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Library | Material Type | Shelf Number | Child Count | Shelf Location | Status | Item Holds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Searching... Central | Paperback | 297.3 WOLFE 1997 | 1 | Non-fiction Collection | Searching... Unknown | Searching... Unavailable |
Searching... Science | Book | BP187.3 .W66 1997 | 1 | Stacks | Searching... Unknown | Searching... Unavailable |
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Summary
Summary
The pilgrimage to Mecca, or the "Hadj", is a journey all Muslims are enjoined to make once in their lifetime. Since its inception in the seventh century, the "Hadj" has been the central theme in a large body of Islamic literature. "One Thousand Roads to Mecca" collects significant works by deeply observant writers from the East and West over the last ten centuries into a historically, geographically, and ethnically diverse anthology of rich travel writing.
Reviews (2)
Publisher's Weekly Review
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) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Library Journal Review
An American convert to Islam, Wolfe (The Hadj: An American's Pilgrimage to Mecca, LJ 8/93) has collected excerpts from the accounts of two dozen pilgrims to Mecca over a span of 1000 years. Islam is the only world religion that requires its followers, if they are able, to undertake a pilgrimage at least once. Through detachment from his or her environment and travel to the birthplace of Islam, and through the subsuming of race and class during the ceremonies, the Muslim experiences a sense of the unity of all humanity and a sense of religious commonality and personal humility before God. Wolfe does an exemplary job of detailing the ceremonies performed at Mecca and the reasons behind them. The chosen excerpts give readers a sense of how the hajj has changed over time as well as how constant the central ceremonies have remained. Works like this help both the student and the general reader gain a better understanding of this remarkable faith. Highly recommended for academic and large public libraries.Robert J. Andrews, Duluth P.L., Minn. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.