PANDEMIC IN THE TRAVELOGUE SAFARNAMAH I MIRZA HUSAYN FARAHANI BY MOHAMMAD HOSAYN AL-FARAHANI

Abstract

A travelogue is an important medium that provides a portrayal of a society because it records the reality of a travellers experience when exploring a location. The purpose of this study is to conduct a preliminary review pertaining to a pandemic in Mecca that was recorded in a Persian travelogue entitled Safarnamah-ʼi Mirza Husayn Farahani: Qasqazih, ʻUthmani, Makkah, 1302–1303 Hijri Qamari or in English translated as A Shiite Pilgrimage to Mecca 1885–1886: The Safarnameh of Mirza Mohammad Hosayn al-Farahani. This study used a qualitative method by conducting a content analysis of the study corpus based on the thematic method. This preliminary review generated new themes, namely the societal norms of Hajj pilgrims, the local people of Mecca, and the authorities while facing the pandemic in Mecca. The results of this preliminary review show that this Persian travelogue serves a medium that depicts the situations of the pilgrims and the local people of Mecca, as well as the prevention measures implemented by the authorities when they faced a pandemic in Mecca some time ago. Therefore, a travelogue is one of the crucial post-pandemic sources that serves as a reference because it provides information about the sociology of the lives of a previous society, especially during a pandemic outbreak. It is hoped that the translation of Islamic travelogues will be carried out actively due to their potential to provide immense benefits not only to the field of Islamic literature but also to various other fields.