Twenty Days across Turkey

Twenty Days across Turkey

Report of Shaikh-ūl-Islam Mawlāna Abdol-Hamid’s journey to Turkey narrated by Hafez Mohammad Ismā’eel Mollazāei

On the morning of Wednesday, June 23, 2021, when the decision was made to close Darululoom Zahedan due to spread of Delta version of Covid-19, Shaikh-ul-Islam Mawlānā Abdol-Hamid decided to complete his treatment process. He traveled to Turkey last year for this purpose.
Until 28 June, we got prepared for the trip and left Tehran to Istanbul on the same day. In Turkey, while completing the treatment process of Shaikh-ul-Islam Mawlānā Abdol-Hamid, we made the most of the opportunity to fulfill his longing wish to travel to Konya in order to travel to the city where Mawlānā Jalālūddin Rūmi rests. We plan to leave Istanbul for Konya at noon on Saturday, July 10.
On the way to Konya, it was interesting for us that the Shaikh got a special condition. Along the way, he spoke with such enthusiasm and zest about Mawlānā Jalālūddin and his precious work, Mathnavi Ma’navi, which was amazing for all of us. He recited verses from the first book of Rūmi’s Mathnavi and explained them very beautifully. On the way, we were talking only about Mawlānā Jalālūddin and his Mathnavi. When the Shaikh was talking about Rūmi, we felt that he was in a special spiritual state. He looked different than ever. He even changed his sitting position, sat upright on the chair, and spoke seriously with full emotion and enthusiasm.
In Konya, we visited the shrine of Mawlānā Jalālūddin along with the Shaikh. It was very crowded. Rūmi’s devotees came from all over the world. They had come from different European countries. There were also tourists from Russia. When we entered the tomb, a strange feeling came over us and a spiritual feeling pervaded and encompassed us.
Shaikh recited Dū’ā, then we came out of there. It seemed that after this visit, some regrets emerged in the heart of Shaikh as when we came out; he said that he wished these lovers of Rūmi did not come to his tomb just because of their love for Rūmi’s literature. I wish these people have not come here with the intention that one of the saints of Allah is sleeping here and if they pray, their prayers will be accepted. I wish they would come and learn the lessons of asceticism, piety and fearing Allah, the prayers and remembrance of Allah from this heartfelt mentor, making Rūmi’s life a model for their lives forever. How did Rūmi become Rūmi? What deeds, remembrances and intentions he carried out that he reached to this point? How did he seek the pleasure of his Lord? I wish they look for answers to these important and humanizing questions, and they do not come here just for the purpose of pilgrimage and tourism and visiting the tomb of a famous personality.
Shaikh-ul-Islam also said: I wish we did not see this amount of nudity in this place; at least the dear visitors should respect the place here. I wish that here, like in the mosques of Istanbul, the executive officials of the shrine would provide a chador to the female visitors in order to visit this place with covered heads and bodies. Mawlānā Jalālūddin is one of the famous mystical and religious figures of the Islamic world and it is worthy to protect his dignity by observing the etiquette of attending his shrine.
In the afternoon of that day, Shaikh-ūl-Islam, being tired, returned to Istanbul by airplane and his companions left for Istanbul by road.
In Istanbul, we waited for Thursday and the time of Mawlānā’s last visit to the doctor. The visit took place on Thursday and the next afternoon, Friday 16 July 2021, we left Istanbul for Tehran. In Tehran, a group of loved ones had come to greet Shaikh-ul-Islam. He stayed in Tehran that night and returned Zahedan the next day at 7 pm after being away about 20 days from Zahedan.

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