Setting the record straight.
–
Dimitri Ehrlich: I know that your music is based on the Sufi tradition, but what is your personal religious affiliation, if any? Do you meditate or pray?
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan: I am not Sufi, but I spent a lot of time since my childhood with the Sufis, and I deeply studied them. Sufi music, especially, is a kind of prayer. If you sing in this manner, you will become closer to God, very close. That’s basically what I do.
What is your inner, mental experience when you are singing? What do you think about, or don’t you direct your mind in any specific way?
When I sing traditional spiritual songs, I always concentrate on who it is that I’m singing about. For instance, if I am inspired by the Holy Prophet, I concentrate on the Prophet. In my mind, there are many things, but when I sing, I sing for God, and for Holy Prophets, for Sufi saints. When I sing, their personalities are in my mind. I feel like I am in front of them. I feel their personalities, and I pray. I feel like I am in another world when I sing. I am not in the material world while I am singing these traditional Holy messages. I’m totally in another world. I am withdrawn from my materialistic senses; I am totally in my spiritual senses. And I am intoxicated by the Holy Prophet, God, and other Sufi saints.
Is there a different sort of prayer or meditative mode associated with songs concerned with Allah, Mohammed, and the Sufi saints, respectively?
When I sing for God, I feel myself in accord with God, and the house of God, Mecca, is right in front of me. And I worship. When I sing for Mohammed, peace be upon him, our Prophet, I feel like I am sitting right next to his tomb, Medina, and paying him respect and admitting to myself that I accept his message. When I sing about the Sufi saints, I feel like the saints are in front of me, and as a student, I am accepting their teachings. And I repeat again and again that I accept it, that I am really their follower.
I know that Sufism is essentially a mystical sect of Islam, but are there also strains of other religious thought involved with the liturgy or philosophy of Sufism?
Every religion has its own way of describing God. For instance, Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity, Sikhs-they all have their own way of following God. Sufism basically describes God and teaches how to come closer to God. So basically, I follow the Islamic form of Sufism to find my way to God.
I know that when you were sixteen you had a visionary dream in which your father, a great qawwali singer who had recently died, came to you and told you that you had been given his musical gift and should devote your life to qawwali. Since that dream, how has your understanding of your music changed?
Since the age of sixteen, when I started singing, I have had the same message to deliver to people about Sufism. But some changes have come accordingly as I grew and my experiences grew. Of course you really go to greater depths as time passes, more and more and more, and you grow and grow with the songs.
So how would you define your message?
My message is the message of humanity, love and peace. The goal of this message that I bring to people is to bring them toward brotherhood, to bring them closer to each other, without hatred, without any concern for race, religion or color. I try to bring people, through spirituality, to a position in which they’ll be more honest with each other, and live a truer life, less concerned with the materialistic world where they cannot find themselves. I try to bring them to a place where they can at least recognize themselves.
Other than your musical practice, which clearly has a very powerful spiritual dimension, do you have any formal religious practice?
I pray five times a day. And I pray before I eat, giving thanks to my God for the opportunity to eat this food. And after eating, I pray and give thanks again. And after all of my practices of my music, I always pray and give thanks to my God and say, God, I am your slave, and thanks to you I have this opportunity to give my message to the world.
For many performers, the gulf between the ecstatic experience of being in the spotlight and the “coming down” that inevitably accompanies going offstage draws them into drug addiction and other self-destructive behavior. Obviously you’ve avoided that pitfall, but do you ever feel any kind of emotional depression from coming down from the high of being on stage?
During the time I am singing traditional qawwali songs, I feel that I am in a prayer position in front of God. When I finish my prayers, whether is it my singing or the formal prayers I do, I feel deeply peaceful. I feel that I have had some success in accomplishing the mission that God has given to me. I have no difficulty making a transition from that frame of mind to my normal daily activities because prayer is a routine part of my life and I do it all the time.
In Buddhist psychology, there is a vast pharmacopia of different meditative antidotes that can be applied to various mental afflictions. So, for example, there are certain practices you can do if you are very angry, and different meditations if you are greedy, or jealous, or hateful or whatever. Do you have any kinds of specific prayers that are designed to deal with specific problems, such as anger, jealousy and greed?
Because of this music and because of this message which we have in our hearts and our minds all the time, it is extremely rare to feel anger toward anybody. This is the basic medication that controls us, preventing us from getting angry and keeps us happy.
What did you learn from your father, other than the specific musical training that you got as a singer of qawwali?
From my parents I learned my religion, how to live and follow Islamic rules. When I was young I went to the mosque and read the Koran and learned all the Islamic rules. From my teachers I got a basic education in science, mathematics, geography, English, Urdu, all the common subjects. And from Sufis I learned about Sufism. I try to learn and integrate the teachings from these three sources-from the saints, from school, and from my father. Of course when I was a child, before I turned sixteen, I was just a regular young person. I got angry, I argued, I lived like a boy. But since I saw the dream and became a follower of Sufism, and began singing the traditional qawwali, it really gave me peace in my heart. Since then my life has been totally changed. Since then I control everything that comes to my brain and to my heart.
Let’s talk a little about motivation. For some pop musicians, there is a desire for success that is equal to or even greater than the desire for excellence. Your music is so transcendentally spiritual, I wonder whether you ever think about making money and being a star as a motive behind what you do.
When I started singing, of course, I had in my mind the desire for success. I was always thinking that the people should listen to me, that the crowd should pay me respect as the artist. Of course, I wanted applause and felt that the singer should get some reward in the shape of appreciation from the public. But as time went by, I found myself in a situation where all I wanted was to give a lesson, the purpose of which was to give more happiness to people. My sleeping, my waking, my talking, my eating, everything in my life, the music is always with me in my mind. I’m always thinking about new tunes, new discoveries, and new music.
Dimitri Ehrlich writes for Interview, The New York Times, and other publications. His band, Dimitri and the Supreme 5000, released its debut album last year. He is currently writing a book about music and spirituality.
Full article here:
Raffles, which gave thirsty wanderers the Singapore Sling, is opening a luxury hotel in Mecca offering pilgrims a coffee sommelier, a chocolate room where chefs will prepare bespoke pralines and truffles, and a 24-hour butler service.
Undeterred by restrictions on beautifying oneself during the Hajj, the hotel will also have segregated gyms, beauty parlours, grooming salons and a spa.
There are strict rules regarding personal hygiene and behaviour during the hajj, and forbidden activities include sex, the cutting of hair and nails and the trimming of beards. These bars are lifted once certain rituals are complete, but Muslims are generally expected to forget worldly thoughts and activities and focus on the divine.
Mohammed Arkobi, the general manager of the new hotel, did not explain how a chocolate room and spa would help pilgrims achieve spiritual fulfilment. Nor was he able to comment on how the amenities complied with the ethos of the hajj, which is about simplicity and humility.
…..
Mecca’s makeover is alarming international activists, such as Ali al-Ahmed, the director of the Washington-based Institute for Gulf Affairs, a thinktank analysing events and issues in the region. Ahmed, an outspoken critic of the Saudi regime, said many factors were driving the changes.
“The al-Sauds want to make Mecca like Dubai, it is a money-making operation. They destroy ancient buildings because they do not want any history other than their own, they see it as competition. They destroy and dispose of artefacts.”
He also expressed concern that the arrival of luxury brands would increase the price of a pilgrimage. A 2009 platinum Hajj package from a UK tour operator costs £6,400 for 16 nights full board, based on double occupancy.
“By developing Mecca in this way they are making it inaccessible and unaffordable for the majority of Muslims. It will only be for the elite,” Ahmed said.
The city’s increasing westernisation was a “perversion of the religion”, encouraging activities that were at odds with the spirit of the hajj, he said.
“The Saudis may come across as austere but members of the ruling class have billions of dollars between them – even the muftis live in palaces with chandeliers.”
Development of the holy cities of Mecca and Medina should not come at the expense of religious practice, he said, before turning his attention to the lack of protest from Muslims around the world.
“Let’s take Jerusalem as an example. Muslims are outraged when Israelis do something in the Old City, but in Mecca things are being systematically destroyed and nobody is raising an eyebrow. It is a catastrophe.”
From ottomanpalestine.com:
“Until 9 December 1917 for more 400 years the city and Palestine lived peacefully under Pax Ottomana. Despite this 400 year long rule of Turks in Jerusalem there are not many visible Turkish Architectural Works. No slender minarets or Royal Mosque as in Balkans was build. The reason for this was respect for the local traditions and because there was a congregational Mosque of Masjid el-Aqsa. No other Mosque could be built that could surpass the holy shrine. Never the less, the City of Jerusalem has still a visible Turkish Presence. ”
Suleiman had a special relationship with Jerusalem. Evliya Çelebi describes Sultan Suleiman’s special relationship with Jerusalem as follows:
“In the year 926/1520 Sultan Suleiman acceded to the throne and conquered the fortress of Belgrade 927/1521 and later on the island of Rhodes 928/1522 and accumulated thereby intense wealth. The Prophet Muhammed (s.a.w) appeared to him in a blessed night and told him: “O Suleiman you will make many conquests You should spend these spoils on embellishing Mecca and Medina, and for the fortification of the citadel of Jerusalem in order to repulse the unbelievers, when they attempt to take possession during the reign of your followers. You should also embellish its sanctuary with a water basin and offer annual money gift to the dervishes there, and also embellish the Rock of Allah and rebuild Jerusalem.”
“Such being the order of the Prophet (S), Suleiman sends from his spoils one thousand purses to Medina and another thousand purses to Jerusalem. Together with required material he dispatched the master architect Koca Sinan and transferred Lala Mustafa Pasha from the governorship of Egypt to that of Syria, this latter having been ordered to carry out the restoration of Jerusalem, gathered all the master builders, architects and sculptors available in Cairo, Damascus and Aleppo and send them to Jerusalem to rebuild it and to embellish the Holy Rock.”
Ottoman Soldiers in Palestine
Ottoman Passport Palestine
Palestinian Wedding Procession 1904
Visiting of King of Germany to Ottoman Palestine 1898
Ottoman Railway, First Train to BI’RšSSEBA BETWEEN HAIFA DER’A
Ottoman Railway Haifa Train Station, Opening Prayer 1905
Ottoman Jerusulem 1898
![11-OTTOMAN PALESTINE [BETWEEN 1898 AND 1917] SQUARE FACING DAVID'S TOWER (by ottomanpalestine2)](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2468/3610353828_66f1d7fbbb_b.jpg "11-OTTOMAN PALESTINE [BETWEEN 1898 AND 1917] SQUARE FACING DAVID'S TOWER (by ottomanpalestine2)")
OTTOMAN PALESTINE [BETWEEN 1898 AND 1917] SQUARE FACING DAVID’S TOWER
Modern Palestine:
CARAVANS OF ROYAL GIFTS (SURRE ALAYI)
The word surre means the gifts and precious goods that were donated by the Sultan and citizens of the Ottoman Empire every year and which were sent to Mecca and Medina during the pilgrimage season.
The Surre caravan was sent along with the pilgrims on the 12 of Rajab, the first of the three blessed months, so that it could arrive in Mecca in time for the pilgrimage. The caravan spent the holy month of Ramadan in Damascus, and then distributed the gifts in Mecca. After performing the pilgrimage, the hajj, the caravan would depart for its return journey.
The first caravan ever was sent by Sultan Celebi Mehmed (d. 1421) with 14,000 gold coins by ship by Captain Kemal Reis; this tradition continued with higher quantities being sent by other sultans. After the Hijaz region was annexed by Selim I, the Surre caravans were more systematically organ-ized. It is reported in Mir’at al-Haramayn that the gifts and goods donated to the caravan were distributed to scholars and people who spent all their time worshipping in the Grand Mosque, and whose names had been determined beforehand.
The foundation deeds belonging to Sultan Mahmud II and Abdulhamid II reveal that the money sent with the Surre caravans were to be distributed to the teachers at the Hamidiye Madrasa, some righteous poor, and mosque attendants (Sabri, 1887, vol. 2, p. 687).
Click to Enlarge
The covers of the Kabbah were
sent with the Surre Alayi
Spectacular ceremonies were staged before the departure of the Surre caravans. Each ceremony was held according to a detailed plan organized by the protocol officer. The list of participants, ceremonial positions, costumes, and other issues were recorded in ceremony books. Esad Efendi’s Teshrifat-i Kadime [Ancient Protocol], for instance, describes the gifts, costumes, and money donated to the caravans in detail.
The program started a few days before the departure. 50 or more appointed officers visited every neighborhood and collect donations from the public. This way, many Muslims who could not afford to go on pilgrimage would be consoled by sending charity to the holy lands.
The sultan, accompanied by high-ranking state officials, sent off the caravan from the palace. Following a feast, the Surre purses were brought to the tents set up opposite the Kubbealti (the parliament building) and donations were counted in the presence of the sultan. The Surre Records and purses were sealed with the sultan’s seal and given to the Surre Officer with a letter addressed to the governor of Mecca. Accompanied by Qur’anic recitations, and praise and poems for the Prophet, gifts were loaded on the Surre camels and the procession continued until it reached the gates of Topkapi Palace.
Donations that were sent with the Surre caravans were usually spent on the renovations of the holy sites in Mecca and Medina and for facilities to be used during pilgrimage services. A significant portion of the donations were allocated for the poor living in the region. Some gifts were sent to the governor of Mecca and celebrated figures in the Haramayn. The caravan usually called at more than sixty different locations en route to Mecca and the caravanserai where the caravan stopped were well-maintained and kept under good care.
Surre caravans were sent on land until 1864. After this date sea steamers were used until 1908 when the Hijaz Railway began to operate. The caravan continued to be sent with the pilgrims until 1915. Despite the insurgence ot the Governor of Mecca and numerous hardships, a caravan was sent to Medina in 1916. During the horrendous times of World War I, the caravans could only go as far as Damascus in 1917 and 1918. No more caravans could be sent after 1919, with the exception of some charity that was sent by Sultan Mehmet VI (Vahdeddin) in 1919 and 1920 to be distributed to the poor of the Haramayn. The last caliph, Abdulmecid Efendi, who did not hold the title of sultan, officially put an end to this tradition in 1923-24.
During World War I, it was decided to evacuate the Haramayn. To prevent likely plunder and loss, some of the gifts that had been sent to Mecca and Medina centuries before were transferred to Istanbul along with the Sacred Relics. These items are now kept in the Treasury Section of the Topkapi Palace Museum in Istanbul.
ref: Doduncu, Mehmet (2006). Yildiz Albums of Sultan Abdul Hamid II Mecca-Medina. Pub: The Light Inc. New Jersey)
Sheykh Abdul Kerim at
Summer Palace -Beijing
The second Naqshbandi tariqa, the Jahiryya order, was founded in China under the dynamic leadership of Ma Mingxin (1719-81). One of the most fascinating detective stories in historical discovery is the tracing of Ma Mingxin’s spiritual lineage to Mizjaja, a village on the outskirts of Zabid in Northern Yemen, by Joseph Fletcher. While Chinese Sufis have known for generations that their saint Ma Mingxin studied in the Middle East, it was never clear where he received his “New Teaching” from or where he studied. Middle Eastern Sufi accounts recorded the presence of Chinese Muslims studying in certain Sufi areas, but only Joseph Fletcher was able to put the two together. This was important discovery as Ma Mingxin’s Sufi practice was thought to be novel, even heterodox, and the subject of many conflicts in Northwest China. This controversy is mainly over Ma Mingxin’s use of the Jahr in remembrance (“vocal dhikr”, from whence comes the name “Jahriya”, the “vocal” ones), which he openly advocated in opposition to the Khufiyya’s silent remembrance, the more standard Naqshbandi practice. After an extensive search through arcane Sufi documents in Arabic, Persian, Turkish, and Chinese, and a final personal trip to Yemen, Fletcher discovered that the name of the Sufi saint whom Chinese Muslim records indicate Ma Mingxin studied under, but did not know exactly who he was, was a Naqshbandi Sufi, az-Zayn b. Muhammad Abd al-Baqi al-Mizjaji (1643/4-1725) whose family home was in Mizjaja, the Zabid. Chinese Sufi records only indicate that Ma Mingxin studied in Yemen in a Sufi order known as the Shazilinye, whose Sheykh was Muhammad Bulu Seni, but did not know the full ancestry and origins of the order. Most Jahriyya only say “The root of our order is Arabia, the branches and leaves are in China” This discovery is extremely significant in the history of ideas, as it is known that az-Zayn had studied in Medina under the famous Kurdish mystic, Ibrahim b Hasan al-Kurani (1616-90), who also advocated the use of vocal formulae in the remembrance of Allah (al-jahr bi-dh-dhikr). Al Kurani’s students were are the forefront of Islamic reform and revolutionary movements throughout the Islamic world.
ref: Atabaki, Touraj. Mehendale, Sanjyot. Central Asia and the Caucasus. pub: Routledge (2005)
the truth on 
m.a.kidwai,CME/IND.RLY.(retd.) on 
