A traveller's reflection: Iraq Day 03: Basrah Day Tour

“The world makes way for the man who knows where he is going...” - Ralph Waldo Emerso

(Makam Anas ibn Malik, Basrah)

Day 03: 15 Dec 2023 (Friday)
Town: Basrah Full Day Tour
Hotel: Hotel Manawi Bashar, Basrah

(A wide spread of dishes for breakfast)

Buffet breakfast was served at 6.15 am. Today we had a full day tour of attractions in Basrah, mostly visiting the makam of sahabat and syuhada'. At 7.00 am the bus took us to Mausoleum of Imam al-Hasan AI-Basri located about 15 minutes’ drive from our hotel. The mausoleum is located in the Zubayr district where many cemeteries are situated.

Makam Abu Sa'id al-Hasan ibn Abi-l-Hasan Yasar al-Basri

Hasan al-Basri, was an ancient Muslim preacher, ascetic, theologian, exegete, scholar, judge, and mystic. Born in Medina in 642, Hasan belonged to the second generation of Muslims, all of whom would subsequently be referred to as the tābiʿūn in Islamic Sunni. He became one of the most celebrated of the tābiʿūn, enjoying an acclaimed scholarly career and an even more remarkable posthumous legacy in Islamic scholarship. Hassan al-Basri earned the affection of people of Basrah. When he passed away at the age of 89, the entire population of Basrah attended his funeral.

(Makam Imam Hasan Al-Basri)

(Visiting three famous tombs)

(The tomb of Imam Hasan Al-Basri)

(The tomb up close)

Makam Muhammad Ibn Sirin

He was born in Basrah and was a Muslim tabi' who lived in the 8th century CE. He was a contemporary of Anas ibn Malik. He is claimed by some to have been an interpreter of dreams, though others regard the books to have been falsely attributed to him.

(A simple tomb of Muhammad Ibn Sirin)

Makam Rabi’a Al-Adawiyah Basri

Rabi’a al-ʼAdawiya al-Qaysiya was an Arab Muslim saint and Sufi mystic and was an influential religious figure. She is known in some parts of the world as Hazrat Rabia Basri, Rabia Al Basri or simply Rabia Basri. She is known as a Sufi woman who is ascetic, that is, not interested in worldly life, so she devotes her life only to worshiping God. Her tomb is simple without any permanent structure. Some seem to have confused the grave of Rabi’a Al-Adawiyah of Palentine with that of Hazrat Rabia al-‘Adawiya of Basrah. In 2011, we had visited Rabi’a Al-Adawiyah’s grave located at the top of the Mount of Olives near the Chapel of Ascension in Jerusalem. This Rabi’a was a different pious lady.

(A grave with no tomb stones)

(Located at the back of Imam Hasan's Mausoleum)

(The view from the back)

(Old graveyards at the huge Az-Zubayr Cemetery)

From the Mausoleum of Imam al-Hassan AI-Basri, the bus took us to the Mosque of Zubayr ibn al-Awwam located at Az-Zubayr District in Basrah. The mosque is also a mausoleum where the tombs of Zubayr ibn al-Awwam and Utbah ibn Ghazwan are located.

(A depiction of Sayyidina Hussein seen in most places)

(The Mosque and Tomb of Az Zubayr ibn Al Awwam)

Makam Zubayr ibn Al Awwam

Zubayr ibn al-ʿAwwām was an Arab Muslim commander in the service of prophet Muhammad and the caliphs Abu Bakar and Umar. Zubayr is said to have entered Islam at the age of 16. He was one of the first men to accept Islam under the influence of Abu Bakar and is said to have been the fourth or fifth adult male convert. Zubayr played a leading role in the Ridda Wars against rebel tribes in Arabia and later participated in early Muslim conquests of Sasanid Persia, Byzantine Syria, and the Exarchate of Africa.

(The tomb of Zubayr ibn al-Awwam)

(Reciting the salam and prayers)

Makam Utbah bin Ghazuan

Utbah ibn Ghazwan al-Mazini was a well-known companion of the prophet Muhammad. He was the seventh person to convert to Islam and participated in the hijra to Abyssinia, but returned to stay with prophet Muhammad in Mecca before making the second hijrah to Medina. He fought at the battle of Badr, the battle of Uhud, the Battle of the Trench and many others, including the battles of Yamamah. During the caliphate of Umar, Utbah commanded a force of 2,000 men in a campaign against Ubullah. After his force occupied Ubullah, then later the district of Furat, Meisan and Abarqubaz, he was appointed as the governor of Basrah by the caliph. Next to Makam Utbah is Makam Abd Rahman, the loyal khadam of Utbah.

(The tomb of Utbah ibn Ghazwan lies beneath the dome)

(The tomb of Utbah ibn Ghazwan)

(Makam Abd Rahman, the loyal khadam of Utbah)

Our next visit was to Makam Talha ibn Ubaidillah, about 13 km away. We passed through some slums area and were swarmed by a group of small kids from the village. We were advised to distribute biscuits and sweets instead of money to the poor. Cash contributions from the Jemaah were handed over direct to the care-taker of the mausoleum.

(The 44-seater bus for the whole trip in Iraq)

(A long walk through small busy lanes)

(A vege vendor at a convenient store)

(Packed Iraq dates sold by the roadside)

(A three-wheeler supplying clean water)

Makam Talha Ibn Ubaidillah

Ṭalḥa ibn ʿUbayd Allāh al-Taymī was a companion of prophet Muhammad. In Sunni Islam, he is mostly known for being among al-ʿashara al-mubashshara, the ten to whom Paradise was promised. He played an important role in the Battle of Uhud and the Battle of the Camel, in which he died. According to Sunnis, he was given the title "The Generous" by Muhammad.

(Makam Talha ibn Ubaidillah, construction funded by the public)

After visiting makam Talha Ibn Ubaidillah the bus took us for a 45 minutes’ drive through a desert road passing through salt lakes and many oil refineries to visit Makam Anas ibn Malik.

(Taking the intersection into the desert road)

(Flock of sheeps with oil refineries in the background)

(Mausoleum of Anas ibn Malik in the middle of the desert)

Makam Anas ibn Malik ibn Nadar al-Khazraji Al-Ansari

He was a well-known companion of prophet Muhammad. Anas ibn Malik was born 10 years before the Hijrah of Rasulullah to the Bani Khazraj tribe of Madinah. He was present in Madinah during Rasulullah’s time there and afterwards. He was the longest living among the companions of Rasulullah, having died 93 years after the Hijrah. Anas ibn Malik, was the last of the sahabat to die in Basrah at the age of 103.

Ibn Jauzi mentioned that Anas bin Malik narrated 2286 hadiths from the Prophet and 2178 hadiths from him in the Musnad of Imam Ahmad. Anas bin Malik was blessed with many children and grandchildren, large and fertile land.

On February 25, 2006, his tomb in the west of Basrah was attacked and vandalized. The tomb was a pathetic site with burnt marks on the roof and walls. Anas bin Malik is not to be confused with Imam Malik ibn Anas.

(Makam Anas Ibn Malik in Basra)

(Reciting the prayers at Anas' tomb, a pathetic sight)

(The hall was badly burnt and the tomb vandalised)

For this trip, at every visit, the Ustaz will take turn to narrate the sirah2 of ambiaya’ and syuhada’, and led the recitation of the du’a.

After the visits to the mausoleums, we had Nasi Mandi Kambing for lunch at Restaurant Al-Azaim in Basrah. After lunch we went back to the hotel to perform solat jamak Zohor/Asar and had time for a short rest.

(A popular restaurant in Basrah)

(A full plate of Lamb Biryani for hungry tourists)

(A choice of grilled fish is also available)

By 5.30 pm we boarded the bus to Basrah Time Square Mall via the Italian Bridge with a view of Shatt Al Arab with the busy Corniche along the river. At the mall we bought some souvenirs. Time Square Mall is just like any other mall, busy with locals and foreigners shopping for Christmas.

(The corniche by Shatt Al Arab at night)

(Basrah Time Square Mall, busier than usual)

(Festive mood - dazzling Christmas decorations in the mall)

(One of the many modern shopping mall in Basrah)

(Hunting for Iraqi souvenirs)

Dinner was take-away jumbo beef burger in the room. Tonight, we stayed another night at Manawi Basha Hotel, Basrah. In 2013, the deadliest bomb assault took place here where two car bombs killed eight people.