D. Khaled Al -Hamdani
With the start of the Hajj season this year 1446 AH /2025AD, the Bahraini and Gulf memory evokes the honorable historical role that the Jabour state played, one of the most prominent local Arab entities that ruled Bahrain, and has a great influence in the Arabian Peninsula in the Arabian Peninsula and the Arabian Gulf, which contributed to organizing and securing pilgrims for centuries, especially during the period of the rule of the house (820 AH -931 AH / 1446 AD – 1525 m).
The pilgrims in the past ages were risky, as they are sometimes cut by the bandits, and political differences may have an impact on this, which made the presence of strong organizations an indispensable necessity. The Jabour state emerged during this stage as a major component in ensuring the security of pilgrims, especially through the Al -Ahsa and Qatif road after the disturbance of the Abbasid Caliphate conditions in Baghdad and its convoys stopped for several years.
Not only did the princes of the Jabour state provide protection, but also assumed themselves to supervise the securing of Bahrain roads related to southern Iraq on the one hand and heading towards the holy places in the Hijaz on the other hand, in addition to the leadership of some of their princes personally the caravans of pilgrims, and this reflects their keenness to protect the pilgrim road this vital path, especially since the caravans of pilgrims were accompanied by a few of the number of warriors to guard them. In fact, when accompanying the Hajj convoy reviews the manifestations of the strength of their military and political state to deter opponents and bandits, which reflects the extent of their religious commitment and their political keenness to consolidate security and prestige. Among the most prominent of these leaders is Prince Ajud bin Zamil Al -Jabri, who won wide fame in protecting the pilgrims, so that the Minister of State of Hammaniya in India addressed him in an official message with the title of “the proud of the pilgrims of the Sacred House of God”, praising his courage and justice in securing the convoys of Hajj. In this regard, it is mentioned that Sheikh Rashid bin Maghammeh, one of the sultans of the Jabour state, led the Hajj convoy himself in 931 AH /1525 CE, and he was accompanied by more than five thousand pilgrims, which indicates the enormity of the organization and the number of participants at the time.
The pilgrimage convoys that the Jabour state were characterized by high organization, as it included thousands of pilgrims, accompanied by teams of warriors and guards, to serve as a military demonstration that broadcasts reassurance in the hearts of pilgrims and deter the aggressors. These convoys were also distinguished by giving and giving, as food and donations were distributed to the poor and needy along the road, in a scene that combines faith and generosity, and Arab magnanimity. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has followed since its inception, as its kings have vowed to serve the guests of Rahman, which reached its climax during the era of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and his faithful Crown Prince.
At the same time, the Kingdom of Bahrain and its wise leadership continues, and the directives of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the king of the country, may God protect and preserve him, continue to follow the footsteps of this honorable history, where the Kingdom’s government represented by the Ministry of Justice, Islamic Affairs and Endowments take great interest in its pilgrims, through integrated official missions concerned with all the details of the Hajj journey, from religious guidance to health care, through administrative facilities and services Mobility and subsistence, ensuring that the pilgrims of Bahrain perform their rituals in an atmosphere of comfort and tranquility. This represents a continuous embodiment of the message of this land in the service of pilgrims and the embrace of noble Islamic values.
Researcher in history and academic
