ruwi Health Centre. It’s the nearest government clinic to my house. We got appointments for 16 January 2025. On appointed date we went to the health centre and took vaccines. It was a very smooth process. I had to only tell at the rece6that we need Vaccination for Hajj. The person at the counter asked for our residence card numbers. The moment he entered our numbers, the system generated our reports and confirmed that we were going to Hajj. Government departments are well integrated in Oman. Within 20 minutes, we were vaccinated. It was as simple as that. We were given two vaccines. One Abbot single dose and another Pfizer single dose. One was meningococcal, and the other was seasonal influenza.

Orientation Programmes

While we started our personal preparations such as remembering important duas, arranging books of supplications, etc, our company also started helping us by regularly arranging meetings and orientation programmes. A whattsapp group for Hajj 2025 was also created by Jamal bhai.  Jamal bhai kept a meeting in a mosque in Al-Amerat (a neighbourhood of Muscat) where we were briefed about what to expect. Jamal bhai focussed on the spiritual aspect of hajj. He is Omani but speaks very good Urdu and mostly talked in Urdu. For Arabic speaking, he spoke in Arabic in between as well. This meeting was only for the men. The focus of the talk was on sabr and the subjugation of nafs during hajj. It was here that I first met Asif bhai. He is from Jaunpur in Uttar Pradesh.

Another meeting was arranged a few weeks later for both males and females. It was at a meeting room in a shopping mall in the Al-Seeb area of Muscat. This meeting focused more on the logistics. We were briefed about possible hotels in Madina and Makkah. The pros and cons of various hotels were told to us. Bus arrangements etc were discussed. Usually, hajj companies do not engage busses for the entire hajj season. Busses are engaged on specific days when movement is required. However, Jamal bhai hired 6 luxury busses (with toilets) for the entire journey, starting from receiving us at the Madina Airport until our departure at Jeddah Airport. At that point, I could not truly understand its importance. However I later realised the convenience of busses at disposle 24 hours.

In this meeting, we were told that hotel arrangements are on a quad basis, i.e., 4 persons will stay in one room. However gender segregation shall be maintained. Four females will stay in one room. Similarly, four males will stay in one room. This is a much better arrangement compared to room allotment by many other countries during hajj. For example, the Hajj Committee of India does not follow gendersegregation in hotels either in Madina or rtains or big cloth pieces with them on the hajj journey and use them to partition rooms in the hotel. Mensfolk of the families given the same room stay on one side of the partition while the women on the other side of the partition. Still, it’s very  inconvenient. Personally, I find it very difficult to stay with others. I asked Asif bhai whether it was possible to stay with my wife, i.e., two in the room instead of four. I was told that it was possible provided I agreed to pay the balance amount for two beds as the expenditure has been calculated on a quad basis. Jamal bhai told me that soon he will be going to Madina and Makkah and will inform me about the extra amount to be paid after getting a quotation from the hotels. There was one more couple in our group who asked the similar question. It was one Mr.Kotnis from Chennai who was going to hajj with his wife. A few weeks later, Jamal bhai travelled to Madina to make final arrangements for the hotel. Asif bhai sent me a quotation for Madina Hotel asking for my consent before finalising a separate room for me. The price seemed reasonable, and I agreed and transferred the extra amount to the company. It was agreed with asif bhai that this arrangement is only for Madina so far. Jamal bhai will share details of Makkah Hotel also when he travels to Makkah. If I agree to the price, a separate room will be booked for me. In case I found Makkah Hotel too costly, then we will stay quad in Makkah. A week later, I got the quotation for Makkah Hotel also. It was quite a bit high, but I still agreed to pay extra. This decision proved to be quite good at the end. Me and my wife were able to freely spend our time at hotels in both places. There was nobody else to decide the room temperature and no mismatch of sleeping time or any other issue. All money for Hajj was paid by this time, and only the money for Udhiya was left to be paid. It was to be paid in Makkah once the final cost per person was known. It must be mentioned that half of the amount had already been paid to the Ministry of Hajj. The other half had to be paid to the company employed by the Ministry, which in our case was Al Jazeera. Jamal bhai never once asked anybody in the group to pay money in advance, as was his right. I myself settled my account just two three weeks before our departure day from Muscat.

Final Orientation Session

Two weeks before our departure, a final orientation course was done at Intercity Hotel Muscat. Itinerary was explained in detail. There was a coffee break, after which officials from the Ministry of Health briefed us about various precautions to be taken and how to keep ourselves safe. When question was asked about which medicines to carry we were told that besides our regular medication there is no need to carry any additional medicines as the Government of Oman maintains a well equipped clinic with five star facilities. It is no coincidence that Oman Hajj mission was given the award for providing the best medical facilities to its hujjaj by the Saudi government for the year 2025. Lastly, there was a religious scholar who explained various steps of the hajj. There was a question answer session for any fiqh related doubt. At the end of the programme, Jamal bhai distributed one large suitcase, one string bag for keeping shoes, one small bag for keeping pebbles from Muzdalifa for men. For women besides the same set of gifts, there were additional gifts such as two ladies’ purses and one cap. This was hadiya from our Muallim.

Trip to India

Everything looked settled and smooth, and we were ready for our Hajj journey. The only pending issue was to take children to India. Flights were already booked for Lucknow for 22 May. The return flight was for 25 May. The plan was to rest for two days, i.e., 26 and 27 May in Muscat, and fly to Madina on 28 May.

However, everything changed on 7 May 2025. Suddenly, war broke out between India and Pakistan. Airspace was closed, flight routes were diverted, and many airports in north India were closed for commercial flights. Almost 24 airports were either totally or partially closed due to airspace closure in India (Roy, Rajesh, 2025). By May 9, the closure was extended till 15 May (Rao, Derpthi 2025). Flights from Muscat were getting cancelled. Luckily, so far, Lucknow was not on the list of closed airports, but every day, the number of closed airports was increasing. Suddenly, everything looked tipsy torvy. Days were spent in checking the news multiple times, hoping that things were back to normal. It looked like we would not be able to go to Hajj. We started searching for flights to India and back to Oman via countries to the south of India. There was a frantic search for flights to India via Columbo (Sri Lanka), Bangkok (Thailand), or even Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia). By May 11, the number of airports closed in India reached 32. Things were getting worse, and we were getting tense. We decided to wait for a few more days and then take a decision regarding which flight to book for India travel.

May 12 brought cheers as there was news that the government of India had decided to open all the airports that were closed due to hostilities. It brought much needed relief. Came May 22, and we travelled to India with our children. My in-laws live in Lucknow. The plan was to leave kids with them. My sister in law and her husband live in aligarh, but they came to Lucknow. My brother in law also lives with my in-laws in Lucknow. He is a businessman. My sister in law has two children of similar age to my son, Osman. Osman was 4 and a half years old. Brother in law has three sons. One of them is similar in the age bracket of my son. The idea was that it would be easy for Osman to adjust without us with these three kids around. We were naturally concerned as to how he would respond to our absence for almost 25 days. The only comfort was that he is attached to his sister. Zainab, my daughter, was in class 12. With her around, we were a bit relaxed.

On 22 May, I got a message from Jamal bhai that the Saudi Embassy needs no objection certificate from employer to issues Hajj visa. There were only five days left for our flight, and we were still not issued visas. The visa issuing process was to start now. One problem was solved, and another one was staring at us. May 22 was Thursday. Friday and Saturday are weekly holidays in Oman. My return flight was on the 25th. It was a mini emergency. I called my colleague Dr. Saheem from India and requested him to contact the HR department and check if no objection can be issued the same day, that too, without my presence. Saheem bhai managed to get the certificates for both me and my wife. The HR was kind enough to issue the certificate without my presence. My other colleague Mohammad Sohrab gave the certificate to Jamal bhai the same day. It was a big relief.

Still, I had booked my return flight for early morning so that when we leave for the airport, Osman is sleeping. On 25 May, we returned back to Muscat. It was mission accomplished.

Back in Muscat on 25 May, we found that visa was still not issued. I was a bit relaxed, but our whattsapp group was full of messages regarding visa. People were getting worried. Visa did not come on the 26th either. It was only on 27 early morning that we got good news that visa had been issued. The next day was our flight. However, it was still not issued for Asif bhai, a few other muallims, and some Hujjaj. A total of 16 visas were still pending.

In the meanwhile, my Hajj leave was also approved by my university. Muslim employees in Oman are entitled to one Hajj leave during their job tenure. Hajj leave used to be 14 days, but I was pleasantly surprised to see 20 days of approved leave.

Zameer bhai is our neighbour in Muscat. He is from Bangalore and works in an engineering firm. His family has always been a great support and strength. When he heard about our plan for Hajj, he postponed his India trip so that they could help my children in case they could not go to India. Only when my children were safely in India did his family plan their trip to India. It is indeed a blessing to have such neighbours.

Here, I must also acknowledge the support and information that I got from my senior roommate and former head of the department, Dr. Imran Hameed. Imran Sir, before doing a PhD. in management, was a practising doctor. He always gave valuable advice regarding Hajj preparations. Now, he is spending his retired life in Australia with his son and daughter. May Allah always keep him healthy and happy. My dear friend Dr. Atif Irshad had done hajj lo g back. His insights were very valuable.

Flight to Madina

Finally, the day came. My flight was at 3.45 p.m. by Saudi Arabian Airlines (SV5113) from MuscatInternationalAirport. We were asked to reach the airport 4 hours before flight time, i.e., by 12 noon. Muslim bhai came from university to pick us up. By 12.30 p.m. we were at the airport for the most important journey of our life. My friends from the university were at the airport to see us off. Umar Ali Khan, Mohammad Sohrab, Dr. Khan Saifullah, Dr. Riyadh Khan, Dr. Mohammad Saheem. When I entered the airport, I saw all the pilgrims of my group. It was such a good feeling. Asif bhai was there distributing Hajj cards and bag tags. I had to do nothing. These friends stood in line for the boarding pass. Only when they reached the counter that i was called. JazakAllah Khair for their efforts. At Muscat International Airport, their is an open entrance until boarding pass counters. Besides passport,  the only thing required at the airline counter was the Hajj card given by the Ministry of Hajj, Oman. Besides, the phograph it had a QR Code, which had our details, including vaccination certificates. It was to be kept with us throughout Hajj Journey. There was another card to be issued by the Saudi Government once we reached Saudi Arabia, the Nusuk Card. Once in Saudi Arabia, we were told to keep both the cards with us until we boarded the return flight.

When I saw Asif bhai and other Muallims at the airport ready with their luggage, I assumed that they already had their visa. It was when we landed at Madina Airport and boarded our buses that we were told by Jamal bhai that the visa of those 16 was still not issued. Asif bhai was still in Muscat. I was surprised and asked Asif bhai over whattsapp. He told me that when they realised that the visa may not be issued before our scheduled departure from Muscat, all the Muallims without visa discussed that it would be a cause of concern for those Hajjis who were assigned under them. All such Muallims, including Asif bhai, took a decision that they would go to the airport fully prepared so as nobody gets the idea that they won’t be travelling with them. Because they came to the airport with their check-in luggage as well as cabin bags and were seen putting luggage tags and  smiling, talking and guiding Hajjis that nobody even thought that they are not travelling with us. The idea was to keep us motivated, and hopefully, visa would be issued in a day or two, and they would join us. It was very thoughtful of Asif bhai and others. The Saudi Embassy in Muscat had told them that their documents are complete and it’s only some system glitch due to which their applications are not getting processed. Embassy staff issued them they were working with authorities, and a visa would be issued in due time.

Finally the time came and at 2 p.m. I bid farewell to my friends and went inside the airport. We prayed asr in a prayer room inside the airport. Our flight was not a regular flight but chartered by our company for the Hajj journey. The plane left Muscat at the right time. The most important journey of our life had started.

Labbaik Allahumma Labbaik,

Labbaika la sharika laka Labbaik,

Innal hamda wan nemata.

Lake wal Mulk,

La sharika lak.

(To be continued in part 3).

References:

Rao, Deepthi (2025, May 9) Closure of 24 airports extended till May 15 amid rising tensions with Pakistan. Available at:https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.indiatoday.in/amp/india/story/airports-closure-india-extended-pak-tensions-drone-missiles-airspace-2722389-2025-05-09

Roy, Rajesh (2025, May 8). India suspends flight operations and closes 24 airports as Pakistan resumes flights nationwide. Associated Press. Available at:https://apnews.com/article/india-airport-closures-flights-pakistan-tensions-2352695c69cb131eae5d3ab4f337b990.

Tripathy, Neha (2025, May 12). 32 Airports shut during India-Pakistan conflict, Open. Check full list. Available at:https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/32-airports-shut-during-india-pak-conflict-to-open-soon-check-full-list-101747024845026.html

Labbaik: The story of my Hajj (Part 1)

Posted by

1

Mohsin Aziz

The land is barren. Not a blade of grass. No sign of life. Nobody has ever lived there. It is inhospitable and is rightly called wadi ghair zee zara ì.e. valley where nobody lives and nothing grows.  From distance, one can see three silhouettes. What are these three people doing there? Who are they? An old man, a woman, and a newborn baby boy. The baby is still nursing.

The old man puts some dates and water in a water skin near the women and the infant and starts walking away. The woman gets worried and calls him asking ‘where are you going, Abraham, leaving us in this barren valley?’ Abraham kept quiet and kept walking. The women repeated her question but again did not get any answer. Abraham kept walking silently. When after repeatedly asking the question and not getting any answer, the woman understood that her husband is not acting on his own initiative but on divine instruction. Finally, she asked him:’Did Allah command you to do so?’ Ibrahim replied in affirmative. After confirming from Ibrahim that he was leaving his wife and child in the barren, lifeless valley at the command of Allah, Hajar said the famous sentence dripped in faith ‘ We are not going to be lost, since Allah Who has commanded you is with us’ (Sahih al Bukhari, 3363 and 3364).

Little did these three knew that they had been chosen for a very special task by their Lord. Who would have thought that their actions and their struggle to survive would one day become an article of faith for billions of Muslims from around the world. Who would have thought that a place where nothing grew and nobody lived would be a dream destination for billions. That they would weep and pray to be there. That the mere mention of the place would tear up the eyes of millions. Who would have thought that people would travel from all corners of the world using all possible means of transportation to reach there just once in their lifetime. This is the story of hajj and umrah, pilgrimages performed by millions every year. The story started with the arrival of these three to this place, then called Bakkah.

Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam. The other four are: Shahada (declaration of faith), Salaat (prayer), Zakaat (religious charity), and saum (fasting) in the month of Ramadan. Out of the five pillars of Islam, it is only hajj, which requires both health and wealth. That’s why it is required to be performed only once in a lifetime provided the person has means. It’s neither compulsory nor possible for the poor. Similarly, despite becoming much easier compared to the past, hajj is still a physically strenuous activity. It’s better to perform it as early as possible. Hajj is a special in the sense that each and every aspect of it is connected to the family of Ibrahim. All the arkan of the Hajj are connected to the different incidents related to either Ibrahim or his second wife Hajra or his son from Hajra, i.e. Ismail.

Ibrahim was a curious child from the beginning. His father, Azar, was an idol maker. He used to make idols that were worshipped by his nation. However, Ibrahim was not convinced that the statues made by his father were God’s to be worshipped. He refused to accept them as God’s and often used to ponder as to who is the real God. Ibrahim told his people that ‘Worship you that which you (yoursel) carve’ (Al Quran, Surah Al Saffat:95). Ibrahim’s story is full of sacrifices and unflinching faith in Allah. His life was total submission to Allah. He was put in fire, had to leave his home, had to leave his family in Makkah, and was asked to sacrifice his son. He did not hesitate even once. Quran describes his life beautifully.

‘When his Lord said to him ‘submit’, he said ‘I have submitted (in Islam) to the Lord of the world’s’  (Al Quran, Surah al Baqarah: 131).

Allah was so pleased with Ibrahim that He gave Ibrahim the title of  Khalilullah, i.e., friend of Allah. Quran declares that ‘And who  can be better in religion than who submits his face (himself) to Allah. And follow the relgion of Ibrahim Hanifa. And Allah did take Ibrahim as a khalil (Surah Al Nisa:125) and declared at another place in the Quran:

‘And who turns away from the religion of Ibrahim except him who befools himself? Truly, We chose him in this world, and verily, in the hereafter, he will be among the righteous (Al Quran, Surah al Baqarah:130).

He was married to Sarah. They were issueless. When Sarah was given a girl servant named Hajra (Hajar). Sarah suggested to Ibrahim that he should marry Hajar in the hope that they may have a child. Ibrahim married Hajar  by the command of Allah.

Hajra (Hajar)

The story of Hajar is very interesting. She was a servant of Ibrahim’s (a.s.) first wife, Sarah. Once, Ibrahim was travelling with Sarah, and they passed by the territory of a tyrant. The tyrant was told that Ibrahim was travelling with a very charming lady. He sent for Ibrahim and asked him,’Who is this lady?’ Ibrahim said, ‘She is my sister.’ Later, Ibrahim went to Sarah and told her that there were no believers on this earth except him and her. He told her,’ This man asked me about you, and I have told him that you are my sister, so you don’t contradict my statements. The tyrant then called Sarah, and when she went to him, he tried to take hold of her with his hand, but (his hand got stiff) he was confounded. He asked Sarah, ‘Pray to Allah for me, and I shall not harm you.’ So Sarah asked Allah to cue him, and he got cured. He tried to take hold of her for the second time, but  (his hand got as stiff as (or stiffer than) before and) was more confounded. He again requested Sarah, ‘Pray to Allah for me, and I will not harm you.’ Sarah asked Allah again, and he became right. He then called one of his guards (who had brought her) and said, ‘You have not brought me a human being but have brought me a devil.’ The tyrant then gave Hajar as a girl-servant to Sarah. Sarah came back to Ibrahim while he was offering salat. Ibrahim, gesturing with his hand, asked, ‘What has happened?’ She replied,’Allah has spoiled the evil plot of the infidel or immoral person) and gave me Hajar for service’ (Sahih al Bukhari,  3358).

Ismail (a.s.)

Ibrahim a.s. had two sons – Ismail and Ishaq. Ismail was the elder one born to the second wife of Ibrahim a.s.,  Hajra. The younger son, Ishaq a.s. was born to the first wife, Sarah. Both the sons were given prophethood like their father. Ibrahim had prayed for his family to be the establisher of prayer. Allah did accept the prayer of His friend. Not only were both sons given prophethood, but prophethood was given to their offspring as well. Among the descendents of Ishaq a.s. (Isaac),  there is an impressive list of well-known prophets till Isa a s. (Jesus). Starting with Ishaqs son Yaqub a.s. (Jacob) There is Yusuf (Joseph), Musa a.s. (Moses),  Harun a.s. (Aaron), Dawood a.s. (David),  Sulaiman a.s. (Solomon), Younus a.s. (Jonah), Zulkifli a.s. (Ezikeil), Alyasa a.s. (Elisha) , Ilyas a.s. (Elijah), Zakaria a.s. (Zachariah), Ayyub a.s. (Job),  Yahya a.s. (John)  and finally Isa a.s. (Jesus).

On the other hand,  there were no prophets in the lineage of Ismail a.s. for number of generations. There is only one Prophet among his progeny. It is the last messenger of Allah, Hazrat Mohammad s.a.w.

Hui pehlu e Amna se huwaida

Dua e Khalil aur naveed e Masiha

(Altaf Hussain Hali, 1889)

Ismail Zabihullah

It is established belief among Muslims that it was Ismail who was offered for slaughtering by Ibrahim a.s. hence, he is referred to as Ismail Zabihullah. However Jews claim that it was Ishaq a.s. (Isaac) who was offered for sacrifice. Imam Hamiduddin Farahi, in his research, has comphensively proven that it was Ismail who was offered for sacrifice (Farahi, Hamiduddin, 1999).

The Holy Quran mentions the sacrifice and submission of Ibrahim and Ismail in the following words:

‘And he said (after his rescue from the fire): ‘Verily! I am going to my God. He will guide me!. My Lord Grant me (offspring) from the righteous. So We gave him the glad tidings of a forebearing boy. And, when he (his son) was old enough to walk with him, he said, ‘O my son! I have seen in a dream that I am slaughtering you (offer you in sacrifice to Allah), so look what you think!’ He said! ‘O my father! Do that which you are commanded, InshAllah (if Allah will), you shall find me   As- sabirin (the patient ones, etc.’). Then, when they had both submitted themselves (to the will of Allah), and he had laid him prostrate on his forehead (or on the side of his forehead for slaughtering). And We called out to him: ‘O Ibrahim!’ You have fulfilled the dream! Thus do we reward the Muhsinun. Verily! That indeed was a manifest trial. And We ransome him with a great sacrifice (i.e., a Ram). And we left for him (a goodly remembrance) among generations (to come) in later times. Salamun (peace) be upon Ibrahim. Thus indeed do We reward the Muhsinun. Verily! He was one of Our believing slaves’ (Quran, Surah Al Saffat:99-111).

(To be continued in part 2)

References:

Altaf Hussain Hali (1889) Musaddas e  Hali, Musamma be Mad o Jazar e Islam. Maktaba Murtazvi: Delhi.

Al Quran. Interpretations of the meaning of THE NOBLE QURAN in the English language. Muhsin Khan. Darussalam Publications, 2011.

Farahi, Hamiduddin (1999) Al Raay al sahi fi man huwa al dhabih. Damascus: Darul Qalam.

Sahih al Bukhari (2015) The translation of the meaning of Sahih al Bukhari (Arabic-English) Vol 4. Ahadith 2738 to 3648. Translated by Muhammad Muhsin Khan. Darussalam : Riyadh.

Shamsul Ulama Allama Shibli Nomani

Posted by

0

(Residential halls of Aligarh Muslim University: Person behind the name series/ blog 5)

Mohsin Aziz

Adab aur mashriqi Tarikh ka ho dekhna makhzan

To Shibli sa waheedey asr wa ektaye zameen dekhen

(Malulan Altaf Hussain Hali)

Shibli hostel is part of Mohsinul Milk Hall. Mohsinul Mull Hall or MM Hall is a male residential Hall of Aligarh Muslim University. The Hall was established in 1963 with the first Prime Minister of India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, laying it’s foundation stone.

Early Life and Education

Shibli was born in extraordinary times. He was born in May 1857 in Bindwal village of District Azamgarh. The first war of Indian Independence was underway and Shibli was born on the day when freedom fighters had broken the gate of Azamgarh Jail and released fighters from there. His fathers family belonged to Rajpoot converts. His given name was Mohammad Shibli which he later changed to Shibli Nomani (Nadvi, Syed Sulaiman, 1986). As per the norm in Azamgarh, all the inhabitants of Bindwal now use the surname of Nomani with their names. Shibli was a poet par excellence. In the beginning he used the takhallus (nom de plume) of tasneem. However, he has often used the takhallus of nomani and shibli also particularly in his Persian poetry. However both the takhallus were used as per the meter of the poem (Nadvi, Syed Sulaiman, 1986). It was due to Sir Syed’s efforts that modern education gained acceptance in the present day eastern Uttar Pradesh. Shibli’s father was also an admirer of Sir Syed. Shibli’s early education was under Hakeem Abdullah of Jairajpur Village. Later he studied under the guidance of Maulvi Shukrullah. Later he studied Arabic from Maulvi Faizullah. Maulvi Faizullah was head of Madrasa Ulum Arbia which was opened by Shibli’s father along with some others in Azamgarh. Later Shibli was admitted to Madrasa Chashmai Rahmat, Ghazipur. Chashmai Rahmat was famous in those days because of Maulana Farooq Chirayakoti who used to teach there. At Chashmai Rahmat, Shibli became student of Maulana Farooq Chirayakoti. Shibli studied both Arabic and Persian from Maulana Farooq Chirayakoti and completed his education under him (Nadvi, Syed Sulaiman, 1986).

After completing his education under Maulana Farooq Chirayakoti, Shibli went to several other cities in search of further knowledge. First he went to Rampur and studied usool and fiqh for about one year from Maulana Irshaad Hussain. From Rampur, Shibli went to Deoband. He did not take part in classes at Deoband but used the library and studied farayez there. From Deoband, Shibli went to Lahore. At that time Maulana Faizul Hassan Saharanpuri was professor of Arabic Literature at Oriental College Lahore. Maulana Faizul Hassan Saharanpuri could not find any time for Shibli to teach as his whole day was already scheduled for various students and activities. However, the persistence of Shibli paid off and Maulana Faizul Hassan Saharanpuri offered to teach Shibli. But the schedule of teaching is very interesting and an example of the dedication of both the teacher and the student. Maulana Faizul Hassan Saharanpuri used to walk to the College. The only time available to Maulana Faizul Hassan Saharanpuri was when he was going to and coming from college. Shibli agreed to the arrangement. Shibli started taking lessons from Maulana Faizul Hassan Saharanpuri during his walk from home to College and from College and home. In the meantime, it was vacation time and Maulana Faizul Hassan Saharanpuri travelled to his hometown in Saharanpur. By this time, teacher had seen dedication of the student. Maulana Faizul Hassan Saharanpuri took Shibli with him to his hometown so that he can teach Shibli during his vacation. The visit proved to be very beneficial and allowed Shibli to develop his command over Arabic Literature and Poetry further. It was during this time that Shibli memorized hamasa and studied jumharatul arab . Shibli’s next teacher was Maulana Ahmad Ali Mohaddis Saharanpuri. Shibli studied Hadees from him and got a sanad e hadees from his teacher. Shibli wanted to continue his education further under Maulana Ahmad Ali but got a chance to go for hajj. He took permission from his ustad and proceeded for hajj journey. At that time, Shibli’s age was 19. Thus ended the educational journey lasting 14 years (Nadvi, Syed Sulaiman, 1993).

Hajj

During hajj, Shibli made full use of his free time and visited libraries in Madinah and benefitted from the large collection of hadees books there. Shibli has shared many interesting anecdotes and stories from his hajj journey. Shibli shared story of an Indian Hajj pilgrim who used to travel barefooted braving thorns. Once after getting tired he sat down and started removing thorns from his feet. Shibli went near him. The haji asked Shibli to sit and recited the following couplet:

Abley rotey hain khoon, ranj bada hota hai

Koi kaanta jo kafe pa se juda hota hai

Time in Judiciary

Shibli’s father and his maternal uncle both were successful lawyers of Azamgarh. Shibli’s father wanted him to join judiciary. Shibli was not very much interested but started preparation for Judicial exam. He used to study and his younger brother, Mehdi Hassan, would listen what Shibli has preparing. When the results came out for the year 1879, Shibli was not selected but his younger brother Mehdi Hassan who did not prepare for the exam but only listened to Shibli passed the exam. This shocked Shibli and he realised the importance of English language. His brother knew English. He decided to prepare again. He started reading law books and prepared his own notes for studies. His hard work paid off and he was selected in 1880 exam. In fact his notes proved to be so good that many of his friends got selected using the notes. He started practicing law at Azamgarh in 1880-81 but could not continue for long. Very soon his father found out that Shibli is always speaking the truth and it was difficult for him to continue his practice. Hence the practice was stopped.

Sir Syed and Aligarh

Shibli’s father was supporter of Sir Syed’s mission for the spread of education from the beginning. When Sir Syed was posted at Ghazipur, he had already started propagating his ideas about English education. Sir Syed created a favorable environment towards modern education. Shibli’s father, Sheikh Habibullah was an ardent admirer of Sir Syed. His father contributed to the College fund during Sir Syed’s tours of Azamgarh district. When Sir Syed started Madrasatul Uloom in 1875 at Aligarh which later became MAO College, Shibli’s father sent his younger son to study at MAO College. When he came to meet his son in October 1881 to Aligarh, Shibli also came along with his father. For the occasion, Shibli wrote an Arabic Qasida (laudatory poem) for Sir Syed and presented it to Sir Syed. Sir Syed liked it so much that he published it in Aligarh Institute Gazette (15 October 1881, Vol 16, No. 2, p. 1175).

Later Shibli joined Aligarh in 1883 as Professor of Persian and Assistant Professor of Arabic for a salary of 40 INR. In 1886 he was given full professorship of Arabic as well. In the beginning he stayed outside college but after sometime Sir Syed made arrangements for Shibli’s stay near his house (Islahi, Z.I., ). A small banglow was given to Shibli just behind the Sir Syed House (I am witness to the ruins of the banglow in my childhood. It was popularly called Shibli ki Kutiya or Shibli’s hut as it was very small. Now there is no trace of that very small banglow. It is indeed sad that the historical room which was given to Shibli by Sir Syed was allowed to deteriorate and then destroyed). Besides teaching Arabic and Persian, he was additionally given the charge of Darse Quran by Sir Syed himself. In fact, it was the beginning of Darse Quran at the college. Among his Darse Quran students, one can count Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar and Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah. He was also involved in the curriculum development at the college and wrote a book as per the wish of Sir Syed entitled “lujnatul islam” which was included in the college curriculum. The rights of the book were given to the college by Shibli so that college could monetarily benefit. When Sir Syed was facing flak from ulema for promoting english education, Shibli wrote his famous poem Subh e Ummeed in favour of college and Sir Syed in which he traced the history of muslims and their downfall and urged fellow muslims to support Sir Syed as he was trying to get them up once again. To the naysayers of Sir Syed and College he wrote:

Syed se hai agar bhu’z lillah

Wo khadim e qaum agar hai gumrah

Kutch aap hi intezaam kartey

Islam ko nek namm kartey (Shibli Nomani)

At another place he very beautifully described the personality of Sir Syed in the following words:

Soorat se ayaan jalaley shahi

chahrey par faroghey subhey gahi

wo mulk pe jaan deney wala

wo qaum ki naaw kheney wala (Shibli Nomani)

It was at Aligarh that he came into contact with Prof. T. W. Arnold. Shibli learned French and modern research methodology from him. Two became very good friends. It was through Arnold and Sir Syed’s library that Shibli got to educate himself about Orientalists and their work. Reading the work of orientalists gave the idea to Shibli to write heroes of Islam series of which Al Farooq is the perhaps most famous.

Travel to Turkey, Syria and Egypt

In 1892, Shibli decided to travel to Turkey, Egypt and Syria. In fact Shibli had planned a Heroes of Islam series for which enough reference was not available in India at that time. The basic thought behind this journey was to collect reference and consult books for his upcoming project. Although he did not plan to write travelogue but after return to Aligarh, on the request of many people decided to write account of his journey which resulted in Safarnama e Rome o Misr o Shaam. The travelogue is a complex and masterful account of his travels to the Ottoman lands where he met a wide variety of people, visited schools and libraries and gave account of day to day life of the places he visited. The riveting account by Shibli of his travels makes the travelogue a classic of Urdu literature. Shibli wanted to write a series of books on his journey. Shibli’s journey started on 26 April 1892 from Aligarh. At that time Shibli was professor of Arabic and Persian in the College. The summer vacations of the college were usually for three months. Due to his service in the college, Shibli was also entitled to 3 months of privilege leave. Shibli combined the two leaves and took 6 months off from the college and started his journey along with Thomas Arnold who was also associated with the college. Thomas Arnold was Professor of Philosophy at the college. He was not only a colleague of Shibli but Shibli had learnt French from Thomas Arnold. Shibli learnt that Arnold was traveling to England during the vacation. Shibli decided to accompany Arnold for a part of the journey to travel to the Ottoman lands. There are many interesting anecdotes, observations and accounts in the travelogue. One incident is worth mentioning. Shibli mentions that one morning after leaving the port of Aden, the engine of the ship developed some problem. There was chaos everywhere and the captain and crew of the ship were looking worried. Shibli got worried and immediately went to Arnold. He saw Arnold calmly sitting on a chair on the deck of the ship and reading a book. Shibli asked Arnold that is this the time to read a book? Are you not worried? Arnold’s reply is worth writing in gold. Arnold told Shibli that if the ship is going to be drowned then the whatever little time is left is very precious, and to waste such precious moments is nothing but foolishness. It took the crew eight hours to fix the engine and the journey continued (Shibli, Nomani, 1335 Hijri corresponding to 1916). It was during this journey that Shibli was honoured by the Ottoman Sultan. Shibli was given tamgahe majidia. It was first title to be awarded to anybody from the college except Sir Syed. However, Shibli could not use the medal because the permission from the British Crown was not granted (Shibli, Nomani, 1916).

In Istanbul Shibli was able to create a network of well connected people. He visited libraries, schools, madrasas and colleges. The strict discipline and common routine for students and common dress impressed Shibli. He was also impressed by the large residential halls for the students rather than separate rooms which were prevalent at MAO College at that time (Shibli, Nomani, 1916). After returning to India, a similar residence, namely Zahoor Hussain Ward, was started at the MAO College (Jalal, Ayesha, 2021, p. 25) However, what impressed Shibli most was the tradition of Monogram of the College or School on the collar of students coat. The monogram was written in Naskh and was embossed. Shibli reports that the monogram of the college on the black coat of the students distinguishes them from others. In his words ‘itna khushnuma maloom hota hai ki bayaan se bahar hai’ (looks so beautiful that it can not be explained in words) (Shibli, Nomani, 1916). Most probably the tradition of Black sherwani with university monogram on the collar at Aligarh Muslim University is related to this journey.

Title of Shamsul Ulama

After his return from Turkey, he was given the title of Shamsul Ulama by the government. At that time Shibli was only 37 years of age. It was a great honour not only for him but also for the college. It was for the first time that a professor of college was given such high honour. Only Sir Syed was recipient of honour from the government upto that time. Celebrations were held in the college. First program was jointly held by the Ikhwanus Safa and Lujnatul Adab on January 19. Later another function was held on February 17 in the Strachey Hall where European Officers, their ladies, college community and notables of Aligarh were present. It was in this function that he was given the Khilat, robe of honour (Zilli, I. A., 2024 ).

Establishment of National School

It was the affect of Aligarh that just after four months of service at Aligarh, Shibli decided to start an English medium school at Azamgarh. Shibli came to Aligarh in February 1883 and on 26 June 1883, National School was started in Azamgarh City. He became secretary of school and arranged land from his family. The school became middle school in 1887 and High School in 1895 (Nadvi, S.S., 1943, pp. 133-134). It became Inter College in 1940 in first degree college of the district in 1946 (Al Azmi, M. I., 2019). At present, it is the biggest minority educational institution in Uttar Pradesh after Aligarh Muslim University.

Hyderabad

Shibli was in Hyderabad from February 1901 to May 1905. Shibli’s stay at Hyderabad proved to intellectually very fruitful as he was able to write a number of his books during his relatively short stay in Hyderabad.

Nadwatul Ulama

Nadwatul Ulama is a Islamic Seminar based in Lucknow. It was formed by first annual convention of Nadwatul Ulama in 1894 by Mohammad Ali Mungeri, Ashraf Ali Thanwi, Mahmudul Hasan and Shibli Nomani. The foundation stone was laid by the then Lieutenant Governor of India, John Briscott Hewitt, on November 28, 1906. Shibli acted as Rector of Nadwa for sometime. During his stay at Nadwa, English was made compulsory for students which was a new concept at that time in any Madarsa. Similar he started a section of Hindi and Sanskrit teaching at Nadwa which was again a new concept in a Madarsa. It was during his stay at Nadwa that young Maulana Azad stayed for six months under the mentorship of Shibli and learned from him. Shibli resigned from Nadwa in July 1913 and shifted to his hometown, Azamgarh.

Darul Musannefin

Shibli always wanted to establish an academy like a think tank where academics can come and stay and do research. His idea was to create an institution with library and living quarters where researcher could do their work in peace. He wanted to establish it at Lucknow when he was at Nadwa. However, he could not get time to do so in Lucknow. Later when he moved to Azamgarh, he decided to establish it there. Although his dream could not materialize during his lifetime but immediately after his death, his close associates and students fulfilled his dream. Shibli had big dreams for the academy. However, three days before his death created an endowment which included his spacious garden, two kutchcha bungalows and about 300 books to form the nucleus of a library. He had, however, created a small group of co-workers and pupils who could carry the work further and had also compiled a few standard works to serve as pilot project. Darul Musannefin Shibli Academy was established on 21 November, 1914 i.e. three days after his death by his disciple and cousin Allama Hamiduddin Farahi and Maulana Syed Sulaiman Nadvi (www.shibliacademy.org., 2024). Today Darul Musannefin is well academy producing work of high quality and boast of almost 300 titles published by it. It has a large library with well over one lakh books and reading hall. There is a large conference hall and Staff quarters. Academy has its own press and it is proud publisher of longest surviving Urdu monthly research journal, Maarif.

Madrasatul Islah

Although the founder of Madrasatul Islah was Maulana Mohammad Shafi, Shibli was involved in the affairs of the Madrasa from the very beginning. Shibli convinced his cousin Maulana Hamiduddin Farahi to join him in this endeavour. Farahi at that time was in Hyderabad. Farahi resigned from his job and joined Madrasatul Islah at Saraimeer, Azamgarh. Today Madrasatul Islam is among the most renowned madarsa of India.

Proposal for Islamic University at Mecca

Shibli was very keen on the establishment of and Islamic University at Mecca. Shibli proposed the idea on 15 April 1913 in Zamindar (famous Urdu daily published from Lahore). He wrote “In my opinion, establishment of a University at Mecca which can impart religious along with modern education is imparted is of utmost importance. It is an established fact that the key to power of a nation is education.” It was a brief proposal along with suggestions regarding syllabus and the reasons for establishing such an institutions at Mecca.

Shibli and Politics

Though Shibli never actively participated in politics but he kept a keen eye on it. He regularly wrote articles and poems on politics. He was supporter of Congress and a strongly opposed Muslim League and its politics.

Shibli wrote an interesting article “Musalmanon ki Political Karvat” (Turning point of Muslim Politics) which is strong critique of Muslim League politics. He calls it ‘strange thing’. He says in this essay that Muslims when asked about their politics mention one hypothetical and useless thing called Muslim league and say that this is Muslim politics. Today thousands of educated (Muslims) think this mirage as river of life. He then says that Muslim League cannot be a true political party even after thousand years. He raised some fundamental questions as to why it came into existence and who established it and called it a tamasha. At another place he called Muslim League as ajeebul khilqat makhlooq (strange creature).

Shibli as Author

Shibli was a prolific author. He did not only write numerous books on several topics but also set very standards. Some of his famous books are: Al Farooque, Al Ghazali, Seeratun Nabi (First two volumes), Sherul Ajam (Five volumes), Mawazna Anis wo Dabeer, Al Mamoon, Seeratun Noman, Aurangzeb Alamgir par ek nazar, Rasail e Shibli, Safarma e rome o misr o shaam, Kulliyat e Shibli (Urdu), Kulliyat e Shibli (Persian), Al Kalaam, Ilmul Kalaam and Lujnatul Islam. Many of these books are pioneers in Philosophy, Criticism, Travelogue and historiography. Most of his books set very high standard of literary language as well as rigorous research.

Shibli the poet

Anybody who has any interest in Urdu poetry must have heard the following couplet. However, very few know that the poet of the couplet is Shibli

Uski saadgi pe kaun na marjaye ae khuda

Ladtey Hain aur hasth main talwaar bhi Nahin (Shibli Nomani)

For somebody like Shibli who was dabbling into so many tasks at the same time, it was not possible to be a full time poet, however, he was a poet par excellence in his own right. Some of his political poems have no parallel. He wrote extensively on current political situation both in India as well events happening on world stage.

Some of his famous poems are: Adle Jahangiri, Adl Farooqui ka ek namoona, Ulam e Zindani, Maulvi ka Shugley Takfir, Muslim League, Ahley Bait Rasool s.a.w. Ki Zindagi, etc.

Main ruh e alam e imkan sharhe azmat e yazdan

Azal hai meri bedari abd khwab e giran mera (Shibli Nomani)

When the kanpur mosque tragegy happened in 1913 and many youngsters died in police firing, he wrote:

Ajab kya hai jo naukhezon ne sab se pehley janen deen

Ke ye bachhe hain inko jald so janey ki adat hai (Shibli Nomani)

Famous writer of times, Deputy Nazeer Ahmad, has written the following couplet praising Shibli’s poetry.

Tum apni nasr ko lo nazm ko chodo nazir Ahmad
Ke iskey wastey mozoon Hain hali aur Shibli (Deputy Nazeer Ahmad)

Accident and loss of a leg

In a freak accident, he accidently fired upon himself and injured one of his legs which had to be cut to save his life. The incident restricted his movement. He became more confined to his home in Azamgarh and fully focused on Siratun Nabi.

It was after the incident when he was invited by another contemporary famous poet, Akbar Allahabadi. Shibli could not go due to health issues and wrote following couplets in response:

Aaj Dawat main na aney ka mujhey bhi hai malal

Lekin asbab kutch aisey hain ki majboor hoon main

Apkey lutf o karam ka mujhey inkaar nahin

halqa dargosh hoon mamnoon hoon mashkoor hoon main

lekin ab main wo nahin hoon ke pada phirta tha

Ab to Allah ke afzal se taimur hoon main

Dil ke behlaney ki bateen hain ye shibli warna

Jitey ji murda hoon marhoom hoon maghfoor hoon main

Death

Shibli died in November 1914 while Hali died in December 1914. Aligarh movement lost two of the most learned pillars of Sir Syed’s Karawan. At the time of Hali’s death, Allama Iqbal mourned the death of Shibli also in the follwing words:

Khamosh ho gaye chamanistan ke raazdar

Sarmaye ghudaaz thi jinki nawae dard

Shibli ko ro rahey they abhi ahley gulistaan

Hali bhi ho gaya sooye firdaus e rah naward

For References and more information, Please see:

Al Azmi, Mohammad Ilyas (2019) Shibli National School Azamgarh ki tareekh ka ek warq. Tehzibul Akhlaq, September, Vol. 38, No. 9, pp. 42-45

Nadvi, Syed Sulaiman (1943) Hayat e Shibli. Darul Musanneffin Shibli Academy, Azamgarh.

Shibli, Nomani (1916) Safarnama Rome o Misr of Shaam. Delhi: Tohfa e Jannat

Jalal, Ayesha (2021) Muslim Universalist Aspirations: Intimacies between the Indus-Gangetic Plain and the Indian Ocean, In Bose, Sugata & Jalal, Ayesha (Eds) Oceanic Islam: Muslim Universalism and European Imperialism. India: Bloomsbury.

http://daak.co.in/safarnama-e-rum-o-misr-o-sham-shibli-nomanis-discovery-european-orientalism/

http://www.turkvehint.org/2018/05/urdu-resources/182/

Zilli, I. A. (2024) Allama Shibli Nomani. http://www.shibliacademy.org

Hajj 1441: A Unique Hajj

Posted by

0

Hajj is one of the five fundamentals of Islam. It is mandatory on every able Muslims once in lifetime. I was also planning Hajj this year. Alas, it was not to be. InshaAllah some other time. This year’s Hajj is unprecedented in many ways. The menace of corona virus has left nothing untouched. The Hajj 2020 is no exception. There have been years in history when Hajj could not take place due to war, famine or other factors. It seemed that this year also Hajj would be cancelled due to the circumstances. It came as good news that Hajj was not cancelled.

However, it was not Hajj as usual. This is dramatically different Hajj due to the global pandemic. Millions from all over the globe converge in Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj every year. Last year 2.5 million performed Hajj. However, this year only 10000 people were allowed to perform the five day pilgrimage. These 10000 are the ones who have been chosen through a lottery system. The criteria for selection was giving representation of as many nationalities as possible. People from 160 different nationalities performed Hajj this year. Those from different nationalities selected to perform Hajj this year were from among the foreigners working and residing in Saudi Arabia. Nobody from outside the Kingdom was allowed. The basic criteria for selection was good health. Besides those who were selected were tested for corona virus and were quarantined for one-week prior to Hajj. The pilgrims will undergo a second quarantine after the end of the Hajj. All the pilgrims had to wear mask. One could very well see in live broadcast from Mecca that physical distancing was maintained during Tawaaf, Sayi and Salaat. Kissing or touching the Kaaba or black stone was also not allowed. Even the pebbles used for symbolic stoning of the devil was different this time around. Pilgrims were not allowed to collect pebbles. Pilgrims got special pouches with sanitised stones kept in them.

Hajj is usually a huge media event with press and television channels present from around the world to cover the pilgrimage. But this year the foreign media was not allowed. Usually Hajj costs a lot but this year all the expenses from lodging to food were borne by Saudi Arabian Government. Economically Hajj is estimated to contribute almost $12 billion every year to Saudi coffers. This is lost economic opportunity for the Kingdom. Definitely not the right time for the loss. The Hajj supports a host of economic activities from ticket booking, to hotel, to airlines, to barbers, to gold businesses, to dates businesses, to souvenirs businesses, to restaurant businesses and what not?

It was rightly mentioned in the Hajj Khutba (Sermon) that ‘No matter how difficult circumstances may become in this world, those difficulties do not last forever. Allah’s mercy is always more expansive, and the relief He grants is always near”.

Let us pray that Hajj takes place next year will all its glory and pilgrims from all over the world are able to freely participate in it. Ameen.

For more information and references, please see: