The Journey to Turkey

Madani Travelogue

The journey to Turkey

Maulana Abdul Habib Attari

On Saturday 20^th February 2021, we travelled from Istanbul to Konya to visit the shrines of Shah Shams Tabriz and Maulana Rum رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْهِمَا. Details of this were given in the previous issue of the Madani Travelogue. It gradually got colder in the evening time in Konya to the extent that the temperature reached -7 degrees Celsius. We spent that night in Konya and boarded our return flight to Istanbul at 6am on Sunday the next morning. Upon reaching Istanbul, we complied with the legal requirement to have covid tests. Thereafter, we rested for a while.

Pre-departure covid tests

Dear readers of the monthly Faizan-e-Madinah magazine, if you want to travel abroad, find out the rules of the country you are travelling to regarding covid tests so that you do not face any difficulties. For this journey of ours from Turkey to Pakistan in February 2021, it was necessary to provide negative covid test reports. It is better to carry out the covid test 72 hours before travelling. The results of this test are usually received in eight to ten hours.

A meeting with Dawat-e-Islami’s preachers in Turkey

Before Zuhr Salah, we organised a meeting in Faizan-e-Madinah Istanbul in which Turkish preachers of Dawat-e-Islami participated. Some members of Dawat-e-Islami’s executive committee also took part online, as did representatives from HR and those responsible for scheduling activities. In this meeting, issues concerning Dawat-e-Islami’s overseas preachers were addressed, and very beneficial discussions took place. Mufti Qasim also offered Islamic guidance throughout the meeting.

We offered Zuhr Salah in Faizan-e-Madinah, and many Islamic brothers were present for this. Mufti Qasim delivered a Sunnah-inspired speech after the Salah and then met the Islamic brothers.

The construction plan of Faizan-e-Madinah Istanbul

On this occasion, alongside Dawat-e-Islami’s representatives, we met a contractor named Umar and discussed the construction of a new Faizan-e-Madinah. The cost of construction work is a lot higher in Turkey compared to Pakistan. Also, as it can get very cold in Turkey, it is essential to install a heating system. This Faizan-e-Madinah will be magnificent and distinct from the many Dawat-e-Islami centres around the world, اِنْ شَــآءَالـلّٰـه. After obtaining quotations from various professionals, we signed a contract for the construction of this Dawat-e-Islami centre worth approximately 750,000 American dollars. Based on Pakistan’s currency, this works out to be approximately 120-130 million rupees. May Allah Almighty grant the goodness of this world and the Hereafter to the Islamic brothers who contributed towards purchasing the land, and may Allah Almighty grant us help from the unseen in constructing this building.

مَاشَــآءَالـلّٰـه Istanbul’s Faizan-e-Madinah has a studio in which recordings take place for Madani Channel in both, Arabic and Turkish. Mufti Qasim and I visited this studio and recorded programmes for the local viewers and listeners. These recordings were translated into Turkish by an Islamic brother, and the programme was also aired live on the Facebook page of Dawat-e-Islami Turkey.

The return from Istanbul to Karachi

After we finished, we reached Istanbul Airport at approximately five o’clock. Our return flight back to Pakistan was scheduled for 8 p.m.

The flight from Karachi to Istanbul takes six hours 45 minutes, whereas the flight from Istanbul to Karachi is five hours long. This is because when travelling from the east to the west, the wind is opposite to the direction of travel. Conversely, when travelling from the west to the east, the wind is in line with the direction of travel, and this makes the journey quicker.

Those who have travelled to the two Holy Sanctuaries (Haramayn) also may have experienced this. The journey from Karachi to Jeddah is four hours long, whereas the journey from Jeddah to Karachi is three and a half hours long.

Concluding our trip to Turkey, we reached Karachi Airport at approximately 3 a.m. May Allah Almighty accept this journey of ours and make the religious works of Dawat-e-Islami in Turkey successful.

اٰمِیْن بِجَاہِ النَّبِیِّ الْاَمِیْن صَلَّی اللہ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلہٖ وَسَلَّم