Chapter 3Palestine

Arrival in Haifa

November 24: We woke up very early and prayed fajr. Then we went to tea, but I did not have any. We have arrived in Haifa, and the ship has stopped. Nawab sahib, Amina bi, and I disembarked and boarded a boat for shore. While still aboard, we entrusted our luggage to the Cook representative. It was then brought by him. It took about an hour and a half to arrive. The ship’s officers traveled to the shore with us. This city is beautiful. There are many Arabs here. Their complexion is rosy, like that of Europeans. They are made even more beautiful by the celestial light of the Prophet Muhammad’s faith.

I went and stood some distance away from the main thoroughfare. “You wait here,” Nawab sahib told me. “I’ll be right back. I’ll come and get you.”

“All right, I will wait here with the luggage. Go ahead.”

After Nawab sahib left, I began to look around. The men here wear a coat, pants, and a Turkish fez. The language is Arabic. Those who are German speak German and English, though they don’t speak it well. About fifteen minutes later, my sahib returned and said, “Let’s go. Please come.”

He took me to a nearby building. This was a German office. We arranged our tickets and such. There was an Arab boy standing in the room. I spoke a few words with him in Arabic. He seemed to be a very cheerful person. He brought a book and began to show me pictures in it while speaking rapidly in Arabic. Because I only know a little Arabic, I could only answer the few things I understood. When I couldn’t understand him, I just laughed. Then I said to him, “I saw a bread maker’s shop in the bazaar. There were kebabs and warm breads. Can you bring me four anas’ worth of kebab and bread?” I spoke in Arabic with the greatest difficulty, until he understood me. Al-hamdulillah, he understood. He took four anas from me and came back with some kebabs and bread ten minutes later. I put the items in my tiffin basket and gave him four anas as a tip. This made him very happy. By then Nawab sahib had finished with the arrangements. After leaving our unnecessary luggage with the agents, we engaged a beautiful phaeton carriage. We got in, bringing the luggage we would need with us. We had Amina bi sit [up front] with the carriage driver and set off.

It was twelve noon. We were unable to see the whole city, but we passed by many of Haifa’s historic places and buildings on the way. Then we were in the outskirts. The carriage was led by three horses. On the way, we passed some other travelers on the road. Some were on camels, some on horses, and some on foot. I was told it would take us four hours to reach Nazareth. Although there were very few lakes or wells along the road, the country has a lot of vegetation. While traveling, we encountered an Arab man who rode his horse alongside our carriage. Rural Arab men here wear a colorful, three-cornered cloth on their heads on which they place two close, round coils. But it suits them. They wear a long, loose robe, like a waistcoat, open at the chest such that it reveals the shirt beneath it. This is tied off at the waist, over the pants. Some, though, just wear a long kurta cinched at the waist. Others wear a type of pajama akin to a Punjabi shalwar. They wear these with just a tunic and a Turkish fez. The women only wear a dressing gown, something like a frock. On their heads they wear a scarf tied over their ears. Children wear the same type of frock. Their language is Arabic. Even the Christians speak Arabic. In fact, if the Christians here speak any English at all, it is broken and halting.

Around noon we found ourselves near a small settlement on a hill. We got down and had the carriage wait while we visited the village on foot. On the way up, we saw a wizened old man descending the mountain. As we reached the edge of the village, he advanced to meet us and greeted Nawab sahib with an effusive handshake. His clothes were entirely Arab in style, and his face was radiant. He began to speak to Nawab sahib in Arabic. All I understood was that on the top of the hill there was a smallish village and the shrine of a famous man, to whose family this man belonged. He had been among the great scholars of his time. I listened until this point and then began to walk again. On my return, I saw that the elderly man was still deep in conversation with Nawab sahib. After twenty minutes, he shook hands and left. We went back to the carriage. An hour later we saw a well where Arab women were busy drawing water. The driver had our water pouches filled, for which I gave the Arab women two anas. These Arab women didn’t ask for anything; I gave it of my own accord. It made them happy. Our carriage driver is an Arab Muslim. The poor man shows and explains everything to us as we go.

One strange thing is that the Arab horseman who began to ride alongside us two hours ago was still with us. He also stopped at the well and gave water to his horse. Then he left with us again. Thirty minutes later our driver stopped at another well to have his meal. There were a few Arab women at this well too. The water didn’t look very clean. The women were giving water and feed to their livestock. Our coachman loosened the horses’ harnesses and gave them water and feed. I opened my tiffin and brought out some food, including biscuits, almond sweets, and the bread I bought in Haifa. We ate this food and fed Amina bi as well. We gave the leftover bread and kebabs to the coachman. I saw that the Arab horseman was still there, so I offered him some almond sweets. My mother had made these sweets in Hyderabad and sent them with me, but I hadn’t needed them on board the ship. Now they were coming in handy. The horseman happily accepted them, saying, “I thank you.”1 He ate them and then said, “That was very good.”2 Then he said, “Where do you live?”3 I replied, “I am on a tour of Mecca and Medina, after here.”4

I gave some biscuits and sweets to the Arab women. They salaamed me and happily ate them. In return for the sweets, the Arab horseman gave sahib and me each a cigarette. “Smoke,” he said.5 I said, “I don’t smoke.”6 I asked him to excuse me. Nawab sahib has brought a cigarette box with him in case he would like to give it to someone as a gift, but he does not smoke. I took a few cigarettes from it and gave them to the Arab horseman. “You smoke these Indian cigarettes.”7 He salaamed and happily accepted them.

Jesus’s Birthplace

Our carriage was soon ready, and we departed. We saw buildings here and there as we went. There is a mountain here called Jabal Musa [Mount Moses], but they say that this is just its name; this is not Mount Sinai. That mountain is located on the route between Mecca and Egypt, they say. Even still, we prayed a fatiha for Moses when we heard the name. Once we passed Jabal Musa, a town came into view, with its buildings and churches. This town is called Nazareth. Jesus was born here.8 Mary [Bibi Mariam] once lived here, and the place where she would worship God is located here. This is why many Christians choose to live here. There are many grand churches. The Christians here are very devout. However, Muslims do a lot of business here too. The Christians tend to stay in their own areas, so much that many of them become vexed if they travel into the city because there are so many Arabs, even though the Arabs never bother them. Despite this, the Christians are afraid of the Arabs.9

In the City of Nazareth

We have arrived in the city of Nazareth. The carriage halted at a German hotel. There was an Arab youth at the entrance. He salaamed us and began to unload our luggage. The owner, who was German but who spoke English, came out and brought us into the hotel along with our things. The hotel was beautiful and clean. The room we were given is excellent and comes with furniture. The sheets are white and clean. We arrived at three on the dot. Nawab sahib and I washed up, did vuzu, changed our clothes, and prayed zuhr. We got a separate room for Amina bi and stored our baggage in her room. The two of us had tea and placed an order for dinner. Then, umbrellas in hand, we left Amina bi with the luggage and went out to visit Nazareth and its famous sites. We first learned that there are many mission schools here. Children are given excellent instruction in English, German, and French. While we were out, I heard small children speaking in good Arabic in addition to these three languages. It made me sad to think of my own condition: even the Christians can speak Arabic, and yet I, a Muslim, cannot speak “the Arabic language, the language of Muhammad,” as it is called. Some Christians can only speak Arabic and don’t know any English at all.

A Visit to the Site Where Mary Worshiped

We went on touring the city until we reached Mary’s worship place.10 It was here that the spirit of Jesus, the “Spirit of God,” entered her womb.11 We went inside the building. It is very old. Outside there is a large gate, a courtyard, and some newer buildings. The old part is inside. Walking in, we were approached by one of the padres [priests], who are known by the name bap and are addressed as “father.” They have renounced the world. They wear a small round hat and a coarse tunic beneath a thick, brown gown. They tie a rope of twisted threads about their waist. They carry a rosary [tasbih] and have large mustaches and long beards. Their hair is trimmed, and their faces are rosy. The padre came up to us and cordially shook our hands. Some of them are called “fathers” and others are called “brothers.” What do age or rank matter when they have chosen to renounce the world? They become known as simply brother or father.

This father led us to a particular door and unlocked it with his key. We went inside with him. It was a beautiful room filled with images of Jesus and Mary and many important fathers, popes, and bishops besides. There was an image of Gabriel too. I can truly say without exaggeration that these images are a treasure. In our own time, I have never seen such beautiful and refined work as this. They are a sight to behold. In our religion, Islam, images of Gabriel are difficult to find. Impossible even. But here, these images are not controversial. My interest is in their artistry and beauty.

They have installed marble wherever the ground is flat enough. Everything seems very old. This place is on a mountain from which three connected rooms have been carved. A crack in the mountain above provides natural ventilation. The entire setting makes a profound impression. Ancient pottery has been placed here and there. It is as though this mountain was designed for these rooms. One of the rooms, I learned, was designated for worship, and the second for cooking. Mary would use the third as a sitting room. We prayed a fatiha for Jesus and for Bibi Mary and then continued our tour of this remarkable building.

A Temple of Idols near the Prayer Room

The father then took us into the next room, where we examined the idols and stone images that were worshiped in earlier times. This place has been excavated from the ground, along with all these idols and images. The ceiling and the walls are covered with designs of exquisite craftsmanship. The idols themselves are amazing. Allah re! They have been so finely sculpted that you can see even the individual stitches in their clothing. Their clothes, which have been carved into the stone, are something like a chador or a sari. Some of the idols are naked. But—Allahu akbar!—the craftsmanship and design are so fine that it seems as though they might speak aloud at any moment. The ancient pottery here appears to have been previously used. I was amazed by it all.

Jesus’s Table

After a careful examination of these idols and vessels, the father led us to another building. Here we saw more fine images, as well as a massive rock the size of a boulder. This is called Jesus’s Table. We were told that this is where Jesus used to eat with his twelve disciples, but only God knows the truth. The table was covered with a cloth. Opposite it was a wonderful painting of Jesus with his twelve disciples. All these buildings have been carved out from the mountain. In fact, they are not buildings at all but rather subterranean caverns. They are all well lit, and all are like blessed places. Our Christians do well to protect and maintain them.

Then we went outside again, and the father led us to a third place. Here we saw excavation pits being dug all around. A look into the pits revealed that they held stone houses that had long since collapsed. Now they are being excavated following clues from historical chronicles.

By now it was getting late. It was nearly time for the maghrib prayer, so we took our leave from the father. He asked us for some postage stamps from Hindustan, but, unfortunately, we had none. “We will send you some,” we promised. We left and passed through the city, taking it all in until we stopped at a mosque and prayed maghrib. Then we returned to the hotel. The food was waiting for us. We sat to eat. The hotel owner’s wife had cooked the food herself, and for that reason, it was very good. We ate until we were stuffed. Then we retired to our room. We gave Amina bi some money and told her to go and buy some food for herself. We went to bed at nine, after praying isha.

November [25], 190912

I woke up early, prayed fajr, got ready, and went down to tea. We were served buttered toast and honey. I ate a lot. Then we went out to see the sights. We saw more historical things today.13 They have excellent olive tree products here. I went into one shop to have a look, but Nawab sahib said, “Keep looking. We will buy from wherever we find the best products.” “All right,” I replied. We continued on. Two women showed us some handmade collars and scarves. I liked them, so I bought two collars and two scarves for nine francs. Then we returned to the hotel.

Departure for Tiberias

By then it was eleven. I washed up and went to the drawing room to eat. Back in the room, I packed up our things and told Amina bi, “Go and have the carriage readied. We will be departing for Tiberias.” We were to take the same carriage that had brought us from Haifa. We paid our bill, climbed in the carriage, and asked the coachman to take us to Tiberias. The journey from Nazareth takes four hours. We stopped to visit three more ancient buildings all along the way. I went outside after I had finished visiting the final historical site. Nawab sahib was still visiting the site. Outside, I happened to meet a Christian bibi. She did not speak English or anything other than Arabic. I understood a bit of her Arabic. The gist of it was, “My house is near here. Come visit and buy something from me.”

Once I had understood her meaning, I went along with her. She took me to a small room that was on the verge of collapse. She showed me a ladies’ collar she had made by hand. “Buy this for a majidi.”14

“I’ve already bought one like this,” I said. “I don’t want this.”15

Meanwhile, Nawab sahib had finished his visit. When he saw I was not waiting outside, he came over to the house to find me. “I was worried you had gotten lost. Come on, let’s go, hurry.”

We got back into the carriage, but the bibi followed us.

“OK, have it for half a majidi.”

I didn’t need it, so I declined, and we set off. Soon the metaled road ended and became very rough. I had the carriage stop twice on the way, once for asr and again for maghrib.

Now it is 7:00 p.m. We are in Tiberias. We’re staying in a hotel again. After our luggage was brought in, I washed up and did vuzu. Then, I got dressed. Dinner was already ready when we arrived. We shared a table with three other travelers, two Germans and a Jew. One of the two Germans spoke English. He is a doctor. The Jew had a large beard and long hair. The German doctor began to speak to Nawab sahib in English. At one point in their conversation, he looked at me with a laugh and said: “In India they lock bibis up like prisoners.” This made me laugh too, and then he laughed even more.16 The conversation continued through the entire meal. I was the first to excuse myself. Nawab sahib then came away too. Al-hamdulillah, the evening ended well.

Today Is the Twenty-Sixth of November

We both woke early and prayed fajr. Then, as usual, I washed up and prepared my outfit. We went down to have tea. We decided that today we would take a boat to the railway [station]. This is because the rail lines that run to Haifa etc. are far from here. The path to the railway is blocked by a lake, which can be crossed by boat.17 They say, though, that the water level is low and that we can go by carriage as well. I said to Nawab sahib, “Let’s go by carriage,” and we instructed the hotel owner to have our lunch ready by eleven sharp. We are about to leave for a tour of Tiberias, and then we will take the same carriage as before to the railway. They say there is a small village there called Samaq.

We went out to visit Tiberias. On the way Nawab sahib stopped off at a Jewish man’s house. The man runs a school there, which was in session. It had many students, male and female. His wife invited us to sit in their visiting room. The Jewish man soon came. He is cockeyed in one eye. Sahib asked him something about the road ahead and then prepared to leave. He stood up but the man stopped him and offered him coffee. Then we went back to the hotel. We told the owner, “We don’t have time to eat before leaving. Please pack our food. We must leave soon.”

While he packed the food, I wrote and mailed two letters, one each to Muhammadullah and Khurshid. Nawab sahib paid the bill. Once we were ready, we went out to the carriage. Just then, the Jewish man arrived and sat down in the front of the carriage. We set off. The road was terrible.

Solomon’s [Suleiman’s] Hammam

After we had been traveling for thirty minutes, I was told that “there are four hammams here that are fed by natural hot springs from the mountains.” They are used to treat people afflicted by joint pain or rheumatism. People with boils also bathe here and are cured by God’s command. Patients stay here for a week or two. The hammams are known as “Hazrat Solomon’s hammams.”18 They say that Solomon himself used to bathe here, though only God knows the truth. Nawab sahib and I visited the hammams. They are very well-made, with clean, water-filled pools. I put a hand in to check, and it was certainly hot. The entire hammam is hot. After visiting all four hammams, we went to a nearby hill where we saw piping-hot water gushing from the earth. There was steam in the air. This water flows directly to the hammams’ pools. I walked down away from the source, where the water was cooler, to wash my hands. I drank a little too because the water is so clean and pure. The taste is very brackish, as though it were thoroughly mixed with salt. Then we returned to the carriage. The Jew took his seat, and we departed.

The Train to Medina

We were still on the road when Nawab sahib said, “If you decide to do so, then we can take this railway line all the way to Medina and visit the shrine of the Lord of the Two Worlds, the Master of the Universe [the Prophet Muhammad]. This will allow us to spend ten days in Medina. Alternatively, we can perform the hajj [in Mecca] first and then visit Medina afterward, whichever you prefer.”19

I replied, “Wonderful. If this rail line goes straight to Medina, then, by God’s command, we should certainly go to Medina first. We will enlist the support of the Master of the Universe and then proceed directly to the house of God [the Kaaba], may he be exalted. This is an excellent plan.”

We agreed together that this is what we would do.

It is one in the afternoon now. We have arrived at Samaq station.20 When we arrived, the train to Haifa was standing on the platform. When he saw it, Nawab sahib said, “Well, look at that. So that’s what trains are like here.”21 We went into the station and had food in the waiting room. After the meal we inquired about the train to Medina and were told that it would leave at nine tomorrow. Inshallah.

Meeting Mrs. Suqrat

The stationmaster’s name is Suqrat [Socrates], but he is a Christian and a very good man. The poor fellow approached us and said, “My memsahib would like to meet your bibi sahib.”22 Nawab sahib replied, “Of course, that is no issue.” Suqrat sahib does not speak a word of English. He knows French and Arabic. Mrs. Suqrat came to meet me and took me to her home, which was nearby. The house was well decorated. I also met her mother-in-law and sister-in-law. Mrs. Suqrat speaks English, so she conversed with me in English. She said, “I only got married a month ago. I don’t feel very comfortable here. When I saw you today, I immediately wanted to meet you and talk with you. I’m so glad to have met you. My mother- and sister-in-law only speak Arabic. I learned English at home, the only one in my family to do so. I am from Egypt. That is where my parents live.”

Mr. Suqrat reminds me of my brother, Mirza Haidar Jivan Beg. He is very affable. He had a long conversation with Nawab sahib in French. He invited Nawab sahib up to visit the house as well and was very hospitable. He produced an angrezi apple, cut it himself, and served it to us. He then offered us coffee. I gave each of the four of them a Hyderabadi rupee. They appreciated the coins and happily accepted them. Then they arranged a room and a bed for us to stay the night in. We left at five and went to the room. I was already settled in and resting when Mrs. Suqrat came and said, “Come, I will show you around.” I happily agreed and got ready.

She took me to the sea lake that we had crossed earlier in our carriage. There was very little water in the area that our carriage passed through, but a decent amount of water still managed to get inside. In this part of the lake, though, the water was quite choppy. It has a wooden bridge meant for strolling and taking in the lake air. We walked on the bridge for a while, until we were joined by her sister-in-law. The three of us walked around and chatted about this and that. Soon it was sunset and a cold wind began to blow, so we returned to the station. Here we met with her mother-in-law, who spoke to us in Arabic and taught me some of that language. Then we all went upstairs. I went to my room and told Amina bi, “Go now and make a chicken salan [in sauce]. Buy two chickens. One is for us; the other is for Mrs. Suqrat.” Amina bi bought two chickens and made the salan. When it was Mrs. Suqrat’s dinnertime, I asked for a dish, filled it with the salan, and had it returned. They all enjoyed this Indian salan. We had our meal too. Sarkar-e ala began to pray and recite vazifas.23 I prayed isha.

Soon Mr. Suqrat came by. “Mrs. Suqrat is asking for you. She thanks you for the salan.” Sarkar-e ala was busy with his prayers, so I took Amina bi with me up to their bungalow to visit her. All four of them were waiting and were happy to see me. We chatted for a little while. Then each of the three ladies sang a song. Two sang in Arabic, and one in English. They asked me to sing too, but I asked them to excuse me due to the presence of Mr. Suqrat. Instead, I said to Amina bi, “Sing them a ghazal in your best voice.” She very gladly sang a ghazal in praise of the Prophet. Her singing is not the best, but it’s good enough. Anyhow, they enjoyed it.

I left at nine and returned to my room. I had very bad diarrhea, the result of my having drunk water at the hot spring earlier in the day. It is very cold here now. We went to sleep, but I was awoken at twelve o’clock by an intense bout of diarrhea and a pain in my stomach. I did not tell Nawab sahib about it but went straight back to sleep. I had more diarrhea at three. Despite having diarrhea three times, I still felt healthy. After this I had no more loose motions, and I slept comfortably until morning.

November 27, 1909

We woke up in the morning, prayed fajr, and got ready quickly because the train would leave at nine. Mrs. Suqrat called me up to her home. Sarkar-e ala came as well. She gave us breakfast. The train pulled into the station while we were eating. Nawab sahib began to rush, but Mr. Suqrat said, “Don’t worry. I’ll hold the train.” We don’t have much luggage with us, just one handbag each and a goatskin for water. The rest is being stored in Haifa, where we bought our tickets. I went out to the station, said goodbye, and boarded the train with Amina bi. Nawab sahib had a chicken slaughtered just in case we need it. It was nine in the morning according to Arab time. The train does not have a bathroom. Men and women sit together in the same carriage.24

Now it was 1:00 p.m. The train stopped at a station in a small town called “Darrah.”25 From here we will have to change lines for Medina. That is why we disembarked at Darrah. Sarkar bought another chicken here. We gave the chickens to Amina to cook and got some warm bread from a shop. I understand that the train to Medina will pass through here at 3:00 p.m., meaning we will have to wait a full three hours. While we wait, Amina bi will prepare the chicken. Sarkar-e ala has gone to visit the bazaar. I am staying here at the station because I still feel weak after last night’s diarrhea. I met an Arab coolie who helped us and is still helping us. But he did one thing that was strange. He took a bit of the chicken that was still roasting and ate it. When Amina bi tried to stop him, he said, “I am Islam.”26

Nawab sahib returned from his visit to the bazaar with a woolen chugha overcoat and eight yards of thick cloth for himself. He also bought an undershirt for Amina bi for two and a half majidis because she does not have any warm clothes and it gets very cold here. Our food was ready, so we sat down in a clean space and ate. We gave the leftovers to Amina bi and the coolie. We are [now] sitting and waiting for the train to arrive.

Departure for Medina

It is 5:00 p.m. The train to Medina arrived at 5:00 rather than at 3:00, as scheduled. Al-hamdulillah, both of us climbed aboard, and the train departed. We got a little compartment, large enough for one person to lay down comfortably. I am thankful that God is taking us to this place [Medina]. This fact transforms every inconvenience into a comfort. Al-hamdulillah, we have found comfort at every stage in our journey. Now, too, by the intervention of the Prophet, things will surely work themselves out.

At every station there is a sudden flurry of Turks on the train (fig. 3.1). These Turks and fruit sellers freely climb in and out of the train wherever it stops. They all speak Turkish. They know very little Arabic and no French. The train’s crew and officers are all Turks. Purdah is very well arranged for. Armed Turkish soldiers regularly patrol the train with guns and cartridges. The system is the same at every station. My compartment does not even have a door. There is another compartment directly across from mine, but it is occupied by two Turks. They are very good people. We don’t have any bedding with us because we left all our things in the waiting room in Haifa. We initially thought we would return to Haifa, but, by God’s will and on the command of the Prophet himself, we have unexpectedly ended up heading in this direction.

The woolen overcoat is serving us well now. We have spread it out on the bench to keep us warm while we sit. We had Amina bi sit outside our compartment with our two bags. There were already many other travelers there. Our Turkish fellow travelers, who are very honorable [sharif] and kind, brought out one of their own quilts and hung it on the hooks outside our door, which does not even have a latch. They also offered us two brand-new quilts: “Please use these.” God knows why they had so many quilts with them. We politely declined, but they brought out even more quilts: “Look,” they said, “we have plenty.” Thanks to those quilts and God’s grace, we passed the night sitting there in comfort.

November 28, 1909

It was morning. The Turks themselves went and refilled our waterskins. Sarkar and I got down and went to the bathroom at one of the stations. The train stops at each station for a long time. If the train is about to leave a passenger behind, they shout out, “Stop!” and the train stops. We milled about the station for a while. We saw some fresh bread for sale. After we did our vuzu the Turks appeared with chai and bread. We thanked them and paid them. They even vacated their room, which was opposite ours, and offered it to us. They went off somewhere else. Then it was me in one room and Sarkar in the other. We were both very comfortable.

As usual, Sarkar would buy some chickens, and whenever the train stopped for long enough, Amina bi would cook them, and we would eat comfortably. At one point in the journey, we encountered two Turkish thugs who happened to notice the golden buttons on Sarkar’s shirt. They kept passing by him and staring intently at those buttons. This frightened me. I immediately removed them and put them safely away. Later that night, one of those Turkish thugs pulled our bag out from near Amina bi’s head and had already opened it up when she suddenly woke up and raised the alarm. By God’s will, everything turned out all right. He only managed to grab one pajama from the top of the bag before running away in the moving train. That Turk never appeared in the train again. We were saved by God’s kindness and the Prophet’s intervention. I remained awake all night just in case he reappeared.

The twenty-ninth of November passed similarly. I slept through the night.

Today Is the Thirtieth of November 1909

This is our fourth day in the train. Today is Tuesday. They say that today we will arrive at the threshold of the door of the Master of the Universe, the Companion of God. We gathered our things. Nawab sahib took from his bag a set of Arab clothing that he had brought with him from Hyderabad, which we have been carrying with us everywhere. This type of clothing looks very smart and radiant.

Impatience for the Pilgrimage to Medina

The restlessness of my heart and the impatience of my eyes is indescribable. O God! I thank you for bringing this sinner to the Prophet’s door, so I might make the pilgrimage I have so fervently wished for. Al-hamdulillah, our wish will now be fulfilled due to the intercession of the Prophet, his descendants, the children of Ali, the blessed companions of the Prophet, and the wives of the prophet. (God! May you grant all faithful men and women and all lovers of the Prophet and his descendants a pilgrimage to the resting place of the Prophet and to those of his family. And may they perform the hajj. And may this base one, the preparer of this travelogue, who is no more than a fleck of dust on the feet of the lovers and the dear ones of God, be granted this as well. Amen.)27

Notes

1. 1.“Ashkarukum.”
2. 2.“Katira tayyab hada.”
3. 3.“‘Aish kabat naha.” The Arabic is unclear, and this translation is highly speculative.
4. 4.“Ana bi-sair Makka wa Madina ba‘d min naha.”
5. 5.“Ashrab.”
6. 6.“Ana ma ashrab.”
7. 7.“Enta ashrab hada sigrit Hindi.”
8. 8.Jesus is generally regarded as having been born in Bethlehem and raised in Nazareth. Begum Sarbuland may have heard a local source tell her that Jesus was born in or near Nazareth, but this seems rather to have been a mistake on her part.
9. 9.Although Begum Sarbuland acknowledges in an earlier passage that Christians in the region speak Arabic, she steadfastly reserves the category of “Arab” exclusively for Muslims. In this and in other cases, she conflates religious and ethnic identities, seemingly unaware that Arabs could be any religion other than Muslim. This accounts for her surprise that Palestinian Christians are very good at Arabic but do not speak English.
10. 10.This is the site where Mary’s house is said to have stood and where she was visited by the angel Gabriel, who informed her that she would give birth to Jesus.
11. 11.The Qur’an frequently refers to Jesus as the “Spirit of God.”
12. 12.The text erroneously gives November 21.
13. 13.The sites visited are detailed in H. Khan, Safarnama-e Madina, 5.
14. 14.An Ottoman coin.
15. 15.“Hada ma baghit.”
16. 16.Begum Sarbuland expresses a similar sentiment below. She was clearly sympathetic to the man’s opinion.
17. 17.The Sea of Galilee.
18. 18.Now known as the Tiberias Hot Baths, they are located inside Israel’s Hamat National Park. The water emerges at a temperature of 60° Celsius.
19. 19.From his own travelogue, it appears that Sarbuland Jung had already long been interested in taking the newly opened rail line straight to Medina. His interest may have stemmed partly from Hyderabad’s involvement in its construction. H. Khan, Safarnama-e Madina.
20. 20.This line was the Jezreel Valley Railway, itself a branch of the Hejaz Railway that ran from Haifa to Dara‘a. It connected with the main Hejaz Railway line in Dara‘a. The full line was opened in 1905. Samakh was essentially the final station on the Hejaz Railway in Palestine. The village there was dispersed after its capture by Zionist forces in 1948 and no longer exists.
21. 21.A celebrated infrastructure project that showcased Ottoman Muslim modernity, the Hejaz Railway was only opened the previous year, in 1908. The track ran from Damascus to Medina. Hamidullah was fascinated by its construction and eager to see it in operation. The couple seems to have taken this roundabout tour through Palestine for just this reason.
22. 22.The term memsahib generally refers to Europeans, but Begum Sarbuland clearly used it to refer to Christians generally, since she was in no doubt that Mrs. Suqrat was Egyptian. The term bibi, by contrast, in her usage clearly marks her as Muslim. Thus, for Begum Sarbuland, conceptions of race were intertwined with religion.
23. 23.An honorific for her husband. The term means something like “exalted lord.”
24. 24.Hamidullah’s account does not include any description of their overnight stay and interactions with the stationmaster. He records simply boarding the train and continuing the journey. In contrast with Begum Sarbuland’s terse description of the journey, her husband gives his own detailed account of the route and the topographical features they saw along the way, with a particular focus on connections to biblical events. She seems focused on the train’s interior; he, on what was outside. See pages 250–54. H. Khan, Safarnama-e Medina, 8–9.
25. 25.Dara‘a was a major junction on the Hejaz Railway and is today a small town near the Syrian-Jordanian border. She spells the name incorrectly here.
26. 26.“Ana Islam.”
27. 27.This parenthetical has apparently been added to the book’s text by either an editor or a scribe—that is, the “preparer of this travelogue”—at the press. Two more similar parentheticals appear later in the book, one of which makes an objection to a statement made by Begum Sarbuland.