Hadramawt – In a scene repeated annually for centuries, thousands of Yemenis visit what is believed to be the tomb of the Prophet Hud in an area bearing his name in Yemen's eastern Hadramawt governorate, accompanied by 8 days of religious and popular carnivals.

An annual scene of thousands of Yemenis visiting what is believed to be the tomb of the Prophet Hood in an area bearing his name in Hadramawt Governorate (Al-Jazeera)

The Hod area is located about 150 kilometers northeast of the city of Seiyun. But Yemenis, mostly Sufis, are not missing the anniversary of the visit. The processions begin to arrive on the backs of camels decorated with henna on the fifth day of the month of Sha'ban, also called "Separation Day", as they separate and determine the camels that bear the trouble of walking.

In it, visits are organized to religious places and mosques, and events are held that witness acquaintance between visitors, and on the morning of the sixth day, camel caravans march towards the people of Hud, and within two days they pass through the eastern regions where camel races are organized, and on the eighth day they reach the people.

The tomb of the Prophet Hood is located on a high plateau and is covered by a large white dome (island)

Hood's tomb, or what is believed to be his grave, is located on a high plateau, covered by a large white dome. Roads have recently been built to reach it in parallel with the urbanization movement witnessed in the area, as the elderly previously struggled to reach it.

The war in Yemen since 2015 has caused a decline in the number of non-Yemeni visitors to the grave, but the last season witnessed the presence of other nationalities, mostly students of Dar al-Mustafa for Islamic Studies in the city of Tarim, the capital of Tarim district of Hadramawt governorate.

Visit Program

The visit is organized by the followers of the Sufi order in the country, and the visit ceremony continues until the tenth day of Sha'ban, most notably visiting the tomb of the Prophet Hud, organizing male councils, and chanting songs, songs and religious tawashih in the Al-Noor Mosque and the tomb dome, while clerics take turns to organize advocacy sessions, most notably Sheikh Omar bin Hafeez.

"Enterer" of the grave

Omar Hassan al-Khatib, a sheikh at the Mustafa Center for Islamic Studies who is keen to visit the tomb, says that the visit is very old and known since before Islam, but it turned from an individual visit and a commercial market to a meeting place for remembrance and seeking legal knowledge, and the turning point of its transformation was in the era of the jurist Lieutenant Colonel Muhammad bin Ali Ba'alawi (574-653 AH), and then his children and grandchildren took over this task after him until today.

Visiting the tomb of the Prophet Hud turned from a solitary visit to a meeting place for remembrance and seeking legal knowledge (Al-Jazeera)

Al-Khatib explains – in his interview with Al Jazeera Net – that the presence of the tomb of the Prophet Hood in that place was evidenced by good hadiths and close to the good, as well as references to history books and interpretation to the site. He pointed out that the place of the tomb was a market frequented by people from several areas in the past.

Visitors flock in processions or groups representing a family or town (island)

During the days of the visit, visitors flock in processions or groups representing each family or town. According to al-Khatib, "a man of virtue and knowledge, with his followers, lovers and group, enters to visit the tomb, and this is called Dakhla," and greets visitors to the well of "delivery", which is believed to be the meeting place of the souls of prophets, messengers and righteous saints.

Visiting the tomb of the Prophet Hud is limited to men only, as women are prohibited from entering it on the days of the visit specified in the month of Sha'ban (Al-Jazeera)

Visits are restricted to men only, as women are forbidden to enter the tomb on the days of the visit specified in the month of Sha'ban "for fear of mixing", according to al-Khatib, but they are allowed to visit the grave at any time of the year.

Folklore

Visitors to the tomb are keen to organize a camel race, and stresses the prevention of beating or harming camels during the race, which has an active presence with the participation of more than 100 camels, and is one of the popular carnivals that turn the area into a tourist attraction.

Camel racing is one of the most prominent activities of the annual visit (Al Jazeera)

Abdullah bin Shihab, one of this year's visitors, said the visit was carefully organized, as it witnessed the revival of inherited customs and traditions in the presence of religious councils, which are "councils of goodness, remembrance, preaching and guidance".

The residents of Tarim also celebrate the "Shaabaniya" day upon the return of visitors, during which snacks such as nuts and sweets are sold, children dress in beautiful and bright clothes, receive gifts and go shopping in the popular markets located next to the cemeteries that people visit. On the 14th day, folk and heritage games are organized that attract many visitors, men and children.