Alhamdulillah, by the boundless grace of Almighty Allah SWT, I have once again been blessed to return from the most revered lands of Makkah and Madinah. We say that upon revisiting these beloved lands. A fervent wish that we hold dear that may we revisit these holiest of the holy land again and again.

Grab a cup of tea—not to mention, the world’s best tea comes from Sylhet. In this literary and factual piece, In Shaa Allah, we will explore how Sylhet magnanimously connects with the mainland Arab, blossoming with fragrance. We’ll also uncover how Sylhet is the top supplier of the precious agarwood that creates the Arab world’s most beloved and globally renowned oud. Finally, I will share what prompted me to discover this fascinating fact in my last Umrah.

In the lush, verdant hills of Sylhet, Bangladesh, a unique and ancient process unfolds—a process that has linked this sacred land to the Arabian Peninsula for centuries. Sylhet is renowned for its agarwood, an extraordinary tree that, when infected by a specific type of mould, produces a dark, resinous heartwood. This heartwood, known as oud, is the source of the world’s most exquisite and sought-after attar. What’s more, Sylhet stands as the top supplier of agarwood, a position bolstered by its historical and geological ties to Assam, India. The other top supplier in the league is in fact a region that was once part of the Sylhet region. Even today, the agarwood from Sylhet and Assam is considered to be of the highest quality, making Sylhet the epicentre of oud production.

The resin is carefully distilled to extract the precious oil, which is then blended to create the intoxicating fragrances that grace the markets of Makkah and Madinah. Not to mention, this connection between the sacred lands and Sylhet is no incident. It recalls, whispers from deep within, the legendary adventure of Hazrat Shah Jalal coming from this holiest of the holy lands with a handful of earth, settling in Sylhet upon finding its match here. With Arabian attar and Sylhet’s agarwood, the essence of one land is carried on the winds to another, a spring of deep sensory and spiritual bond.

Now, let’s move on to the story that nudged me to discover this fascinating connection between Sylhet and the Arab. Though days in abundance have passed since I was there. Still it seems just some days ago I was there with the family. I remember a new day dawning, my son Ali Ahmed and my three daughters, Zahura, Zubeda, Zuniarah and their mother rushing to Kaaba gazing at it in the first light. Soft glow of the morning sun gently casts its golden rays upon the world, marking the first light of daybreak.

How gentle, how exquisitely beautiful can this first light be, like a delicate symphony of colours. In this tender light, one could almost imagine the holy feet of dawn treading softly, as if unveiling the celestial night, which remains as elusive as the stars themselves. The serene night, cloaked in the silken blackness of the northern winds, slowly yields to the tender outlines of the morning’s first blush at the holy ground of Kaaba – that view, touch and feeling exquisite is beyond mundane is heaven on earth.

And so it is that the distant blue sky, adorned with a burning sun, effortlessly inclines towards the slender hand of the early hour. At the edge of a blessed lofty Minarets of Kaaba nearby, the sun peeks through pure nectar Zam Zam stream. Even the fiery rays of the sun, so intense and blazing, seem softened in this cool cleanest water on earth. And transforms into the gentle glow of a golden diadem. This is how a day typically begins at the foursquare of the holiest ground. Yet, in this description, we glimpse a certain aesthetic, a delicate beauty often overlooked. The light of the sky fills the garden of each new day, and humanity gathering from every corner of the earth becomes the flying bee in this daily garden, irresistibly drawn to its hallowed beauty. Whoever steps into this garden is immediately captivated by its pure charm and second to none spirituality.

Immersed in the deep hues of spiritually enhanced beauty, one might feel their spirit lifted like never before. Yet, this is just a little artistic sketch of our magnum opus place of Hajj, the pilgrimage. The holy Ka’aba, the house of the Almighty Allah SWT, stands at the centre of this vast world, the very heart of our spherical Earth. Here, a believer, with faith blossoming in their heart, can encircle the Ka’aba seven times, each circuit unfolding the seven colours of the rainbow. With an open heart, they can release the pure white dove of their soul into the boundless sky of faith, offering prayers with deep sincerity, seeking blessings for loved ones, and surrendering their mortal self in search of the immortal.

In the midst of countless pilgrims, finding a place to stand in this sacred space is a fortune in itself. I am grateful to the Merciful, the Beneficent. Suddenly, I was enveloped by a sweet, delicate fragrance, like a hint of something sublime. How remarkable was this scent! It slowly permeated my senses, spreading from Makkah to Madinah, filling every corner of my being with its ethereal presence. It was as if a boundless ocean of fragrance had been awakened by a single word.

I found myself in the marketplace of Madinah, intending to purchase attar, the aromatic oil. The merchant presented to me an array of twenty or more varieties, each more captivating than the last. As my family sampled one after another, a tall, imposing figure approached me, and with a sharp gaze, he softly said in Bengali, “All the attar here comes from the agarwood of Sylhet.” In other words, one of the most distinguished qualities of Arabian land, its renowned attar, owes much of its essence to the agarwood of Sylhet.

The statement left a deep impression on me. A gentle southern breeze began to stir within the garden of my mind. For this potent truth is not merely a sentimental recollection; it is neither a fanciful tale nor a new revelation. The connection between Makkah and Sylhet, this legendary bond, was discovered long ago by the 360 holy saints. It is only natural, then, that the pure Arabian sea of fragrance should flow from the very essence of the sacred land of Sylhet, extracted from its precious soil.