WITH MOSLEM PILGRIMS

Evening Star, Issue 20510, 14 June 1930, Page 9

WITH MOSLEM PILGRIMS

VOYAGING TO JEDDAH MECCA’S SEAPORT TOWN [Written by Warwick, for the ‘ Evening Star.’] Tragic indeed was the event which took place in the Red Sea a short time ago. The French steamer Asia, crowded with pious Moslems who had successfully accomplished a pilgrimage to Mecca, was returning from Jeddah to southern Red Sea ports when she caught fire. Many of the pilgrims were trapped by the flames and were unable to escape- some perished by reason of two of tlie ship’s four boats being swamped; others sacrificed any chance of escaping they may have had by refusing to leave the vessel. They remained in the dining room praying to Allah with their faces turned towards Mecca. Nearly 200 of the pilgrims are reported to have lost their lives in the disaster, but as all Moslems believe the dead have embarked on another and more glorous pilgrimage. With the fact that Mohammed has enjoined upon his followers the duty of paying a visit to Mecca, his birthplace, most Westerners are acquainted, but probably a much fewer number realise to what an extent the injunction is obeyed. Mr N. J. B. Wavell, who visited Mecca disguised as a pilgrim, says the stationary population of this city is somewhere about 70,000 to 80,000, but that each year during the season about 500,000 pilgrims visit it and its sacred places. Consider the huge transport such a large movement must entail. The pilgrims come from all parts of the Moslem world, and include Arabs, Turks, Indians, Javanese, Egyptians. Chinamen, and African negroes, Snips representing many different nationalities cater for the traffic, some of them being so old and worn-out as to be positively unsafe. Conrad in one of his books, ‘ Lord Jim.’ describes a vessel of this sort.

When Mr Wave!! made the pilgrimage to Alecca he travelled to Medina, thence to Yaraba, on the sea coast, where he took ship for Jeddah, some distance farther south on the Arabian coast. Several steamers were anchored off shore, desirous of securing passengers from the pilgrims who arrived in caravan after caravan. In the town, a dirty, dingy little place, touts were running hither and thither trying to persuade pilgrims to take their ship in preference to another. The fare was not a fixed one. If the demand for accommodation was brisk the price went up. If the demand was slack the charge for a passage was reduced. Air Wavell took passage on a steamer that flew tho Turkish Hag. It proved to be a Greek vessel which had been hired by a Persian syndicate, and was commanded by an Egyptian captain. As most of the pilgrims were very poor and the passage money low the temptation was to overcrowd the ship. There were 1,500 pilgrims on board Mr Wavell’s ship, and the Persian syndicate wanted to wait for more to arrive at Yemba, but those on board became impatient and threatened the captain with violence unless he left.

A voyage on a steamer crowded with Mohammedan devotees on one of these great annual pilgrimages is a never-to-be-forgotten experience, though to Westerners a disadvantage is “ the subtle perfume of the East,” which is pretty pronounced when several hundred pilgrims are in close assembly. Such an experience was vouchsafed to Mr Harrison Dale, who, in his book ‘ Vanishing Trails,’ gives a vivid and sympathetic description of a journey on a pilgrim ship. This particular voyage was from Bombay and it may be mentioned that the welfare of pilgrims from India is under Government supervision. The pilgrims who excitedly boarded the ship included some women and children, and were representative of all classes and ages. Some of the men were of so great an age* that it seemed almost impossible that they would ever set eyes on the city of their dreams. Many of them had saved for long years for this voyage, and in all probability had denied themselves everything except the bare necessaries of life. The ’tween decks had been cleared, and these, together with certain sections of the main deck, were set aside as living quarters for pilgrims during tho voyage. It took three or four days for tho great crowd to settle down. At length, by dint of much swearing, driving, and beseeching, some semblance of order was obtained, and the decks began to take on an appearance of domestic happiness and comfort.

What a picturesque sight the crowded decks presented at night, when, prayers having been said, the pilgrims made coffee on their little charcoal tires! The smoke from their narghillehs and cigarettes wreathed upward in the still evening air. Here and there amid the reclining forms swayed the robed, veiled figure of a woman, and the dull glow would show up the gaunt, ascetic face of some old pilgrim having a fineness, a gentle shrewd benevolence that was as surprising as it was beautiful. As was expected, not all of those on board who had set out to reach Mecca were destined to do so. Many of the aged pilgrims, unable to stand the excitement and stress brought about by the unusual surroundings and conditions, fell sick, and after the manner of Eastern nations turned their faces to the wall and died. The deaths some times numbered two or three in a day, although in this particular ship the pilgrims who were ill received every attention. The physician has yet to be born who can prevent an oriental from dying once he is convinced his hour is come. The funerals were not characterised by that decorum that we expect. Terrific wrangling and violent quarrels would arise among the near relatives of a deceased pilgrim as to which of them should have the honour of committing Uncle Ali to the deep. Tho voices of the claimants to this privilege rose higher and higher, which led to tho pilgrims who were chanting increasing their vocal efforts, and what a din 1 Some unauthorised person would then cut the rope that released the body, _ whereupon the mourners would burst into cries of anger and disappointment, which soon subsided, however, and comparative calm reigned until the occasion for another funeral arose, when a similar demonstration would take place. When the ship had entered the Red Sea and Mecca was comparatively near, tho excitement among the pilgrims increased until it reached fever heat “It is impossible,” says Mr Dale, “for the Occidental mind to appreciate the reverential awe, almost the worship, with which tho taithful regard the birthplace of the Prophet. When the Moslem prays ho turns towards Mecca. When ho dies ho is laid upon his side with his face towards Mecca. In every mosque in Islam tho praying nook is constructed so that it faces towards Mecca. To the Moslem'Mecca is the heart of the world of Islam, tho solid existing fact which his mind is able to grasp. When a pilgrim ship approaches within a certain distance from Jeddah, tho ceremonies connected with the pil-

grimage are entered upon. The ship’s siren is sounded, and the pilgrims forthwith proceed to have their heads shaven, and then to don the “ Ihram.” Every vestige of clothing is taken off; the ordinary garments then being replaced by two white cloths, one worm around the waist, and the other around the shoulders. All the pilgrims adopt this dress, irrespective of rank or wealth. The idea, of the “Ihram” is expressive of purity and It must be said that not all the pilgrims have the figure of an Apollo Belvedere, and the sight they present is sometimes very arresting. . Jeddah, the objective of the pilgrim ships, is the port of Mecca, which IS situated tortv miles inland. It has no proper harbour, and the passengers are taken off in open boats. It is the principle of the boatmen to extort as much as possible, and if the Prophet pays attention to all the calls made upon him by the pilgrims to witness how much "they are b »ng robbed in his service, he has a busv tune when a ship arrives. Seen from a distance Jeddah looks enchanting. Viewed, at close quarters it is mosi unattractive. The streets are narrow, of baro earth,' and very dusty and dirty. The houses are in an advanced process of decay. They are wooden and worm eaten, and lean this way or that as if they stand up with difficulty. Jeddah’s bazaar challenges any other in the Eastern world for general unsayouriness, but flies love it and flock to it by the million. The city has one great sight. A walled enclosure of sand dunes, 175yds long and 12ft wide, is declared to be the tomb of Eve—“the Mother of the World.’’ The Christian is permitted to enter Jeddah, but he is forbidden to go beyond. With their heads shaven and wearing their bath towel costumes, the pilgrims present a quaint spectacle as they wander around the streets of Jeddah. Then, after a brief stay, they form a caravan, and commence their journey overland to Mecca. For centuries these pilgrimages to Mecca have been carried on. Indeed, the town was a place of pilgrimage for idol worshippers, before Mahomet’s day. One wonders how many millions of persons during the years have trod the sandy road from Jeddah to Mecca and back again. Because of the improved facilities for travel that now exist, it,is probable that the pilgrim traffic is greater to-day than ever before. The passengers on board the Asia were returning pilgrims. Thev had visited Mecca and performed all the prescribed ceremonies—saying prayers before the Kaaba (the shrine that stands in the centre of a great enclosure), travelling around the Kaalja seven times, reverently kissing tho Black Stone (a meteorite built into the wall of the Kaaba). They have visited Arafat Hill, fourteen miles distant from Mecca, climbed to its summit, and said more prayers; they have thrown stones at two pillars they passed, returning from Arafat Hill,, to express their detestation of idol worship, and on this journey have each sacrificed a sheep. Wearing their ordinary clothes instead of the scamtv costumes in which they travelled to Mecca, and performed the ceremonies enjoined, they have inspected the house where Mahomet was born, and also the one where the Prophet lived after his marriage. Some people may have doubts as to the genuineness of these plages; the pilgrim has none. Thus it is that with joy in their heart the pilgrims on the Asia were returning home, having fulfilled their most cherished hope and achieved their life's ambition. In making the pilgrimage to Mecca thev had earned the respect of their fellows as well as the greater thing—the reward promised to the Faithful wJjo undertake the journey Then the fire occurred which meant that the anticipations of many of them were not to be fully realised. As the flames came on those p-lgrims who were unable or unwilling, to escape fell on their knees and prnvd and, like true Moslems, turned their faces towards Mecca.