Journey to America (56)
We prayed Fajr in the mosque of Zaytuna College, perched high upon a lofty hill whose summit greets the first breaths of the morning breeze and is enveloped in a serenity befitting places of worship and knowledge. Thereafter, I returned to my work, turning over the examination papers of Al-Salam Institute, weighing them with due consideration, and writing upon them what justice and fairness required. When the review had wearied me, and fatigue had overtaken both my sight and my hand, I resolved to rest a little from the strain of study and writing.
So I went out with my companion, Muʿizz, at the break of dawn and with the rising of the sun, seeking the fragrance of morning and renewal of resolve through walking. We descended from that lofty hill until we reached its base, and soon after we climbed it once again. Thus our descent and ascent together took about an hour, or slightly less. The cold wind lashed us sharply, while sweat streamed down our brows until our clothes and bodies were soaked.
If we were to persevere in such exercise daily, the burdens of excess fat would vanish, the sediments of laziness and lethargy would disperse, and you would see me slender of waist, light of spirit, as though the breeze had clothed me with its own wings.
Later, my student, the esteemed teacher, the noble Shaykha Maryam Amir, honoured us with her visit, accompanied by her virtuous colleagues, one of whom was with her husband. Their visit was enriched by delicate conversation and fruitful discussion, most of it concerning the family and its affairs, and the realities of married life with its challenges and circumstances. We listened attentively and answered their questions with clarity and calm explanation, seeking that the meaning should reach their hearts before their ears, and that confusion be dispelled and the straight path become clear.
I delivered a lecture in one of the majestic halls of Zaytuna College, on the subject of women scholars and their contribution to the history of thought and knowledge. The hall was so filled with attendees that it could hardly contain them — a gathering such as I have seldom witnessed in my life. The lecture began at 10:30 in the morning and continued until 4:30 in the afternoon, long hours that passed without fatigue, for the audience — professors, students, and a wider public of researchers — were deeply drawn, attentive to every word, eager for each idea, such that time itself seemed to have folded away, unnoticed in its heaviness. It was as if the lecture was not merely knowledge received, but life itself, pulsing with thought and opening the soul to understanding.
I had lunch with a group of the college professors in a gathering pervaded by the spirit of learning and the fragrance of mutual affection. The conversation flowed as an extension of the lecture, not confined by the limits of the dining table, branching into diverse matters of thought and culture, punctuated by geniality and lightness that expanded the heart. In them I observed noble qualities and refined manners: humility that enhanced their learning, and warmth that brought the distant near. Thus the lunch was closer to a congenial academic session than to a meal merely consumed.
After the lecture, we toured the college, moving between its splendid buildings and varied facilities, perceiving there the imprint of both knowledge and work. We observed its spacious halls, vibrant classrooms, and centres that embrace seekers of knowledge and aid them in study and research. During this tour, I was shown the academic and cultural activities of the college, as well as its ambitious projects designed to serve its students and advance its mission. Each corner seemed to tell a story, each initiative animated by a spirit aspiring to make this institution a radiant beacon of learning in its present and its future.
I was honoured by the visit of my diligent student, Ustadh Umer Ranjhunwala, who had come from Southern California after a long absence. He spent delightful hours with me, rich in beneficial conversation and cherished memories, in which we recalled the days of study and discipleship, and exchanged views on new issues of thought and life. Not long thereafter, the dear Ibrahim Khan — son of my old friend Umer Khan — joined us. His visit was a continuation of those gracious moments and added warmth and joy to the gathering, a meeting of sincere affection that bound different generations together with ties of knowledge and loyalty.
Together with Ustadh Umer Ranjhunwala and the dear Ibrahim Khan, I visited some of the notable landmarks of the area. Foremost among them was the famous Golden Gate Bridge — a suspension bridge linking San Francisco to Marin County, spanning the narrow strait that joins San Francisco Bay to the Pacific Ocean. Since its construction in the 1930s, it has become an emblem of the city, counted among the marvels of modern engineering, a source of pride for its inhabitants and for the engineers who once deemed it one of the wonders of the modern world.
We did not preoccupy ourselves with its measurements and figures, well-known to experts, but stood before it in admiration and reflection. We looked at its vast span, its towering pillars defying sea and wind, and felt in this structure something of the daring and determination that gave it birth. The sea’s breath made the air cold, while the overcast sky cast a veil of mystery and majesty over the scene. We lingered for an hour, as though conversing with the bridge and receiving its reply.
The day concluded with a fine dinner in a Pakistani restaurant, its space filled with the sharp fragrances of spices and the familiar aromas of the distant East. We sat without formality, eating and conversing not only of worldly matters but of knowledge, religion, and thought. We discussed certain intricate jurisprudential issues, and the related hadith questions raised at times by Orientalists and repeated by some Muslims under their influence. We patiently examined these doubts, returning them to their origins, analysing them with calm reason and measuring them against the scales of knowledge, until the sitting transformed from a meal of the body into a feast of the intellect and soul.
When night’s veil had settled upon the city, our eventful day came to a close, and we made our way to San Francisco Airport, arriving at half past nine in the evening. Thus ended a day rich in learning, companionship, travel, and reflection: a day that began with the dawn in the precincts of scholarship, extended through renowned landmarks, scholarly circles and convivial gatherings, and concluded at the threshold of a new journey towards Canada. In that moment, as we awaited the flight, it seemed to us that the day had folded itself away, carrying within it memories enough to be retold many times — a complete chapter from a life brimming with movement, thought, and fellowship.
Disclaimer: This article was translated by AI. Original post: https://t.me/DrAkramNadwi/6968
