Pilgrimage in Islam : traditional and modern practices

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Title:

Pilgrimage in Islam : traditional and modern practices

Author:

Arjana, Sophia Rose, author.

ISBN:

9781786071163

Personal Author:

Arjana, Sophia Rose, author.

Physical Description:

xxiv, 264 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm.

Series:

Foundations of Islam

Foundations of Islam.

General Note:

Source of cataloging data: WCP

Abstract:

"It is not only the holy cities of Mecca and Karbala to which Muslim pilgrims travel, but a wide variety of sacred sites around the world. Journeys are undertaken to visit graves of important historical and religious individuals, the tombs of saints, and natural sites such as mountaintops and springs. Exploring the rich diversity of traditions practiced by the 1.5 billion Muslims across the world, Arjana provides a rigorous theoretical discussion of pilgrimage, ritual practice and the nature of sacred space in Islam"--back cover.

Subject Term:

Muslim pilgrims and pilgrimages.

Travel -- Religious aspects -- Islam.

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Library	Material Type	Call Number	Status	Item Holds
Searching... Sugar Grove - Todd Library	Book	BP187 .A75 2017	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable

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Summary

It is not only the holy cities of Mecca and Karbala to which Muslim pilgrims travel, but a wide variety of sacred sites around the world. Journeys are undertaken to visit graves of important historical and religious individuals, the tombs of saints, and natural sites such as mountaintops and springs.

Exploring the richness and diversity of traditions practiced by the 1.5 billion Muslims across the world, Sophia Rose Arjana provides a rigorous theoretical discussion of pilgrimage, ritual practice and the nature of sacred space in Islam, both historically and in the present day. This all-encompassing survey covers issues such as time, space, tourism, virtual pilgrimages and the use of computers and smartphone apps. Lucidly written, informative and accessible, it is perfectly suited to students, scholars and the general reader seeking a comprehensive picture of the defining ritual of religious pilgrimage in Islam.

Reviews (2)

Publisher's Weekly Review

Arjana, a researcher and former professor of Islamic studies at the University of Denver, provides an account of the different modes of pilgrimages in Islam. The book covers the contemporary dynamics of hajj to Mecca and the many prominent Shia holy sites with visiting traditions as well as more local pilgrimage traditions, such as visiting the graves of revered religious figures in Senegal, India, and Java. Arjana's research adds new perspective to even the most prominent example of Muslim pilgrimages, the hajj, such as the observation that Jerusalem was originally a pilgrimage site with greater prestige than Mecca, or that local traditions often mimic and replicate the requirements of the hajj on smaller scales, making the basic experiences available to a wider range of Muslims. The writing is lucid and engaging, and the research is thorough and sensitive to complexity, such as in outlining the challenge of defining Sufism. This work, though slim, meets the high standards of academics while being accessible to the layperson interested in the diversity of Islamic thought and practice. (July) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Library Journal Review

Arjana (Islamic studies, Iliff Sch. of Theology, Denver) states that a pilgrimage in Islam is far more than the TV images of thousands of people gathering at the Kaaba, a scared mosque in the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia. The author maintains that the cultural diversity and sectarian varieties of rituals, languages, and countries are elegantly illuminated through the prism of an Islamic pilgrimage. Combining anthropology and religious history, Arjana seeks to disavow readers of the narrow fundamentalist picture of Islam, demonstrating the synergy in places such as the Great Mosque of Damascus and the Sayyidah Ruqayya Mosque, both in Syria. The journey can be interior, contemplative, and even virtual, as technology now allows for a cyber-pilgrimage. VERDICT Arjana successfully negotiates among history, belief, practice, and the methodological agnosticism of religious studies to provide a fascinating guide to a vibrant and dynamic tradition. A clearly -written work well worth reading.-SC © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Omid Safi

List of Illustrations	p. viii
Foreword	p. ix
Introduction: Beyond Hajj	p. xv
1 Reconsidering Islamic Pilgrimage: Theoretical and Sectarian Debates	p. 1
2 Nascent Pilgrimage Centers: Jerusalem, Mecca, and Medina	p. 40
3 Shi'i Pilgrimage: The Prophet's Household	p. 65
4 Sufi and Shared Pilgrimages: Contestations of Identity	p. 103
5 Modem Muslim Pilgrims: Tourism, Space, and Technology	p. 148
Afterword: Presuppositions and Possibilities in the Study of Islamic Pilgrimage	p. 190
Acknowledgments	p. 200
Glossary	p. 202
Bibliography	p. 212
Notes	p. 235
Index	p. 261

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Reviews (2)

Publisher's Weekly Review

Library Journal Review

Table of Contents