Looking for unusual books on Hajj
I have long held an interest in the social history of hajj and its spiritual, religious and artistic importance amongst Muslims. I have decided that it is now time for me to explore and research this area in more detail. And since the season of hajj is now approaching, it seems even more poignant to start collecting materials and reading more deeply on the subject. I'd also like to put together a collection of books on this subject.
That is where I am looking for help from you dear readers. I'm looking for books, writing and arts on all hajj related matters (and Mecca/Medina too) in English. This can be travelogues, histories, photographs, stories, maps, guidebooks, contemporary or historical, anything at all. Since I am investigating more of a social, historical and spiritual aspect, the only thing I am not looking for is fiqh books.
If you have any books like this, and are feeling generous (or no longer need them), please please do send them to me so I can put them to good use. You can post a comment on this article with details and then I will get in touch to arrange transfer of the book.
Many of these books are quite unusual, and can be difficult to find out about their existence, and hard to get hold of, which is why if you have any it would be a great deal of help to me. Thank you in advance!
That is where I am looking for help from you dear readers. I'm looking for books, writing and arts on all hajj related matters (and Mecca/Medina too) in English. This can be travelogues, histories, photographs, stories, maps, guidebooks, contemporary or historical, anything at all. Since I am investigating more of a social, historical and spiritual aspect, the only thing I am not looking for is fiqh books.
If you have any books like this, and are feeling generous (or no longer need them), please please do send them to me so I can put them to good use. You can post a comment on this article with details and then I will get in touch to arrange transfer of the book.
Many of these books are quite unusual, and can be difficult to find out about their existence, and hard to get hold of, which is why if you have any it would be a great deal of help to me. Thank you in advance!
posted by Shelina Zahra Janmohamed at 10:44
17 Comments:
Bajee,
try these books (231
.you may know about them already):
1.
http://books.google.ca/books?id=fnYO0nJPsS4C&pg=PA523&lpg=PA523&dq=micheal+wolfe+hajj&source=bl&ots=EUe-KGynML&sig=Uf80u79XYIDLcGowPCC__7P1g6w&hl=en&ei=-AFnSpv1KYz0sQP4zfXvDg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5
2.
http://www.amazon.com/Hadj-Americans-Pilgrimage-Mecca/dp/0802135862
salam,
possible reading list:
-muhammad asad's text on his pilgrimage (i forget the title)
-inner dimensions of worship - ghazali (has a section on hajj)
-if you read the seerah (lings for example) and history in general (tabari's history has translations and get rauzat -us-safa by mirkhond - also translated but old) then you might get the 'grand feeling' of the hajj as that activity that is done by all of creation since the beginning of mankind (in some form or another) -as it tells you the historical background of the area and the whole 'scene' of that area as it was 'waiting for the final Prophet (on whom be peace)'. The hajj is like the 'common dynamics' of the world, through its history.
See Aishah Bewleys articles on hajj (google should find it, its on her site if i remember correctly).
-Also, some of the fiqh of hajj with the hadith background (so you can attach a deeper feeling and intuition to each practice as you are doing it) should do nicely. The last thing you want is to just 'perform the rites' and 'go with the crowd' - which could leave one feeling emptier than they should
Thanks Din, I've come across the second, but not the first - looks interesting.
I'm being a bit cheeky - as well as looking for info, i'm hoping people will want to send me their books as well! All hajj-related material very welcome...
Thanks to S as well. I should add that I have already been to hajj and to umrah several times, so I'm looking for material more for research than for pilgrimage preparation.
There's a great travelogue by South African writer Rayda Jacobs called The Mecca Diaries.
It looks like it's available for purchase on kalahari.net
https://www.kalahari.net/checkout/books/The-Mecca-Diaries/32925/28782919.aspx
You can also access some of it on Google books:
http://books.google.co.za/books?id=0jWlUDH6ejAC&printsec=frontcover&dq=mecca+diaries+rayda+jacobs
sorry, I'm not going to look up all the names and ISBN/publishers of the following books, but I'll try to remember them:
Seyyid Hossein Nasr has a good book: titled (I think?) "Mecca the ennobled, Madina the enlightened" - with pictures and history of the two Holy cities as well as Hajj.
a Japanese muslim photographer, I believe he worked for National Geographic, but produced an intense series on the Hajj - can't remember his name.
Dr. Mostafa al-Badawi has some books on Mecca & Madinah, can't remember their names...
reading a good Sirah, particularly Martin Ling's story of the Prophet's life, would also help to bring the heart 'in sync'
and lastly, if you haven't already visited the beautiful webpage of sister Umm Bilal ( http://almiskeenah.com/ ) she has photo blogs and guidance around Makkah and Madinah, and always posts about Hajj and Umrah arrangements, throughout the year but most intensely around Hajj season...
Unfortunately I don't have any book do donate, but here's a recommendation:
http://www.amazon.com/One-Thousand-Roads-Mecca-Pilgrimage/dp/0802135994/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1248295365&sr=8-2
It's a great book, I'm sure you'll enjoy it =)
Also check out
http://www.amazon.com/Hajj-Reflection-Rituals-Ali-Shariati/dp/1871031036/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1248295588&sr=1-2
it's written by the Iranian scholar Ali Shariati, it's one of my favorites
A Thousand Roads to Mecca, edited by Michael Wolfe. Fantastic collection of travelogues.
Hajj Paintings. I'm forgetting the author, but the title speaks for itself.
Mecca and Eden. by Wheeler. A theoretical exploration of the connection between Mecca and Eden. If you like theory and theology, it is very good.
Great suggestions everyone, thank you. Keep 'em coming. I'm also hoping some people somewhere will have a soft spot for me and send me books!
(The late) Ali Shariati's book, "Hajj." [Inna lillahi wa inna ilahi raji'oon]. I think it's still in print. There's a website dedicated to his work. You may be able to download a copy.
Wasslam
J. Hassan
It seems like the Michael Wolfe and the Shariati books are getting big thumbs up. I'll search them out...
why should any one really care about islam? islam is just a cult and nothing more.
dont like hearing this, then dont put it up on line to be ridiculed!
Salaam,
There are two books on the History of Makkah and Medina, published by Darussalam. They are prepared by a group of scholars under the supervision of Shaikh Safiur- Rahman Mubarakpuri
http://www.darussalam.com/index.php
Salam,
A friend brought my attention to your interest in researching the different aspects of Haj. I spent approximately 2 years gathering information, photos, videos, books etc, for a haj exhibition that I was working on. The idea came to me approx 3 years ago right after my second Omrah (mini Pilgrimage) visit to Mecca and medina,I felt it would be a great idea to share what I saw with everyone else and also to touch on matters and facts that many pilgrims simply miss or are not aware of from sites and osques unknown to many to the different aspects of people and their interactions during Haj, a further inspiration was also to try to capture what I saw as the brutal vanishing of the historical sites of the two cities in the past 15-20 years. below is a short video of some of the material we gathered and put on display earlier this year:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNVIxJ0j_JI
The material on display was a fraction of the material that I managed to gather, so feel free to contact me and I would try to help as much as I can, email Mohammadnhg [at] gmail.com
I also have the Pdf version of the Dr Shariati Haj book if you want to read it.
ws.
M. Gilani
salaams shelina, I have a book which I could loan to you for an indefinite period:
A Shi'ite Pilgrimage to Mecca 1885-1886, The Safarnameh of Mirza Muhammad ŽHosayn Farahani:, Hafez Farmayan and E.L Daniel (Eds.), Saqi Books, London, 1990.
Please let me know if this is of interest to you.
best wishes,
Ali Adam
http://www.hajjguide.org/Literature/IEBNYDHajjExperiences.pdf
A few personal experiences of Hajj, collected in 2004 and 2005.
Also 'Secrets of Hajj' is a well translated, simple book for first timers. I think you can get an ecopy on www.al-islam.org
"Journey of Discovery: A South African Hajj" by Na'eem Jeenah and Shamima Shaikh.
You can get it on Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=journey+of+discovery%3A+a+south+african+hajj
or you can contact the author directly at info@shams.za.org
It is a really good book about the authors personal hajj experiences.
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