Gharaib al-Ightirab
- Author died
- 1270 AH
- Editions
- Gharaib al-Ightirab
Gharaib al-Ightirab, in full Gharaib al-Ightirab wa-Nuzhat al-Albab fi al-Dhahab wa-al-Iqamah wa-al-Iyab ("The Curiosities of Estrangement and the Delight of Hearts in the Outward Journey, Residence, and Return"), is a travelogue by the Iraqi scholar and mufti Abu al-Thana Shihab al-Din Mahmud al-Alusi (1217–1270 AH / 1802–1854 CE) detailing his journey from Baghdad to Constantinople (Istanbul), his stay in the Ottoman capital, and his return .
Background and Composition
Following his dismissal from the Hanafi muftiship of Baghdad and the subsequent hardship he endured, al-Alusi resolved to travel to the Ottoman capital to petition the authorities and present his major Quranic commentary, Ruh al-Ma'ani . He set out from Baghdad on the first of Jumada al-Ula (or Jumada al-Thaniyah) 1267 AH and arrived in Constantinople on 28 Ramadan 1267 AH aboard a steamship . After residing in the capital for several months, meeting state officials and scholars, and receiving honors from Sultan Abd al-Majid, he returned to Baghdad . Al-Alusi compiled the work after his safe return to his home city in 1269 AH .
Contents and Structure
The book—also referred to as Nuzhat al-Albab—is structured around three main phases: the outward journey (al-dhahab), the author's stay in the Ottoman capital (al-iqamah), and his journey back (al-iyab) . Al-Alusi opens the work with an autobiographical account detailing his background, education, and the circumstances that impelled him to travel .
Throughout the text, al-Alusi incorporates:
- Biographies of notable scholars, dignitaries, and literary figures he encountered during his travels and residency .
- Detailed summaries of his scholarly meetings, philosophical inquiries, and literary disputations with Shaykh al-Islam Ahmad Arif Hikmat Bey .
- Descriptions of the geography, cities, landmarks, palaces, and architecture observed along his route and throughout the Ottoman metropolis .
In addition to this comprehensive account, al-Alusi treated parts of the journey in two smaller travelogues: Nashwat al-Shumul fi al-Safar ila Islambul for the departure, and Nashwat al-Mudam fi al-Awd ila Dar al-Salam for the return .
Reception and Publication
The work was commended by contemporaries, such as Muhammad Sa'id, who noted that it served as an accurate mirror of the Ottoman capital and the Islamic lands of that period, distinguished by its literary eloquence and informative depth .
The book was printed in Baghdad at Matba'at al-Shabandar in 1317 AH (comprising 451 pages), edited and published by the author's grandson Mahmud Shukri al-Alusi, with republication rights held by the author's son Ahmad Shakir al-Alusi . Another edition is reported as printed in Baghdad in 1327 AH .
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