Generosity of Non-Arab Rulers
In 1324 C.E., a devout Muslim ruler from Mali called Mansa Musa set out on his first Hajj to Makkah with a hundred camels, each laden with 300 pounds of gold, food, and clothing, and accompanied by 60,000 people, including officials, soldiers, doctors, teachers, and storytellers. [12]
They made their way from the capital Niani to Timbuktu, across the Sahara Desert and Cairo, before reaching Arabia, where it is said people lined the streets to catch a glimpse of him and his elaborate entourage.
Upon completing his pilgrimage, Mansa Musa gave away money and gold to the residents of both Makkah and Cairo, so much so that its value in the Middle East dropped drastically!
Another historic Hajj journey was that of Sikandar Begum, ruler of a princely state called Bhopal in India, who reached Jeddah on January 23, 1864, being the first ever ruler from the Indian subcontinent to perform Hajj.
She maintained a detailed diary describing everything she saw—the seven-story houses in Jeddah, the marketplace, and even the taste of the town’s “brackish water”.
Her journey from Jeddah to Makkah could have ended disastrously, as the Begum’s reputation as a rich, generous ruler had preceded her, “coupled with her regrettable habit of throwing currency notes from her carriage…”[13]
She was among the first rulers to acquire land in Makkah and Madinah and build rubbats(lodgings) that she bequeathed as charitable endowments for the benefit of pilgrims from her state, which are still in use today.
The rulers of other princely states in India, such as Hyderabad, Arcot, and Tonk, followed suit.
Today, with nearly 3 million pilgrims to provide for, the logistics of organizing Hajj are mind-boggling and extend beyond food, water, shelter, and a safe route to 24-hour health services, shopping malls, plush hotels, e-services, and personalized apps.
What’s worth remembering is that even if the means by which we serve pilgrims are different, the spirit must remain the same: aiming at pleasing Allah by making the path of His servants easy; not seeking commercial gains or personal profit.
As the prophetic narration goes:
“Actions are but intentions, and every man will have only what he intended.” [14]
[1]In the past, people traveled by land over long stretches of inhospitable terrain, often faced by hostile people.
The Arab greeting ‘ahlan wa sahlan’ means: “You are among hospitable people (i.e., people that are almost like family to you and are treading smooth and flat terrain”.
Often, people add the words: “wa marhaban” derived from the Arabic root word rahuba, which means being spacious and wide, as opposed to feeling straitened.
[2] Muhammad: His Life Based on the Earliest Sources, Martin Lings
[3] Homes of Old Makkah, Nihal Uluengin, Bülent Uluengin.
[4] Shams al-Din Abu ‘Abd Allah al-Muqaddisi
[5] Journeys of Faith, Roads of Civilization, David W. Tschanz
[6] Journeys of Faith, Roads of Civilization, David W. Tschanz
[7] Homes of Old Makkah, Nihal Uluengin, Bülent Uluengin.
[8] The Hajj: The Muslim Pilgrimage to Mecca and the Holy Places, F. E Peters
[9] The Hajj: The Muslim Pilgrimage to Mecca and the Holy Places, F. E Peters
[10] Voyages of World History, Valerie Hansen, Ken Curtis
[11] Rihla, Ibn Jubayr
[12] Mansa Musa: Ruler of Ancient Mali, Peggy Pancella
[13] The Begums of Bhopal, Shaharyar M. Khan
[14] Sahîh al-Bukhârî and Sahîh Muslim
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