Chapter 7 CONCLUSION
2.3 BAKAAR MANUEL'S 1903 TRAVEL AND DIARY
hours to reach Saudi Arabia by air. Currently hajjis find it difficult to visualize what the same hajj meant to their forebears a few decades ago. Bakaar (Abu Bakr) Manuel, who recorded his daily experiences in a diary, undertook such a journey in the early 20th century. In this section I will discuss Bakaar's travel, which will later be contrasted with the modern means of travelling.
her grandfather was: "a strict disciplinarian and he was in favour of Islamic as well as general education -the house was always fall with books so that you could read and expand your knowledge."
Photo: M H Ebrahim Kobera Manuel showing a copy of her father's diary
For a person who taught himself to read and write, Bakaar did well to record his hajj experience in a diary. (See Appendix D). On the other hand, I am not surprised at Bakaar's undertaking, as he was a meticulous man and recorded everything, such as birthdays as well as deaths of family members and friends. I will now extract and summarize passages relevant to the topic from the diary.
B a k a a r M a n u e l Photo: Kobera Manuel Popular headgear at the time, the fez and turban
Bakaar Manuel and his wife left Simonstown by train for Cape Town on Wednesday, September 9,1903 at 6.40 a. m. They left Table Bay on board the Donolly Castle at 12.15 p.m. the same day. According to Bakaar all the pilgrims on board were sea sick, except his wife and himself. He gives a detailed account of the weather throughout his travel as
well as a description of a lighthouse he saw immediately after his departure. He further gives a report of sailboats, steamboats and even whales that he had seen. He also mentions that the boat arrived at Las Palmas about 6 a.m. on Saturday 26th, September
1903 and departed on the same day about 8.30 p.m.
. . -~
Photo:Hajji Adman Davids
The Donolly Castle
Rather than travelling directly to Mecca, Bakaar first stopped in England and went to Buckingham Palace, hoping to meet the king. Being a fan of the royal family and being a member of the British Royal Navy, those who travelled with him thought, it would be easy for them to see the king. However, they were unsuccessful. On Thursday, October 8m, 1903, he was fortunate to meet Admiral W. H. Fawkes (R N) at Hyde Park. The diary gives a comprehensive report of the time he spent in London as well as the transport he and his wife utilized travelling from one suburb to another.
According to Bakaar, on Tuesday, October 28th' 1903, at 12 noon they were very close to Jeddah and anchored about 3 p.m. He relates that Jeddah is a dangerous port and he witnessed two steamboats wrecked in the harbour whose masts were only sticking out.
On Monday, November 2nd' 1903, shortly after salah al-fajr (morning prayer), they left Jeddah for Mecca with 16 camels that were allocated to their group. Bakaar asserts that their caravan consisted of thousands of camels, "as far as the eye can see you can see the great many camels. I and Baheya did not feel very happy the first few hours as the camel jerks very much".
Shortly after salah al- yasr (late afternoon prayer) they arrived in Bagera, where they relaxed. On Wednesday, November 4th* 1903, before sunrise, they arrived in Mecca.
Sayed Omar Vallie, fUmar Wall) the tour guide, and some of the Cape hajjis who arrived in Mecca before them, came to welcome them. The following morning after salah al-fajr, they went to the Sacred Mosque to perform their specific rituals. Bakaar also recalls the first night in the Sacred Mosque, which he describes as a "memorable time".
He asserts that thousands of people were circumambulating the Ka'bah. He adds that thousands of lanterns were lit and he was overcome by the occasion.49
Bakaar made sure of recording the names of the hajjis from Cape Town who had died in Mecca, such as Mogamat Armien (Muhammad Amin), the son of Imam Hashim of the Cape. Also on Thursday April 14th, 1904, Bakaar records that Hajji Masvud (brother of Hajji Saldin Dollie) fell from the boat and was drowned. The boat's tug went round the bay to search for him, but could not find him. Apparently Mas'ud was fishing from the port side of the steamer.
Sunday, May 1st, 1904, at daybreak they sighted Cape Point lighthouse and arrived at Cape Town at 10 a.m. Bakaar concludes his diary with the following:
"We left Cape Town for Simonstown at 2 p.m. and arrived there at half past three.
Today we are 1 month and 18 days from Mecca and today we are 7 months and 22 days gone and back. We had a splendid travel going and coming back.
Alhamdolilah (sic) (praise be to God). The End. "50
Bakaar Manuel and his wife had gone to Mecca to fulfil the "Fifth Pillar" of Islam. While they were on their way to Medina to visit the Prophet's grave, fighting broke out among the Bedouins who began to exchange fire. They were compelled to return to Mecca. For
more than a week various parties of hajjis who had departed from Mecca for Medina had to turn back to Mecca as the road was unsafe. In fact many of these Bedouins used to rob hajjis who were travelling to Medina.
It is evident from Bakaar's diary, as well as from other sources such as newspapers and oral traditions that ships were the only means of travel from Cape Town to Mecca during the 19th and mid 20th centuries. Further, in Mecca during the 19th century, camels were the only means of transport. Today, the speedy modern aircraft has replaced the long tedious travel by ship to Saudi Arabia. Presently in place of camels, the latest models of cars and luxury buses speed along highways that link Jeddah, the Red Sea port, to Medina and Mecca.
Photo: M H Ebrahim Photo: M H Ebrahim modern aircraft luxury buses
Although Bakaar did not mention in his diary any of the actual rites and ceremonies performed prior to his departure to Mecca, according to his daughter, Kobera, to whom he related his pre- and post-hajj experiences, he did perform these rites and ceremonies.
When I asked Mogamat Adnaan (Adnan) Davis,52 who lived in Simonstown, whether Bakaar Manuel performed these pre- hajj rites and ceremonies he responded as follows:
"/ can't say accurately that he went to the kramats or he did this or he did that as he went on hajj in 1903- that was long before our time. But knowing Hajji Bakaar Manuel as a young person I used to sit with these old people and I used to listen to their tales, their stories, their histories, and their family traditions. Yes I can
safely say and firmly believe that Hajji Bakaar was one of those great traditionalists who did these things which we bind ourselves to today and forever after traditions of our people of Cape Town Muslims [sic].
Also, in the 1930's the following people left for hajj: the imam of the mosque, Imam Arafie Manuel, Imam Armien Baker's parents, Boetie Achmat (Ahmad) Manuel and his wife, my grandparents, Mogamat Marzaan and wife Fdtimah and Salie Cozyn and his wife. In the 1940s Gatiep Ismail Manuel, Salie Manuel, Behardien Davis, Doelie Slaamie, Giempie Baker and the Solomons family left for hajj. And finally, my parents Hajji Mogamat Sedick and Gadija Davis left for hajj October 1st, 1969.1 can safely tell you and can give you the fullest assurance that these people of Simonstown followed every bit of tradition pertaining to hajj".
S£S3N(i OFF TME Ptt-CK»ra ROUND FOft MECCA.—Hundred* of Malays from all parts of the Cap*
Peninsula thronged to the- South Arm at trtt Docks on Saturday trr give a gooeJ sr-nrl-orT to % pilgrims, who saileri for jerlriah—mv route for ike Holy City—on trie Dutch steamer Weaterkerk.
ih« crowci presented the moat picturesque display of colourful aiiLs and Bati-rs seen at the Docks for many montha. [Car^e tTi'mej Sert'ice.
Photo: National Library of Southern Africa A typical dock scene of formally dressed well-wishers
These rites and ceremonies of the Cape Muslims since Bakaar's time, its changes and developments in contrast with other communities of other cities as well as other countries will be discussed under two specific headings, namely the pre- and post-hajj periods.