Hi friends! A general reminder that the exhibition: جل ترى المعاني – Travel, you will see the meaning [of things] is still on. The exhibition highlights some of the rare travel books of the McGill University Library collections.

The Muslim world has fascinated numerous travellers throughout history and has produced some of the most celebrated explorers the world has ever seen. Islamic travel and Muslim travellers encompass a wide-breadth of exploration, terrain and knowledge. In fact, the Arabic word for travel, riḥlah, can mean both the act of travelling as well as that of writing about travel. Strongly encouraged to travel, millions of Muslims perform the annual ḥajj (pilgrimage) to Mecca as one of the five pillars of Islam. The Prophet Muḥammad in a ḥadith noted, “seek knowledge even as far as China.”

On display are examples of the rare items held by McGill University and located in the Rare Books and Special Collections department in the McLennan Library. Each of these items offers a different aspect of travel from both the Western perspective of visiting the Muslim world as well as Muslims having visited the Christian world. The title of the exhibition comes from a Moroccan proverb that embodies the ideal of travelling and attaining knowledge.