“After reading this magnificent book, I am still puzzled as to why such a remarkable personality like Leopold Weiss still remains obscure to both the Western world… Leopold Weiss (1900-1992) later known as Muhammad Asad was a man who has seen and experienced all of the main events of the 20th century at first hand, and has lived to describe it lucidly truly deserves to be on the map of personalities of the last century. His contribution to 20th century societies of the Middle-East is immense. A first class traveller, a journalist, a writer, a philosopher, an adventurer, a statesman, a diplomat, a scholar… at least should be considered on par with Lawrence of Arabia, if not above, for the sole reason that he was involved in the shaping of more than one country, not just Arabia.
Muhammad Asad - Leopold Weiss
Let me get to the book. The Road to Mecca is actually four journeys fitted into one. It is a geographical, historical, linguistic, and spiritual journey all in one.
Geographical: for it a first class travelogue of the Middle-East region during the twenties, before the current borders ever existed or were drawn. He provides a very graphic description of places, lands, moods, cities, and people that he has come across, that virtually transports you to those times. He is not the romantic orientalist, nor is he the undermining military observer, but somehow a mixture of both with a flair of adventure. He traveled during a period of time when it was still possible to join caravans, hire horses and guides, and buy camels when embarking on a journey, which makes it all the more exciting to read.In short, even if you are not interested in the main story of the book , to read the actual adventures he experienced, for the armchair traveler, this book is a must !
Historical: for he has witnessed all the events that have shaped the Middle-East of today. The fall of the Othoman Empire, World War I, World War II, the creation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Zionism and the creation of the Israel, the ascending to the throne of the Shah of Iran, the creation of Pakistan, Fall of the Berlin wall, colonialism and the different resistances against it. He had been directly involved with events of early Saudi Aabia, and was one of the people who elucidated the idea of creating a Muslim nation in the Indian sub-continent with the man responsible for the idea, the poet Muhammad Iqbal. The personalities he has come face to face with testify to his involvement in those events of the first half of the 20th century. Listing them chronologically, Mdme. Maksim Gorky, Chaim Weizmann, King Ibn Saud, Prince Faisal (later King), The Shah of Iran, King Amanullah of Afghanistan, The Grand Sanoussi, Umar Al-Mukhtar, Muhammad Iqbal, to name some of them. He describes historical events that give important insight into the history of the region. For instance, the Bedouin revolt of 1929 against King Ibn Saud, the events that led to the ascension to the throne by the Shah of Iran, the Sanoussi resistance against Italian colonialism in Libya, etc. His accounts helped explain several aspects of ME history that I believe a lot of people from my generation (late twenties) are plainly not aware of.
Linguistic: for his English prose is remarkably lucid. It is amazing that he can write such beautiful English, considering that it is not his mother tongue, nor it is his second language, but something like his fourth or fifth, after Hebrew, Polish, German and French. His description of moods, feelings, physical aspects of a place, times of day, spiritual feelings are so vivid that you actually feel them, not just imagine them. His book is truly to learn from, the vocabulary, the prose, the lucidity, all witness to a great work of literature.
Spiritual: Well, I leave this up to you. But in short, this journey is the main raison d’etre of this book. He describes his search for a spiritual ideology that would fill the vacancy left by the downfall of all spiritual engagements in Europe at that time. He describes the whole process gradually and in a very rational manner, but at the same time in doing so, he shows-maybe indirectly- his scholastic abilities in reasoning and his raional thinking on why he was convinced with Islam.
All in all this book I believe should be compulsory reading for all history classes in countries of the Middle-East. History text book writers could use a few tips from Muhammad Asad’s book.
Before I end, I would like to say that this book has virtually changed my outlook on a lot of things, and has opened a whole new world for me. Read it and I hope you would go through the same experience….”
Pick up this book up and give it a read. If it does not change our views, it will surely make make most of us question our current political, religious and historical point of views.
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Truly and amazing man and an amazing book.
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