Chapter 13: Journey from India to Madeenah Munawwarah

Journey from India to Madinah Munawwarah

In 1316 Hijri (1898), at the time I had completed the majority of my studies, my father had completed his provisions and arrangements for our travel to Hijaz and Arabia. The texts I had remaining to study were: Ilmul Hay’at (Astronomy) - Sharh Chaghmini, Sab-al Shidad; Adab (Logic) - Himasa, Tarikh Yamini; Tibb (Medicine) - Mujaz, Qanuncha, Sharah Asbaab, Nafisi; Urooz (Prosody) - the standard texts; Fiqh - Durre Mukhtar etc. All the cultivated land my father owned in Al-Hadadpur and Jurawanpur was purchased by a wealthy individual in Tanda. However, the land which we lived on was not put up for sale so that there was a place for family members to live in should they return; and additionally, our home would only fetch a very small price. From the income of the land and his own salary he was able to make savings of around five thousand rupees. He made the necessary preparations for the journey including necessities such as clothing and bedding and then announced that we were to depart in Sha’baan 1316 Hijri (1898/1899). I made a request to my father to allow me to stay on for another year so that I may complete my studies and then join the family. My father refused my request and told me to complete my studies in Madeenah Munawwarah. In summary, a small group of twelve individuals prepared for this journey: My Parents (marhoomain), my brother Siddique Ahmad (marhoom) with his wife and son, Waheed Ahmad, my brother Saeed Ahmad sahib (marhoom) with his wife, Hussayn Ahmad with his wife, beloved brother Mahmood Ahmad sallamahu, beloved sister Riyadh Fatima (marhooma) and beloved brother Jameel Ahmad marhoom.

During this year, in Bombay and on the coastal areas of India there was a spread of cholera epidemic and so all the coastal ports in western India were closed. Hujjaj (pilgirms) were not permitted to leave from any of these ports. In the Bay of Bengal, in eastern India, there was permission given to the residents of the eastern and northern parts to leave from Chatgham (Chittagong). There were quarantines and a camp set up for the hujjaj that were allocated in: Ambala, Punjab; Allahabad, UP; and Chatgham, Bengal. Our group reached the Allahabad camp in the latter days of Sha’baan This camp was set up outside the city, in an old warehouse located near the coast and the meeting point of the River Ganges and River Jumna (River Yumana). We remained there for ten to twelve days and underwent medical examinations. No one from the city was permitted to meet or permitted to enter the camp apart from the appointed personnel. Molana Mohammad Hussayn sahib Marhoom Allahabadi visited us but was refused entry. The most we could do was to speak to him at a very far distance from the doors of the camp.

During our stay, all our worn and unworn clothes were boiled with medicine in a large pot. This ruined all our silken and woollen clothes, aswell as our new rolls of cloth (whereas, in other large places of quarantine such as such as Kamaran (Yemen), Bombay, Karachi etc only the worn clothes would be disinfected with steam vapour machines). Although we only stayed in quarantine for ten days, transport arrangements lengthened our stay there and we left the camp on the 10^th or 12^th of Ramadhan (January 1899). As for our rail travel arrangements, we were given a carriage containing a room with iron bars, usually used for transferring dangerous criminals. We had to sit in this room which was kept completely separate from the carriages of the general public. A supervisor was assigned to us to ensure we did not physically meet anyone at any of the stations. We arrived at Chatgham, via Allahabad, Bandel, Naihati, Goalundo and Chandpur. We were continually supervised whilst travelling with EIR (East Indian Railway). Whenever our express train would make a stop at a station, a telegram would reach them and a police officer would come and stand guard at our carriage doors. After reaching Bandel, all these arrangements ended and only our camp supervisor remained, who was sympathetic towards the Muslims. We had prepaid the trainfare and shipfare in Allahabad. One or two stops before Chatgham, near Pahartali Station, a camp was set up for the hujjaj by the border of the railway line nearing the sandy mountains. A British officer and a few constables supervised the entire camp. We were also sent to stay at some bamboo thatched barracks in this camp, which allowed for some privacy. There were already hujjaj present within the camp, prior to our arrival, from different provinces in Bengal and from UP, there was only our family. Later, some people joined us from Sialkot in Punjab, including people from Turkey, China and Sarhad. We waited for our ship at the camp for just over a month and in the latter part of Shawwal, Haji Qasim Company’s Ship Zubaida reached Chatgam. Our waiting time had now come to an end. Ship Mirzapur was the only other ship to leave that year from Chatghamit, within the same year,.

The camp’s superintendent became compassionate towards us; and he made arrangements with the Captain of the ship to allow us to stay in a large room located in the upper deck towards the middle part of the ship. This room was at one time used for mail storage (this ship was purchased by The Haji Qasim Company from the PO Company). We had a peaceful stay in this secure and private room as a family. After seventeen to eighteen days, the ship reached Kamaran (Yemen) via Aden (Yemen). After disembarking, all the hujjaj were taken to another camp for a further ten days stay in Kamaran and were made to pay a fixed ten rupees for the quarantine arrangements. (Now this rule has changed - the ten rupees fee is collected earlier on with the ship fare. Upon reaching Kamaran, the quarantine officers and doctor come onboard, collect the fees and then give permission for departure. Both the captain’s report and the onboard doctor’s report about the health of the passengers was regarded as trustworthy. Yes, if there was illness such as cholera and the doctor reported it then it was deemed necessary to make that passenger leave the ship.)

After a further three days of travel, we reached Jeddah. At the port of Jeddah, we paid the fixed fees of seven and half rupees or more, including the ship fare to Jeddah. We were then handed over to the Mutawwif’s representative. (The rules for port fees have now changed; when we paid for the ship’s ticket we also paid the port fees and it was the role of the Captain of the ship to pay a fixed sum to the government of Hijaz or the government itself would collect the fees from the company’s representative. There is now fixed fee of twenty-five rupees along with the ship fare that is paid by the passengers which is still collected by the Port. Upon exiting the port, all luggage is inspected and payment has to be made for any chargeable items.)

Finally, we reached Makkah Mukarramah on the 24^rd/25^th Dhil Qa’da (April 1899) and Syed Abu Bakr Rasheedi marhoom was allocated as our Mutawwaf (Hajj Guide appointed by the government). We stayed at a building called Mehela Jiyyad belonging to his Bengali representative; we remained oblivious to its very small size and made no complaint as it sufficed our short stay. Each of us faced up to many kinds of difficulties. Following the completion of tawafe qudoom, we had the honour of presenting ourselves in honourable gathering of Hadhrat Qutube Alam Molana Alhaaj Imdadullah sahib Thaanwi Quddus sirruhuhul Azeez. Thereafter, every day we would attend his gathering except a few days when I had a fever and I couldn’t make a presence. After completing the rites of hajj and umrah, we departed for Madinah Munawwarah on approximately 25/26^th Dhil Hijjah (April 1899) and we gained the honour of reaching Madinah Munawwarah after twelve days, in the early days of Muharram. We started renting a house near Harame Nabwi (sallahu-alayhi-wasallam) toward the Baab-un-Nisa side, on the border of Zaqaqul Badur (Badur Alley). The house was very small with only a few rooms, and it was difficult to create four separate living quarters within it for purdah requirements. Neither did the house  come with a well, and so we faced many difficulties.

Note: in Madeenah Munawwarah it was essential for every home to have a well. Houses without wells were rented out very cheaply as people would generally reject them. Water was a necessity for ghusl, washing pots, wudhu, istinja and so forth. Paying a water-carrier was very costly as they would charge two and a half rupees (one majeedi) for bringing one mashq of water. Generally, water-carriers would bring water for cooking and drinking purposes from  Canal Zarqa (in the city there were a few water storage tanks containing water from this canal). This water used to be very sweet and light while the water in the wells at homes was not so sweet rather, it was a little salty and was used for different purposes.

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