Pilgrimage to Mecca of theologian Nurgali Hasanov (1852–1919)

Abstract

The proposed article for the fi rst time reconstructs the signifi cant pilgrimage of the authoritative theologian of the Middle Volga Region, sheikh, akhund Nurgali (Nur ‘Ali) Hasanov. This outstanding personality for more than 30 years led Buinsky madrasah in Buinsk town, was one of the brightest Sufi leaders of his time. He taught and raised a large number of students, among them 200 became imams, about 10 chose to be akhunds (muhtasibs), a large number of muezzins, teachers of elementary religious schools and madrasas, and 8 directors of large madrasas of the Middle Volga Region. Among his students there were 2 deputies of the State Duma, prominent scientists, writers, public fi gures of the Tatar nation of the late XIX – early XX centuries. His merits were recognized by the authorities of the Russian and Ottoman Empires, from which he received the highest government awards – silver and gold medals “For Diligence” and the 1st Degree Honorary Order “Osmania”. The path of Nurgali Hasanov’s long pilgrimage includes many signifi cant events, where there are the visits to the cities of Moscow, Petersburg, Odessa, Istanbul, Beirut, Damascus, Tabuk, Medina, Mecca, Jeddah, Bakhchisaray and to many other historical places, there are the meetings with Sultan Abdulhamid II, famous politicians, scientists, Sufi mentors. The author of the article bases his research on the theologian’s work for the fi rst time introduced into the scientifi c circulation, and dedicated to his pilgrimage “al-‘Awatif al-hamidiyya fi -l-siyahat alnuriyya [Grateful feelings of a bright travel]”, which was translated from the Arabic Language. The researcher also refers to an autobiographical work “58 yel gasyrda jawalan [58 years of travelling in one century]”, to published Osman (Ottoman) archive materials and to Tatar newspapers of the pre-revolutionary period. The events discussed basically cover the moment from early July 1906 to late March 1907.