One thousand roads to Mecca : ten centuries of travelers writing about the Muslim pilgrimage

"The pilgrimage to Mecca, or the Hajj, is a journey all Muslims are enjoined to make once in their lifetimes. Its purpose is to detach human beings from their homes and, by bringing them to Islam's birthplace, to emphasize the equality of all people before God. Since its inception in the seventh century, the Hajj has been the central theme in a large body of Islamic travel literature. Beginning with the European Renaissance, it has also been the subject for a handful of adventurous writers from the Christian West who, through conversion or connivance, managed to slip inside the walls of a city forbidden to non-Muslims. One Thousand Roads to Mecca collects significant works by observant writers from the East and West over the last ten centuries. These two very different literary traditions form distinct sides of a spirited conversation in which Mecca is the common destination and Islam the common subject of inquiry." Read more... “Wolfe does an exemplary job of detailing the ceremonies performed at Mecca and the reasons behind them... Highly recommended.” —Library Journal, starred review This updated and expanded edition of One Thousand Roads to Mecca collects significant works by observant travel writers from the East and West over the last ten centuries—including two new contemporary narratives—creating a comprehensive, multifaceted literary portrait of the enduring tradition. Since its inception in the seventh century, the pilgrimage to Mecca has been the central theme in a large body of Islamic travel literature. Beginning with the European Renaissance, it has also been the subject for a handful of adventurous writers from the West who, through conversion or connivance, managed to slip inside the walls of a city forbidden to non-Muslims. These very different literary traditions form distinct impressions of a spirited conversation in which Mecca is the common destination and Islam the common subject of inquiry. Along with an introduction by Reza Aslan, featured writers include Ibn Battuta, J. L. Burckhardt, Sir Richard Burton, the Begum of Bhopal, John F. Keane, Winifred Stegar, Muhammad Asad, Lady Evelyn Cobbald, Jalal Al-e Ahmad, and Malcolm X. One Thousand Roads to Mecca is a historically, geographically, and ethnically diverse collection of travel writing that adds substantially to the literature of Islam and the West. “Serves as an excellent introduction to a religion, people, culture, and philosophy.” —Santa Cruz Sentinel

the Journey That All Muslims Are Enjoined To Make Once In Their Lifetime, The Pilgrimage To Mecca And Islam Itself, Is Discussed And Debated In A Collection Of Writings From Both The East And West, By Authors Including Ibn Battuta, Sir Richard Burton, And Malcolm X.

publishers Weekly

for More Than A Thousand Years, Mecca Has Been The Epicenter Of The Spiritual World Of Islam. A Pilgrimage To This Remote Desert City Is Islam's Supreme Ritual, Affirmation And Renewalthe Lifetime Goal Of Faithful Muslims. The Journey Has Never Been About Pleasure Or Convenience; Pilgrims Have Braved Plagues, Famine, Warfare And The Routine Predations Of Desert Raiders. Though Nowadays The Journey Is Less Perilous, It Has Also Become Less Eventful. In This Overgrown Anthology Of Travelers' Accounts Through The Ages, Wolfe (the Hadj: An American's Pilgrimage To Mecca) Has Erred On The Side Of Inclusiveness; Only A Few Of The 24 Selections Hold Their Own As Classic Literature. The Most Intriguing Tend To Be By Outsiders (for Whom Mecca Has Been A Place Of Romance And Inaccessibility), As Wolfe Notes, And By Women (who Have Come To Make Up A Third Of All Hajjis). Wolfe's Ample Commentary Provides An Effective Historical Framework, But The Volume's Bulk Will Deter The Uninitiated. (july)

Michael Wolfe's "exemplary" ( Library Journal ) collection of historical writings on the Hajj, now updated with a new introduction by Reza Aslan. Since its inception in the seventh century, the pilgrimage to Mecca, or the Hajj, has been the central theme in a large body of Islamic travel literature. Beginning with the European Renaissance, it has also been the subject for a handful of adventurous writers from the West who, through conversion or connivance, managed to slip inside the walls of a city forbidden to non-Muslims. One Thousand Roads to Mecca collects significant works by observant travel writers from the East and West over the last ten centuries. The two very different literary traditions form distinct sides of a spirited conversation in which Mecca is the common destination and Islam the common subject of inquiry. Excerpted works include travel narratives by Ibn Jubayr, Ibn Battuta, J. L. Burckhardt, Richard Burton, the Begum of Bhopal, John Keene, Winifred Stegar, Muhammad Asad, Harry St. John Philby, Lady Evelyn Cobbald, Jalal Al-e Ahmad, Malcolm X, and Michael Wolfe. The medieval period: three classic Muslim travelers, 1050-1326 -- Enter the Europeans: renegades, impostors, slaves, and scholars, 1503-1814 -- Nineteenth-century changes, 1853-1908 -- The early twentieth century, 1925-33 -- The jet age Hajj, 1947-2000. The Persian Naser-e Khosraw (1003-1077), the Iberian Ibn Jubayr (1145-1217), and the Moroccan Ibn Battuta (1303 or 1304-1368 or 1369) were all civil servants, educated men, and devout Muslims.