 While in Mecca, he became correspondent of the daily "Andalas Light" ("Pelita Andalas") and also worked at a printing company owned by Mr. Hamid, son of Majid Kurdish, Ahmad Al-Khatib Minangkabawi's father-in-law.His mastery of the foreign language he learned enabled him to read classic Islamic kitab, books, and Islam newsletters.Towards the pilgrimage, Hamka and several other pilgrims candidate founded the East Indian Association ("Persatuan Hindia Timur"), an organisation giving lessons to Dutch Indies pilgrims-to-be.