Jerusalem, China, Hejaz and “Paradise Lost”… Najat Al-Marini publishes “Travel Path”

From Mecca to occupied Jerusalem, from China to the Levant, from Uzbekistan to India, from “Paradise Lost” to Turkey and other countries, academic Najat Lamrini takes notes, provides comparisons, and draws on the benefits of numerous travels. Her text was published by the Hassan II Mosque Foundation in Casablanca.

Entitled “Impressions and Impressions of a Travel Path,” Al-Marini presents a record of her observations, experiences, and notes for consideration, with the presence of comparisons about what brings Morocco closer to Arab countries, what reminds us of the Arab and Muslim in other countries, and the embellishment of prose through the eyes of Arabic poetry according to the topics and intentions.

In his introduction to the book, Bouchaib Ben Idriss Fakkar, Governor of the Hassan II Mosque Foundation in Casablanca, stated that in these memoirs “a deep love for knowledge of many different parts of the world is combined with a great passion for knowing God Almighty through what He created and what He created. The scientific description of the natures of various societies is mixed with their beliefs and myths, and the imaginary in the conscience is transferred to the reality of the worlds with all their contradictions. All of this was drawn by a beautiful, creative brush, which is only possessed by a thoughtful writer named Dr. Najat Merini.”

In Syria in 2008, Al-Marini found popular markets around the shrine of Muhyiddin Ibn Arabi al-Hatimi, the author of “Al-Futuhat Al-Makkiyya,” which reminded her of “the markets of Moulay Idriss the Great in the city of Zerhoun,” where “people rush to buy candles, sweets, and other things that are considered blessed provisions.” She also saw in Damascus the image of Nizar Qabbani, a Damascene boy, saying: “I wish they would plant me in you, Damascus, as a minaret, or hang me as a lamp on the doors.”

The memoirs also feature Al-Marini’s monologue with her pen: “There are many spaces that remind you of the Arab mind’s ability to achieve the impossible and to prove itself through morality and knowledge. How will we Arabs regain what we have lost after a period of sluggishness from the brilliance of our civilization and add to it the new eras and techniques of science? It is the puzzling question that refers to the necessity of unifying efforts and working diligently, with pride and self-esteem, to restore what has been lost due to division, hypocrisy, and outbidding for leadership and power.”

The writer found the town of Ma’arra “proud of its wise poets and philosopher of his time, Abu al-Ala al-Ma’arri, the immortal poet with his Lazumiyyat and his fallen arm,” adding, “How much my radiant Damascene professor, Dr. Amjad al-Tarabulsi, endeared this poetry to me in his university lessons at the Faculty of Arts in Rabat, as it infiltrates our minds with its calmness and balance, its knowledge and its giving.”

In China, the Moroccan literature specialist confirmed what her fellow countryman Ibn Battuta had dictated, saying: “Despite its distance and the great distances we have traveled, China is worth visiting and stopping at its landmarks and ancient civilization, and admiring the regularity of its people in their work and in preserving the pride of their homeland. Perhaps Ibn Battuta’s admiration for China has something to highlight in his time, so how would it be if he visited it today and stood admiring what it has achieved over the ages in terms of progress and prosperity.”

She added, “What is noteworthy is the number of Islamic restaurants in Beken, which serve halal food with Arabic tunes, which take you back to the Arab Islamic atmosphere in a country where it is difficult to communicate with its residents except through a guide who is fluent in French to communicate with the visiting Moroccan delegation.”

During the Marinid journey to the Turkish libraries of Istanbul, the blogger wrote: “Perhaps what inspires pride in these cultural centers is that they contain a large number of Moroccan works in various specializations. The curator of the library of the Islamic Research Center showed interest in what Moroccan writers write in Islamic literature and thought, noting their efforts at all times,” before adding, “I believe that the legislation for teaching the Arabic language today in Turkish schools confirms the radiance and presence of the Arabic language as a global language.”

Speaking about the Turkish “Islamic Encyclopedia” and its 40 volumes, Al-Marini recalled the most important Moroccan encyclopedias, of which she is a member, “The Teacher of Morocco,” and mentioned that she also contributed to the first one at the request of the encyclopedia, which translated its translations into Turkish to introduce Moroccan scientific figures, namely: Abdel Aziz Al-Fechtali, Abdullah Kannoun, Ibrahim Al-Riyahi, and Abdel Aziz Al-Tha’alibi.

In Uzbekistan, the Muslim country in the heart of Central Asia, formerly independent from the Soviet Union, Al-Marini felt a special taste, with a journey that “takes the visitor back to recalling centuries past, to a second reading of Islamic history, to discovering the true Islamic spirit among the people despite their foreignness, and to their pride in their country, its founder and the maker of its glory.”

In addition to the experience of understanding the subject of my Friday sermon based on Quranic and Hadith citations only, the popular markets that tempt people to buy souvenirs, and the shrine of the founder of the Naqshbandi order, the writer recorded that “the visitor to any mosque will notice the skill of the Uzbek artist in engraving and decoration, as Quranic verses were engraved on the doors and domes of the mosque in beautiful lines in the Arabic language to tell an amazing story of skill in the art of decoration and engraving in bright, harmonious colors.”

Many of the book’s trips were Umrah or Hajj to Mecca and Medina, a continuation of the Moroccan Hijazi trips, with a loud criticism of the irregularities of the visitors and organizers: “They are manifestations of backwardness and manifestations of ignorance of the morals of Islam,” while documenting that circumambulating the Kaaba “brings a person psychological and physical comfort despite the hardship and crowding.”

In Jerusalem, Al-Marini wrote, confirming her appreciation for the Moroccans’ desire to perform the Hajj and pray at Al-Aqsa Mosque, and in Holy Jerusalem, the land of the prophets and messengers. Whenever Moroccans decided to perform the Hajj, they planned to visit Jerusalem to pray at Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock Mosque. Thus, the pilgrim fulfills the dream of praying in the three mosques to which people travel, the Holy Sanctuary, the Holy Sanctuary, and the Holy Sanctuary.

From the beginning of the journey, Al-Marini wrote, “The feeling I had while I was on the outskirts of Jerusalem, preparing to breathe its air and quench my thirst with its sanctity, was one of contentment and reassurance, even if it was accompanied by regrets about the political situation the country was experiencing, and about the tyranny of the enemies who were stealing the land of its people.”

Regarding the road to Al-Aqsa Mosque, she spoke about “narrow Arab alleys, as if we were in the alleys of Salé or Fez,” and about readings of Al-Busiri’s poetry, including “Al-Burda,” in Al-Aqsa Mosque. She also spoke about the imam’s supplications after the dawn prayer, which “instill reassurance in the soul despite all the discouragements and painful conditions that the people of Jerusalem and the Palestinian people are experiencing. One feels psychological comfort mixed with the hope of liberating the land and liberating the holy city from the clutches of the colonizing gang of the land of the prophets and the place of the Prophet’s Night Journey, peace be upon him.”

Among the things documented in the Marinid memoirs is “a religious lesson by one of the scholars of Jerusalem about being dutiful to one’s parents, and the verses of the Holy Quran that insist on this, calling for adherence to Islamic morals in their loftiness and purity, drawing attention to the deterioration experienced by Islamic countries, their political reality, the problems of their inhabitants, and other things that everyone knows, hoping that governments will rise up to change the painful reality through hard work and not through empty words.” She commented on this by saying: “A distinguished religious lesson, in clear language, and eloquence that inspires comfort, and confirms the courage of the people of Jerusalem in advising and guiding, in an era in which the word of truth has dried up on the lips out of fear and caution.”

As for “Paradise Lost,” the memoirs concluded with “It was a refreshing journey to the memory to recall the glory of Andalusia at all times, and to take comfort in all the circumstances that brought about a brilliant civilization, and a center of scientific radiation that has not been repeated to this day. Thus, today the Spaniards have taken advantage of the enchanting landmarks and monuments of Andalusia to stimulate tourism activity in their country, and have ensured unique and active tourism, summer and winter, spring and fall.”