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Diary of Day 13 - Madinah-al-Ilm and Bab-al-Ilm 4 Course |
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Day 13 - Saturday 4 August 2007
Boys' diary: Saturday 4th August was our scheduled visit to Hamadan. Hamadan is about 4 hours west of Qum and is an ancient city with a lot of relics from previous civilisations. We woke up for Fajr Salaat at about 3:45 am and went to the Salaat room in our Hawza for morning prayers.
In the Hawza we are staying in, many other students come for short camps like ours. This time for Fajr, there was a group, I believe, from Kuwait. The Salaat was led by an Alim from their group and thereafter one of their students recited Dua-e-Ahad melodiously. Perhaps because Arabic is their first language and because of their training in reciting Quran and Duas in Arabic, it helps them express their feelings when they recite.
After Salaat, the campers started getting ready for their upcoming trip. Since it was early, we had decided that breakfast would be served on the way to Hamadan.
After gathering all our provision for the journey, we left Qum at about 7:45 am. We stopped at the city of Saveh for breakfast. This city has a significance in that it was the city where the brothers of Bibi Fatima Masuma (AS), who were travelling with her to visit the 8th Imam (AS), were attacked. It is also reported that it is in this city that Bibi Masuma fell ill and went to Qum where she passed away and is buried.
After a hearty English breakfast comprising of cornflakes and tea, we proceeded to Hamadan. We reached Hamadan after Salaatul Dhuhr and the the first thing we did was stop at a nearby mosque for prayers. After prayers we proceeded for the traditional Iranian lunch - "Chelo Kabab". By this time some of the campers were taking a liking to this food, whereas for others it was still not as good as the traditional Indian curry and rice.
The afternoon was spent Ganjnameh waterfall, where the ancient tribe of the Arians lived. Remains of their civilisation was observed in the meticulous writings inscribed on the rocks near the waterfall.
Mohammad Kassamali of London, U.K. had this to say about the first day in Hamadan, "The ancient mountains and waterfall of Hamadan helped me empathise with the lives of the people living in the area in ancient times. The modern parts of the city with its beautiful mosques and squares were a great contrast to the past. Overall it was a great voyage."
The evening was spent in a dorm style accommodation comprising of two rooms with about 20 bunk beds each. One room was for the Madina campers and the other for the Baab campers.
By: Munir Chagpar
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