Arabia and the Isles, Harol Ingram, London, 1942, 1943, 1946, p-213, 214

ইবনে ইসহাকের বর্ণনা অনুসারে আদ কওমের আবাস ভূমি ওমান থেকে ইয়ামান পর্যন্ত বিস্তৃত ছিল। আর কুরআন মজীদ আমাদের বলছে, তাদের আদি বাসস্থান ছিল আল-আহক্বায। এখান থেকে বেরিয়ে তারা আশেপাশের দেশসমূহে ছড়িয়ে পড়েছিলো এবং দুর্বল জাতিসমূহকে গ্রাস করে ফেলেছিলো। বর্তমান কাল পর্যন্তও দক্ষিণ আরবের অধিবাসীদের মধ্যে একথা ছড়িয়ে আছে যে, এ এলাকাই ছিল আদ জাতির আবাস ভূমি। বর্তমানে “মুকাল্লা” শহর থেকে উত্তর দিকে ১২৫ মাইল দূরত্বে হাদ্রামাউতের একটি স্থানে লোকেরা হযরত হুদের (আ) মাযার তৈরী করে রেখেছে। সেটি হূদের কবর নামেই বিখ্যাত। প্রতি বছর ১৫ই শা’বান সেখানে ‘উরস’ হয়। আরবের বিভিন্ন অঞ্চল থেকে হাজার হাজার লোক সেখানে সমবেত হয়। যদিও ঐতিহাসিকভাবে এ কবরটি হূদের কবর হিসেবে প্রমাণিত নয়। কিন্তু সেখানে তা নির্মাণ করা এবং দক্ষিণ আরবের ব্যাপক জনগোষ্ঠীর তার প্রতি আকৃষ্ট হওয়া কম করে হলেও এতটুকু অবশ্যই প্রমাণ করে যে, আঞ্চলিক ঐতিহ্য এই এলাকাকেই আদ জাতির এলাকা বলে চিহ্নিত করে। এছাড়া হাদ্রামাউতে এমন কতিপয় ধ্বংসাবশেষ (Ruins) আছে যেগুলোকে আজ পর্যন্ত স্থানীয় অধিবাসীরা আবাসভূমি বলে আখ্যায়িত করে থাকে।
 -Arabia and the Isles, Harol Ingram, London, 1942, 1943, 1946, p-213, 214

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THE TOMB OB HUD IN THE VALLEY OF THE FLOODS 



an air of complete peace and calm pervaded the whole place. There was 
that feeling of reverence and devout worship which hangs like an aura 
around almost every sacred shrine. This was even more apparent when 
we had climbed the rough white-washed slope, which half-way up divides 
into two, one going right and the other left, and came to the dome itself. 
The tomb extends up the hill-side at the back of the dome : its total length 
is about ninety feet. 

The dome covers the rough unhewn natural rock of the mountain in 
which is a great cleft. This, it is said, is the place into which the prophet 
disappeared. The mountain never completely closed after him, and now 
while the surrounding rock is heavily white-washed the cleft itself is left 
untouched. Untouched that is to say by paint, but it is worn smooth by 
countless reverent hands and hps. It was this, perhaps, with the quiet of 
the fine December morning brooding over the spot, which called back 
to my mind other ancient fanes where the knees of generations of worshippers 
have worn away the stones. 

It was not easy to turn one's mind to a practical exaniination of the 
tomb and its surroundings. Thousands of minute pieces of chewed-up 
coloured rag or string stuck to the walls and roof of the cupola attracted our. 
attention, and on the grave itself, extending out of the cupok up the 
mountain, there were numbers of small stones tied round with pieces of 
rag and suspended from pegs driven into the masonry. 

Hud is generally thought to be the patriarch Eber of Genesis and in 
Muslim theology was the prophet of the giant race of 'Ad. He it was who 
reproved the haughty Sheddad and warned the 'Adites of their end, after 
which they were consumed by the devastating wind of the desert. I have 
not been able to find any reference to the end of Hud in the historians, but 
legend has it that he was pursued by two infidel horsemen into the gully 
where his tomb now is. Being hard pressed he reached the rock and said: 
"Open by me permission of God." The rock opened wide. He entered 
in and the stone closed on him, but it did not close entirely. His she-camel 
which he couched near-by was turned to stone. 1 

The pilgrimage to the tomb of Hud takes place on 15th Sha'ban and the 

1 Qabr Hud, like Qabr Salih and other giants' tombs, was probably a sanctuary 
of the old religion, and it is said'that when Seiyid Ahmed bin Tsa al Mohajir came 
to the Hadhiamaut he searched and made enquiries everywhere for the tomb of Hud. 
At length one Sheikh Ba 'Abbad, a caravan Muqaddam of Rahia who knew the 
whole country, offered to show him the grave, but in true Hadhrami style demanded 

(For completion, of footnote see page opposite.} 



PILGRIMAGE TO THE TOMB 



town of Qabr Hud is only inhabited for three days in the year. The first 
act of the pilgrims after arriving and finding their quarters is to go down to 
the river and wash and pray. Then they return to their houses and after 
food go out to look at the beduin dances. The fair at which animals, 
clothing and butter are sold, lasts until sunset and the pilgrims may, if they so 
wish, do business until this time. 

The next day they rise early and going down to the river pray the Fajr 
beside the water. The ceremonies of the visitation take place during the 
day. Again by the water-side the pilgrim says : "Verily it is a river of the 
rivers of Paradise." He then performs the ablutions and prays under the 
leadership of the Mansab, Sheikh 'Umar al Mihdhar. Then he tells his 
beads and praises and glorifies, and magnifies, advancing the while to the 
empty well where he stays a short time. Here he says "Peace be on the 
Prophet of God, peace be on the Apostle of God, peace be on the Beloved of 
God." This is followed by the invocation of the peace on all the prophets 
of importance, the four perfect women, the archangels and the gardener 
of Paradise. 

The pilgrim then prays that out of regard for the prophet Hud, the 
Prophet Muhammad and others, God will accept his endeavours, be pleased 
with his deeds, redouble his rewards, forgive him his sins, strengthen his 
weakness with the protection of faith, raise up his abode and make His 
pleasure his hope and Paradise his object and goal, that God will keep his 
record in His right hand, make his deeds good, accept the good deeds of his 
benefactors and forgive them who sin against him. 

Then the pilgrim climbs to the holy tomb where Seiyid 'Alawi bin 
Ahmed al Haddad prays on his behalf. The prayers are further inter- 
cessions by the virtue of Hud and the other prophets, and are followed by 
the reading of the Chapter of Hud and a reading from the KawaHb of 
Ahmed bin 'Umar al Hinduan. 

how much he would be paid. Burton remarks in a footnote to his Arabian Nights 
"the people are the Swiss of Arabia and noted for thrift and hard bargains; hence 
the saying 'If you meet a serpent and a Hazrami, slay die Hazrami.'" The Seiyid 
and his companions replied that they would -give him the tithes of the wadis. He 
led them to the spot and Seiyid Ahmed bin 'Isa after examination was convinced 
that the prophet was buried there. A cupola was built over the grave with stairs 
leading up to it and a mosque near-by for prayers. Sheikh Ba 'Abbad became the 
guardian of the tomb and his descendants hold the office to this day. It is only 
tins cupola that is' old; the other buildings and the magnificent flight! of stairs are 
comparatively new and are due to the benefaction of the Al Kaf family.