My Account of the Hajj: The Pilgrimage of a White Anglo-Saxon Australian to Mecca and Medina

By Nicholas Hughes

Rare are works that combine personal revelations with explanations of Islam in a manner to which Westerners can easily relate. The beauty of Nicholas Account of the Hajj (italicise) is that an Australian farm boy with an education imbued in Christian principles, and a lifetime of exposure to religions and cultures in the Arab world and South and South-East Asia, can relate to and convey in a straightforward manner Islamic beliefs and practices that many may consider foreign.

Nicholas has done a great service to those interested in religions and spirituality in his descriptions of the rites of the Hajj and explanations of their origins and meaning.

As a diary, the work animates the daily life of the pilgrim in an engaging style reminiscent of writings from an earlier period of exploration. Nick expresses a personal revelation, the Hajj inspires a deep sense of serenity, humility and affinity with the Almighty. The Hajj is both a voyage to Mecca as well as a recommitment to a lifelong spiritual journey.

He writes, If my Account of the Hajj can contribute to inter-cultural and religious understanding, I am happy to have shared it with others.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Partridge Publishing Singapore
• Release date: Feb 7, 2013
• ISBN: 9781482897500

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Copyright © 2014 by Nicholas Hughes.

ISBN:                  Hardcover                        978-1-4828-9749-4

                            Softcover                          978-1-4828-9748-7

                            eBook                               978-1-4828-9750-0

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Bismillah ir-Rahman ir-Rahim

In the Name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

To my wife, Fatma, and daughter, Nesya,

with whom I performed the Hajj,

and for our granddaughter, Abigail Nuria.

"I have seen the religious ceremonies of many lands,

but never aught so solemn, . . . , so impressive as this."

(Sir Richard Burton, 1893)

"The Hajj leaves a deep and everlasting impact upon

one who performs it. Allah’s fear, His power,

His greatness, His tremendous glory and majesty

are deeply felt in the multitude of people, drawn from the

different corners of the world, each one of them

beseeching Allah’s forgiveness, mercy and blessing."

(Source: unknown)

CONTENTS

Explanatory Notes

Foreword by Professor Lindsay Falvey

Preface

Acknowledgements

PART I   THE HAJJ—ITS ORIGINS AND PRACTICE

Introduction

An invitation to perform the pilgrimage—preparations for the pilgrimage—Richard Burton’s narrative of his visit to Mecca and Medina in 1853

The Origins of the Hajj

Every Muslim should undertake the Hajj—the Hijrah marks the beginning of the Islamic era—the Islamic calendar—Mecca from historical times—the origins of the Ka’bah and Tawaf—the Prophet Abraham constructs the Ka’bah—the Jahiliah, the time of ignorance—the Prophet Muhammad rededicates the Hajj to the One God—the Hajj as an egalitarian rite—Ihram, the state of purity

An Overview of the Hajj

The distinction between Umroh and Hajj—Umroh and Hajj may take several forms—the Hajj, 8-12 Dhu al-Hijjah

Logistics of the Pilgrimage

National quotas—extra-quota pilgrims—peoples of the Hajj—women should be accompanied by a muhrim (guardian)—women in ihram attire are indistinguishable in a crowd—investment in infrastructure—public health measures

PART II   MY JOURNAL OF THE PILGRIMAGE TO MECCA AND MEDINA

Jeddah and Mecca

Friday, 5 June—Arrival in Jeddah

Local arrangements for our pilgrimage

Saturday, 6 June—Preparations for Umroh

Preparations for Umroh, the ‘visit to the Ka’bah’ in the Mesjid al-Haram

Sunday, 7 June—Mecca and the Mesjid al-Haram

Departure for Mecca—niyat, an expression of intention to perform Umroh and Hajj—miqat, a point at which pilgrims submit to Ihram—reciting the Talbiyah prayer—Muslims only may enter Mecca and Medina—Mecca, a centre of Islamic learning—conducting trade during the Hajj—entering the Mesjid al-Haram, the Sacred Mosque—the Ka’bah, the ‘House of God’—performing the Tawaf—kissing the Hajjar al-Aswad, the Black Stone—Maqam Ibrahim, the Station of Abraham, and His Footprints—performing the Sunnah al-Tawaf prayer—praying at the Zamzam well—performing the Sa’ee—Halq, shaving the head

Monday, 8 June—Exploring Mesjid al-Haram

Repeating Umroh—Tawaf al-Nafl—how the aged and infirm perform the Tawaf and Sa’ee—meditating on the roof of Mesjid al-Haram—burial shrouds

Tuesday, 9 June—As tourists in Jeddah

We ‘interrupt’ our Hajj al-Tamatt’u after performing Umroh—Indonesian New Order democracy—the old city of Jeddah—an abortive attempt to visit the Tomb of Eve—Fatma rediscovers her ethnic origins

Wednesday, 10 June (Yaum al-Tarwiyah—8 Dhu al-Hijjah)

Preparing for the Hajj—our little house in Mina—ethnic foods of the Hajj—paying dam (a fine) in lieu of animal sacrifice—prohibitions during the Hajj—paying dam for breaking the rules

Thursday, 11 June (Yaum al-Arafat—9 Dhu al-Hijjah)

Departing for the Wukuf at Arafat—arriving at Arafat—performing the Wukuf, the most solemn rite of the Hajj—visiting Jabal al-Rahman, the Mount of Mercy—Saudis on a family picnic—the return journey during the ‘most blessed night of the Hajj’

Friday, 12 June (Yaum al-Nahd—10 Dhu al-Hijjah)

Collecting pebbles for stoning the Pillars of Satan—returning to Mina—Yaum al-Nahd, the day of animal sacrifice—the Moaisim slaughterhouse—the concept of halal slaughter—distribution of carcasses—finding my way home—stoning the Major Pillar of Satan—Tahallul, a final shaving of the head—death during the Hajj

Saturday, 13 June (11 Dhu al-Hijjah)

The remaining days of the Hajj—regaining our strength in Mina

Sunday, 14 June (12 Dhu al-Hijjah)

The last day of the Hajj—stoning all three Pillars of Satan—performing the ‘farewell’ Tawaf al-Ifadah in Mesjid al-Haram—departing Mecca, a lesson in local etiquette

Medina

Monday, 15 June—Mesjid al-Nabawi, the Mosque of the Prophet Muhammad

Arriving in Medina—meditating at the tomb of the Prophet Muhammad—expansion of Mesjid al-Nabawi

Tuesday, 16 June—Historic Sites of Medina

Touring Medina—Mesjid al-Bakki, two directions for prayer—Jabal Ohod, a site of a battle with the Meccans

Jeddah and Rome

Wednesday, 17 June—Return to Jeddah

Thursday, 18 June—Arrival in Rome

PART III   THE PRINCIPAL RITES OF THE HAJJ AND THEIR SPIRITUAL MEANING

Bibliography

Introductory Comments

Religious Texts

Published Sources

Other Useful Sources

Glossary

Endnotes

Maps

Map 1: The Arab Region at the time of the Prophet Muhammad, showing significant places mentioned in the text

Map 2: Route of the Hajj

Illustrations

Wife and daughter of the author in Ihram

Miqat Dhu’l-Hulayfah, Medina: Anwar Chaudhary and wife

Only Muslims may enter Mecca, 1942

Turkish Map of Mecca, 1787

Entrance to Mesjid al-Haram, Mecca

Pilgrims praying Magrib, Mesjid al-Haram

The Ka’bah, Mesjid al-Haram, with the Station of Abraham in the left foreground

Pilgrims performing the Tawaf around the Ka’bah

Pilgrims praying at the door of the Ka’bah

The Black Stone embedded in the Ka’bah

Pilgrims performing the Sa’ee

A traditional house in Jeddah

Mina encampment

Mina encampment

‘Mount Arafat during the Pilgrimage’, 1853

Pilgrims praying during the Wukuf

Pilgrims on the Mount of Mercy during the Wukuf

Animal sacrifice—poster in Arabic, French, English and Indonesian

Moaisim slaughter house

‘Stoning the Great Devil’, 1853

Pilgrims stoning a Pillar of Satan, 1942

Pilgrims stoning a Pillar of Satan, 2011

‘Sketch of Al-Madinah by a Native Artist’, 1853

Mesjid al-Nabawi

Pilgrims praying at the Tomb of the Prophet

Jabal Ohod, site of a battle with the pagan Arabs

Boxes

Animal Sacrifice—Al-Hady and Al-Odhiyya for the 1412 HA Hajj Season

EXPLANATORY NOTES

1.   All non-English words are of Arabic origin unless otherwise indicated or self-apparent. Transliteration from Arabic to Latin script is difficult and often inconsistent. For example, the name of the Prophet (Arabic: محمد) is variously transliterated as Muhammad, Mohammad, Mohammed, Muhammed or, as Gibbon writes, Mahomet. I have used the Latin spelling of Arabic words as they appear in more recent texts; hence, e.g., the spelling, Muhammad, is adopted here.

2.   Abbreviations: lit. = literally, pl. = plural, sg. = singular

3.   Quotations from the Qur’an, as in the Bible, are referenced by chapter (sura) and verse (ayat).

4.   Words to the effect: The Prophet Muhammad (or a Caliph) is reported to have said, followed by a quotation in "italics" are from the Hadiths, the ‘Sayings of the Prophet’, of which there are many compilations and translations. I have not attempted to reference sources.

5.   Quotations from the Qur’an, the Hadiths and prayers as recited during the Hajj are distinguished from quotations of published authors by "italicizing" the former but not the