A One-Page Hajj Travelogue From the Year 1247 AH / 1831 CE By Abul-Qāsim ibn ʿAlī Rizā Shīrāzī

Edited by Rasūl Jafariyān, translated by Sayyid Ali Imran

Introduction and Analysis

On the opening page of Manuscript No. 8270 in the Majlis Library—containing two treatises, al-Fawāʾid al-Ḥāʾiriyya and the marginal notes of Sulṭān al-ʿUlamāʾ on Maʿālim al-Uṣūl—there is a one-page report of a Hajj journey written by the owner of the manuscript. In addition, he has recorded some personal information, such as the dates and details of his travels to Iraq, as well as the birthdates of his three children (two daughters and one son), noted on this page and the next.

Despite its brevity, the travelogue contains several interesting points, a few of which are highlighted here:

As indicated, the author records his name, his father’s name, and the date of his Hajj journey in this text. His father is Mullā ʿAlī Rizā, and he himself is Abul-Qāsim, and it is evident that he was a scholar—a reasonable assumption based on his ownership of a work on fiqh and uṣūl. He does not state his place of residence, but the colophon at the end of the page mentions Shiraz, so we can identify him as Shīrāzī.

He undertook this journey with his wife, as he also notes that she accompanied him on some of his other trips to Iraq.

He states that he travelled through Dezfūl, then to Basra, Zubayr, Zulfī, and Dufaynah. This indicates that he travelled by land from south of Basra toward the central Arabian Peninsula, via Najd, and from there to Mecca.

He also writes that he was part of the Kermanshah Hajj caravan, and like many other pilgrims, they suffered harassment from the Bedouin tribes residing in those regions. While he only names one companion, Āqā Muḥammad Ṣāliḥ, the phrase “and others” suggests that he had other acquaintances travelling with him.

The journey took place in the year 1247 AH (1831/1832 CE). Based on historical data, the Najd land route was known for its difficult terrain. These hardships led the author and his companions to opt for sea travel on the return trip.

They departed on the 29th of Shaʿbān, during the winter season, meaning they spent Ramadan, Shawwāl, and Dhū al-Qaʿdah en route. They reached Mecca on the night of the 8th of Dhū al-Ḥijjah, nearly the final permissible time to arrive for the pilgrimage.

He notes that there was no disagreement about the start of the lunar month—a crucial point—as it meant that the dates of ʿArafah, Eid, and other rites matched those of the Sunni population, and he explicitly confirms this alignment.

The author left Mecca for Jeddah on the 20th of Dhū al-Ḥijjah. Why he didn’t visit Medina is unclear, but it may have been due to reports of tribal hostilities in the area. He writes that just eight days after completing the pilgrimage, he headed to Jeddah and back to Iran. He explicitly says that due to Bedouin aggression, they chose the sea route for return. Although we couldn’t decipher the name of the tribe, most such troubles near Medina were typically attributed to the Banū Ḥarb, which somewhat resembles the word in the text.

He departed Mecca on the 20th, arrived in Jeddah on the 22nd, and boarded the ship of Nāṣir ibn ʿAlī Jāsamī. “Baghla” is the name of the ship, and based on the owner’s name, he was likely a resident of the Persian Gulf coast.

They stayed in Jeddah for three days, until the 25th of Dhū al-Ḥijjah, after which the ship set sail. On the night of ʿĀshūrāʾ (10th of Muḥarram)—about fifteen days later—they arrived at the port of Jadīdah (a Yemeni port). After spending five days in Jadīdah, they sailed to al-Mukhā, reaching it after one night of travel. On the 17th of Muḥarram, they left al-Mukhā for Muscat.

While in al-Mukhā, a serious accident occurred involving their ship. Several crew members and pilgrims had gone ashore and, on their return, were caught in rough seas. While attempting to board the ship, they were overcome by the waves and drowned in that stormy sea. Sailors quickly intervened, managing to rescue all but four of them.

On the 3rd of Ṣafar, fifteen days after leaving al-Mukhā, they reached Muscat, where they remained for 14 days. Then they sailed for Bandar ʿAbbās, a journey of three days, and from there, travelled overland via Lār to Shiraz.

He reached Lār on the 8th of Rabīʿ al-Awwal, where he notes both its prosperity and the devastation that had spread to it. After staying three days in Lār, he went to Jahrom, where they stayed six days, and finally, at the end of Rabīʿ al-Awwal, returned to Shiraz.

He writes that Shiraz was in turmoil and that the governor had left for Kirmān. Thus ended his eight-month journey.

On the same page, the author lists his various journeys to Iraq, though before that, he records the date of his marriage, which was on the night of the 12th of Jumādā al-Ulā, 1234 AH. His pilgrimages to Iraq occurred in the years 1233, 1236, 1241, 1244, and 1252 AH. His wife accompanied him on the journeys of 1244 and 1252. From the travel dates, it’s clear he timed his trips to coincide with key religious occasions at the holy shrines—days he specifically mentions include ʿArafah, Ghadīr, ʿĀshūrāʾ, and the month of Ramadan. Two of the journeys also took place during Shaʿbān (1241) and Ramadan (1244), during which Nowruz also occurred.

On the back of this travelogue, the author records the birth dates of his three children: Khadījah, ʿAlī, and Fāṭimah, born in 1235, 1236, and 1244 AH respectively—two years after his marriage. He offers prayers for their righteousness and long lives. For his son ʿAlī, whom he gives the kunyah Abū al-Ḥasan, he additionally prays that he becomes a scholar. His daughter Fāṭimah is also given the title “Zahrāʾ.”

Travelogue Text

In the year 1247 AH, on the 29th of Shaʿbān, during the winter, I set out for Mecca the Honored with my wife, accompanying the pilgrims from Kermanshah, along with Āqā Muḥammad Ṣāliḥ and others, taking the route via Dezfūl, Basra, Zubayr, Zulfī, and Dufaynah. Along the way, in the desert, there was significant harassment by the Bedouins inhabiting those lands.

Praise be to God, we entered Mecca on the night of the 8th of Dhū al-Ḥijjah, and there was no disagreement about the beginning of the month—which was important, so our performance of Hajj would align with that of the Sunni community. The Ḥajj and ʿUmrah of Tamattuʿ were completed.

Due to Bedouin aggression—likely from the Ḥarb tribe—we chose to return by sea. On the 20th of Dhū al-Ḥijjah, we departed Mecca with my wife. On the 22nd, we reached Jeddah and boarded the ship Baghla of Nāṣir ibn ʿAlī al-Jāsmī.

We stayed three days at the port of Jeddah, then on the night of ʿĀshūrāʾ, we arrived at Jadīdah, where we remained for five days. We then traveled to al-Mukhā, arriving after one night’s journey. We stayed there for two or three days, and on the 17th of Muḥarram, we departed for Muscat.

On that same night (17th of Muḥarram), a serious incident occurred. The sailors (jāshūs) of Nāṣir’s ship had gone ashore at al-Mukhā for provisions, accompanied by several pilgrims. On their return, they encountered rough seas, and upon attempting to board the ship, all at once, they were overwhelmed by the waves and became “drowned in that stormy sea.” Eventually, thanks to the efforts of the ship’s crew, all but four were rescued.

On the 3rd of Ṣafar, we arrived in Muscat, where we stayed for 14 days. Then, we spent three days at sea traveling from Muscat to Bandar ʿAbbās. From there, we journeyed overland via Lār to Shiraz, departing toward the end of Ṣafar.

On the 8th of Rabīʿ al-Awwal, we reached Lār, a city that was once flourishing but was now partly in ruins. After staying for three days, we headed to Jahrom, where we remained for six days, and then proceeded to Shiraz.

We arrived in Shiraz at the end of Rabīʿ al-Awwal. The city was in turmoil, and the governor had left for Kirmān.

Thus, my eight-month journey came to an end.

[Date of Marriage]

The wedding night and the beginning of raising children was on the night of the 12th of Jumādā al-Ulā, 1234 AH.

[Author’s Pilgrimages to Iraq]

All that the Lord of the Worlds granted this humble servant, the scribe of these lines, “son of the God-forgiven, the one of good return… Mullā ʿAlī Riḍā, may his resting place be fragrant—Abul-Qāsim”, by way of pilgrimage to the Imams of Iraq (peace be upon them) is as follows:

• • ʿArafah and Ghadīr, in the year 1233 AH

  • ʿĀshūrāʾ, in the year 1236 AH

  • Shaʿbān and Ramaḍān, in 1241 AH, with Nowruz occurring in Shaʿbān

  • Ramaḍān, in 1244 AH, with Nowruz falling within it; journey undertaken with his wife

  • ʿArafah, Ghadīr, and ʿĀshūrāʾ, in the year 1252 AH

[Birth Dates of His Three Children]

• • A beloved child, Khadījah, was born on the night of the 29th of Ṣafar al-Muẓaffar, 1235 AH, approximately 15 minutes after sunrise.

    “May the Glorious Divine Essence make her among the righteous and grant her a long life, by Muḥammad and his family.”

  • A beloved child, ʿAlī, kunyah: Abū al-Ḥasan, was born on Wednesday night, the 13th of Shaʿbān al-Muʿaẓẓam, 1236 AH, approximately two hours after nightfall.

    “May the Glorious Divine Essence make him among the scholars, the righteous, and the long-lived, by Muḥammad and his pure family.”

  • A beloved child, Fāṭimah, titled Zahrāʾ, was born on the night of the 28th of Ṣafar, 1240 AH, about two hours after nightfall.

    “May the Glorious Divine Essence make her among the righteous and the long-lived.”