In this essay I will seek to show how the Islamic ritual known as Hajj pilgrimage has changed and evolved over the course of time.
As one of the five pillars of Islam, the Hajj signifies an important experience for many Muslims who are expected to visit the holy site at least once in their lives.
A recent Pew Research Center study (1), estimates that from 2010 to 2050 Muslims will have increased across the world by 73%. This means that Islam will surpass Christianity and become the world’s biggest religion by the end of the century.
This huge rise in pilgrim numbers has indeed pressurised the Saudi government to change the infrastructure of Makkah, ultimately treading a fine line between tradition and modernity.
Shata (2) states "As with
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This construction, which includes a five star hotel, boasts different records such as having the largest clock face in the world and being the third tallest building ever. Such a man-made building overshadowing a sacred masterpiece to God has reasonably raised controversy. As Asim from the Independent states ‘The spirituality of the pilgrimage is being affected by the excessive materialism around the Grand Mosque.’ (3) Many Muslims believe that from an architectural point of view, the Abraj has dwarfed the importance of the Kabbah. The Abraj Al-Bait, with its luxurious and majestic structure, could distract the pilgrims from their ultimate mean, which is to perform this religious journey. The main debate which one could argue about is if the ritual itself has changed merely by adding a 21st century behemoth of wrath just 50 metres next to an ancient and sacred area, which could inevitably ‘ruin’ the landscape and divert the attention to itself. As the website states talking about the past "People spent a lot of time praying at Masjidilharam (Grand Mosque), but now the pilgrims are easily distracted by their surroundings. Even in this Holy Land they will make sure they are kept abreast with the election results in Malaysia."
Sufi, and Hindu-Buddhist beliefs which once dominated the Malay world. Further, through the requisite rituals of the ihram, tawaf, and s’ay, for example, Malay Muslims are able to gain a sense of spiritual elevation and significance during their Pilgrimage. With this in mind, my essay aims to explore the specific characteristics of Islam in the Malay world through examining the requisite rituals within the hajj. It will address the arrival of Islam in the Malay world, as well as how historical, political
she was married to one and the first two years of their marriage they lived in an Iraqi village called El Nahra. Since she lived in a village that has hardly any social contact between men and women, Fernea is able to give us a beautiful account of what the women’s life style, roles, and other aspects of a women’s life in an Iraqi village. While women are not treated incredibly badly there lifestyle was a lot different than the one an American woman would live. One of the primary directions of Fernea’s