al-Nafha al-Miskiyya fi al-Rihla al-Makkiyya
- Author died
- 1174 AH
- Editions
- Cultural Foundation
al-Nafha al-Miskiyya fi al-Rihla al-Makkiyya (The Musky Breeze on the Meccan Journey) is an 18th-century travelogue written by the Iraqi Shafi'i scholar and man of letters Abu al-Barakat 'Abd Allah al-Suwaydi (1104–1174 AH / 1693–1761 CE), recording his pilgrimage journey from Baghdad to the holy cities of Mecca and Medina in 1157 AH (1744 CE).
Background and Composition
Following the conclusion of an official assignment given to him by the Ottoman governor of Baghdad in 1156 AH (1743 CE) and the lifting of the siege on the city, al-Suwaydi resolved to undertake the Hajj. In accordance with the prevailing custom for those holding teaching or religious offices, he submitted a formal petition to the governor requesting permission to travel, opening his request with an ode expressing his longing for the holy sanctuaries. Upon receiving approval, he delegated his teaching duties at the school of Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani to his son Abd al-Rahman al-Suwaydi and departed on his expedition.
Although the biographer Muhammad Khalil al-Muradi reported that al-Suwaydi began authoring his works only after returning to Baghdad from this journey—implying that the travelogue would have been his first written composition—the text itself contains the certificate of transmission (ijaza) that al-Suwaydi granted to Shaykh 'Abd al-Rahman al-Sanadiqi in Damascus dated 8 Ramadan 1157 AH, in which al-Suwaydi explicitly states that he had already composed more than ten works by that time, indicating that the book is among his mature writings.
Itinerary and Content
The work provides a detailed geographical and observational record of the towns, villages, and rest stops along the overland route taken by the author from Iraq through northern Syria and the Levant before turning south into the Arabian Peninsula. The itinerary documented in the text traces the following progression:
- Iraq and Upper Mesopotamia: Starting from Baghdad, the route passed through Tikrit, al-Qayyara, and Mosul, continuing north and west across Upper Mesopotamia through Nusaybin, Dunaysir, and al-Ruha (Urfa).
- Syria and the Levant: The journey proceeded through Aleppo, Sarmin, Ma'arrat al-Nu'man, Hama, Homs, al-Nabk, and Damascus, moving south through al-Muzayrib, al-Zarqa', al-Balqa', and Ma'an.
- The Hijaz: Crossing the desert waystations, the caravan traveled through Tabuk, al-Ula, and Wadi al-Qura to reach Medina, and subsequently traveled through Badr, Rabigh, and Khulays to arrive at Mecca.
Throughout the journey, al-Suwaydi documented his meetings with local scholars, jurists, and men of letters, exchanging literary pieces and scholarly licenses.
Manuscript Transmission and Publication
The work was preserved in manuscript collections, including a copy held at the 'Arif Hikmat Library in Medina. The historical account detailing the scholarly dialogue at the النجف (Najaf) assembly, which formed part of the author's recollections, was previously extracted and published separately under the title al-Hujaj al-Qat'iyya li-Ittifaq al-Firaq al-Islamiyya (Cairo, 1323 AH / 1905 CE). The full text of the travelogue was critically edited by 'Imad 'Abd al-Salam Ra'uf and published in Baghdad in 1421 AH (2000 CE).
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