He Was Supported By Ahmad Pasha Of
Meccah, With A Large Army; But After The Battle Of Tarabah, In Which
Ibrahim Pasha Was Worsted By The Badawin, Mohammed Bin Aun, Accused Of
Acting As Sylla, Was Sent In Honourable Bondage To Cairo.
He again
returned to Meccah, where the rapacity of his eldest son, Abdullah, who
would rob pilgrims, caused fresh misfortunes.
In A.D. 1851, when Abd
al-Muttalib was appointed Sharif, the Pasha was ordered to send Bin Aun
to Stambul—no easy task. The Turk succeeded by a manśuvre. Mohammed’s two
sons, happening to be at Jeddah, were invited to inspect a man-of-war,
and were there made prisoners. Upon this the father yielded himself up;
although, it is said, the flashing of the Badawi’s sabre during his
embarkation made the Turks rejoice that they had won the day by
state-craft. The wild men of Al-Hijaz still sing songs in honour of
this Sharif.
NOTE TO SECOND EDITION.—Early in 1856, when the Sharif Abd al-Muttalib
was deposed, Mohammed bin Aun was sent from Constantinople to quiet the
insurrection caused by the new slave laws in Al-Hijaz. In a short space
of time he completely succeeded.
[FN#13] The 12th of Rabia al-Awwal, Mohammed’s birthday, is here
celebrated with great festivities, feasts, prayers, and perusals of the
Koran. These “Maulid” (ceremonies of nativity) are by no means limited to a
single day in the year.
[FN#14] The reader is warned that I did not see the five places above
enumerated. The ciceroni and books mention twelve other visitations,
several of which are known only by name.
1. Al-Mukhtaba, the “hiding-place” alluded to in the preceding pages. Its
locality is the subject of debate.
2. Dar al-Khayzaran, where the Prophet prayed secretly till the
conversion of Omar enabled him to dispense with concealment.
3. Maulid Omar, or Omar’s birthplace, mentioned in books as being visited
by devotees in the 14th Rabia al-Awwal of every year.
4. Abu Bakr’s house near the Natak al-Nabi. It is supposed to have been
destroyed in the twelfth century.
5. Maulid Ja’afar al-Tayyar, near the Shabayki cemetery.
6. Al-Mada’a, an oratory, also called Naf al-Arz, because creation here
began.
7. Dar al-Hijrah, where Mohammed and Abu Bakr mounted for the flight.
8. Masjid al-Rayah, where the Prophet planted his flag when Meccah
surrendered.
9. Masjid al-Shajarah, a spot at which Mohammed caused a tree to
advance and to retire.
10. Masjid al-Ja’aranah, where Mohammed clad himself in the pilgrim garb.
It is still visited by some Persians.
11. Mas[]jid Ibrahim, or Abu Kubays.
12. Masjid Zu Tawa.
[FN#15] Familiar for “Rahat al-Hulkum,”—the pleasure of the throat,—a name
which has sorely puzzled our tourists. This sweetmeat would be pleasant
did it not smell so strongly of the perruquier’s shop. Rosewater tempts
to many culinary sins in the East; and Europeans cannot dissociate it
from the idea of a lotion. However, if a guest is to be honoured,
rosewater must often take the place of the pure element, even in tea.
[FN#16] Meccah is amply supplied with water-melons, dates, limes,
grapes, cucumbers, and other vegetables from Taif and Wady Fatimah.
During the pilgrimage season the former place sends at least 100 camels
every day to the capital.
[p.259] CHAPTER XXXIV.
TO JEDDAH.
A GENERAL plunge into worldly pursuits and pleasures announced the end
of the pilgrimage ceremonies. All the devotees were now “whitewashed”—the
book of their sins was a tabula rasa: too many of them lost no time in
making a new departure “down south,” and in opening a fresh account. The
faith must not bear the blame of the irregularities. They may be
equally observed in the Calvinist, after a Sunday of prayer, sinning
through Monday with a zest, and the Romanist falling back with new
fervour upon the causes of his confession and penance, as in the Moslem
who washes his soul clean by running and circumambulation; and, in
fairness, it must be observed that, as amongst Christians, so in the
Moslem persuasion, there are many notable exceptions to this rule of
extremes. Several of my friends and acquaintances date their
reformation from their first sight of the Ka’abah.
The Moslem’s “Holy Week” over, nothing detained me at Meccah. For reasons
before stated, I resolved upon returning to Cairo, resting there for
awhile, and starting a second time for the interior, via Muwaylah.[FN#1]
The Meccans are as fond of little presents as are nuns: the Kabirah
took an affectionate leave of me, begged me to be careful of her boy,
who was to accompany
[p.260] me to Jeddah, and laid friendly but firm hands upon a brass
pestle and mortar, upon which she had long cast the eye of
concupiscence.
Having hired two camels for thirty-five piastres, and paid half the sum
in advance, I sent on my heavy boxes with Shaykh, now Haji Nur, to
Jeddah.[FN#2] Omar Effendi was to wait at Meccah till his father had
started, in command of the Dromedary Caravan, when he would privily
take ass, join me at the port, and return to his beloved Cairo. I bade
a long farewell to all my friends, embraced the Turkish pilgrims, and
mounting our donkeys, the boy Mohammed and I left the house. Abdullah
the Melancholy followed us on foot through the city, and took leave of
me, though without embracing, at the Shabayki quarter.
Issuing into the open plain, I felt a thrill of pleasure—such joy as only
the captive delivered from his dungeon can experience. The sunbeams
warmed me into renewed life and vigour, the air of the Desert was a
perfume, and the homely face of Nature was as the smile of a dear old
friend. I contemplated the Syrian Caravan, lying on the right of our
road, without any of the sadness usually suggested by a parting look.
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