Latest news with #Hejaz
Arab News
02-08-2025
- Arab News
Hajj a gateway to Saudi culture, says historian
Riyadh: Abdulrahman Al-Waqeesi, a professor and historian specializing in the scientific and cultural movement in the Hejaz, said that Hajj is an opportunity to discover Saudi Arabia's culture, arts, architecture and people — not just a religious destination. During a symposium at the Madinah Book Fair, Al-Waqeesi spoke about the lasting social impact pilgrims have on their communities, becoming ambassadors who share their religious and cultural experiences. He highlighted the Two Holy Mosques as historic centers of knowledge and cultural exchange, adding that Hajj has long inspired memoirs and writings that serve as key historical references, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Saturday. Al-Waqeesi also pointed out the symbolic items pilgrims take home, reflecting Hejazi culture and expressing the depth of the Hajj experience. These details, he said, reinforce the Two Holy Mosques' status in the Islamic conscience. The professor praised the Kingdom's Vision 2030 initiatives for facilitating and expanding Hajj opportunities for Muslims worldwide.
Arab News
08-06-2025
- Arab News
Centuries of Hajj documented in travelers' chronicles
For centuries, the Hajj pilgrimage has stood as Islam's most profound convergence of spiritual devotion and physical endurance. This sacred journey, where the trials of travel merge with the sanctity of worship, has been meticulously documented by countless travelers, scholars and rulers whose written accounts have become invaluable chronicles of the history of Islamic civilization. From barefoot pilgrims to seafaring voyagers and desert caravans, the Hajj experience has been preserved across generations through detailed testimonies, books and manuscripts that illuminate both the ritualistic and human dimensions of this transformative journey. According to researcher and historian Saad Al-Joudi, the Hajj transcended its purely ceremonial function to become a comprehensive documentation project that captured the essence of Islamic society across different historical periods. The Andalusian explorer Ibn Jubayr was one of the most meticulous chroniclers, providing exhaustive accounts of his maritime route from Andalusia through Alexandria to the Hejaz from 1183-1185. His writings detail every stage of the pilgrimage sequence: The ritual consecration at designated boundaries (Ihram), the circumambulation of the Kaaba (Tawaf), the Sa'I (running between Safa and Marwa), the overnight vigil in Mina, the standing at Mount Arafat, the symbolic stone-throwing ceremony, and the final farewell circumambulation. • This sacred Hajj journey has been meticulously documented by countless travelers, scholars and rulers. • Their written accounts have become invaluable chronicles of the history of Islamic civilization. • The Andalusian explorer Ibn Jubayr was one of the most meticulous chroniclers, detailing every stage of the pilgrimage sequence. • Ibn Battuta, who set off on his pilgrimage in 1325, focused extensively on the logistical infrastructure supporting the routes to Makkah. The renowned traveler Ibn Battuta, who set off on his pilgrimage in 1325, focused extensively on the logistical infrastructure supporting the routes to Makkah. His accounts express wonder at the remarkable unity displayed by Muslims of diverse languages, ethnicities and cultures as they performed identical rituals in perfect synchronization. He documented the overland passages from the Levant to Madinah, describing rest stations, temporary pilgrim markets and mobile medical facilities. Majed Al-Yazidi, of Umm Al-Qura University, said that Hajj documentation extended beyond travel writers to include sultans and kings. Abbasid caliph Harun Al-Rashid is said to have performed the pilgrimage several times, notably traveling on foot as an expression of humility. The 13th-century Mamluk ruler, Baibars, established comprehensive supply networks and security installations for pilgrim caravans throughout the Levant and Arabian Peninsula, transforming the Hajj into an integrated socio-political undertaking. The geographic scope of the pilgrimage routes reflects the civilizational breadth of the Islamic world. Al-Yazidi said that pilgrims from Andalusia and Morocco predominantly traveled by sea, while those from Yemen and the Indian subcontinent used both sea and land routes. Pilgrims from the Levant, Iraq and Egypt followed established paths, including the famous Darb Zubaidah, Darb Al-Kufa and Egyptian corridor. These pilgrimage highways catalyzed the development and prosperity of numerous cities along their paths. Al-Joudi highlighted how these travel accounts provided systematic documentation of Hajj rites. These chronicles also captured behavioral patterns, regional clothing styles, commercial activities and accompanying cultural practices with remarkable precision. Humanitarian and social dimensions of the pilgrimage are exemplified in the works of Abdul Ghani Al-Nabulsi, the scholar who began his journey in 1693. Al-Nabulsi documented the extensive cultural exchanges occurring between pilgrims from East Asia to North Africa, recording gift exchanges, manuscript trading and intellectual discussions. Al-Joudi emphasized that Hajj journeys were cultural, spiritual and humanitarian occasions that motivated numerous writers and travelers to document their rich details. He said that among the most prominent was Ibn Battuta, who dedicated extensive passages in his book the Rihla to describing Hajj rituals, sanctuary conditions and caravan movements. Al-Yazidi also highlighted scholar Mohammed Al-Amin Al-Shanqiti, who authored 'The Hajj Journey to God's Sacred House.' His writings combine precise descriptions with jurisprudential insights and religious rulings, alongside personal observations and interactions with pilgrims from across the globe. Modern Arabic literature has been enriched by numerous Hajj memoirs. Abbas Mahmoud Al-Aqqad's 'The Hejazi Journey' captures the spiritual atmosphere through a literary lens, while Ibrahim Abdul Qadir Al-Mazini's 'Journey to Hejaz' employs contemplative prose to explore both humorous incidents and profound spiritual experiences. Mohammed Hussein Haikal's 'In the House of Revelation' offers intellectual and spiritual analysis of his Arabian journey. Shakib Arslan's 'Pleasant Impressions in the Pilgrim's Mind' and Ali Al-Tantawi's 'To the Land of Prophecy' combine travel narrative with reformist and educational perspectives. The documentation tradition extends beyond Arab authors to include remarkable accounts by converts to Islam. Leopold Weiss (Muhammad Asad) in 'The Road to Makkah' and Takeshi Suzuki (Muhammad Saleh) in 'A Japanese in Makkah' provide insights into the pilgrimage experience from the perspective of recent converts, demonstrating Islam's universal appeal across cultural boundaries. Al-Yazidi said that these diverse travel accounts, despite variations in language and approach, constituted a living historical archive of the Hajj across centuries.
Arab News
02-06-2025
- General
- Arab News
Students from Islamic University of Madinah to guide pilgrims in Hajj animal sacrifice
MADINAH: Muslim students from the Islamic University of Madinah in the Hejaz Region are participating in the Hajj rituals of Hady and Adahi by offering guidance on animal sacrifice this weekend. Some 300 students representing 40 nationalities will take part in the annual sacrifice of animals through Saudi Arabia's Project for Utilization of Hady and Adahi. Students will educate and guide pilgrims, ensuring adherence to the Prophet's Sunnah during the performance of the rituals, the Saudi Press Agency reported. The project was established in 1983 to carry on the Hady and Adahi rituals on behalf of any Muslim, and supervise the use of Hajj meat and its distribution to the destitute. During pilgrimage, which concludes this year on Monday, June 9, pilgrims are required to sacrifice an animal in a ritual called Hady. Adahi is a voluntary sacrifice for non-pilgrim Muslims which takes place on the day of Eid Al-Adha. In collaboration with the Royal Commission for Makkah City and Holy Sites, the student initiative aims to supervise the rituals according to Islamic law, the SPA added.
