Comments 10

逃离麦加

Oct 12, 2015 Nile Green

洛杉矶——最近麦加发生的踩死千余朝圣者的踩踏事件悲情而有力地提醒人们这座城市在穆斯林世界的份量。按照神学传统，每位男性穆斯林只要条件允许，都必须在有生之年去一次麦加。

但实际上，只有到了近代麦加朝圣才在伊斯兰教中占据了如此重要的位置。这座城市向来不乏象征意义，但它在成百上千万穆斯林心目中的重要意义很大程度上是一种现代现象，这种现象近几十年才开始抬头，起因是沙特官员和原教旨主义瓦哈比教派的教士为扩大影响力推动宗教旅游。

伊斯兰历史上多数时间，绝大多数穆斯林并未奔赴麦加。相反，他们前往穆斯林世界随处可见的当地主要圣地朝圣。有些圣地供奉的可兰经先知历史甚至超过穆罕默德；还有些供奉着什叶派伊玛目和苏菲派圣徒；还有些则是穆斯林圣女的供奉之所。巴基斯坦马卡利墓地的命名隐含着其成为中世纪另一个朝圣圣地的雄心壮志：马卡利的字面意思是“小麦加”。

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0 Comments on this paragraph, 11 in all 11 Comments on this article

Murat ASLAN Oct 21, 2015

Appearently, author has a poor understanding on basic rules of lslam! There is no other destination to be a pilgrim but Mecca. Even though people visit the Madina where Prophet (pbh) rest in, they cannot be pilgrims without implementing the compulsory actions in Mecca! lt is shocking to read that "For most of Islamic history, the overwhelmingly majority of Muslims did not travel to Mecca" with no evidence supplied! Since the beginning of lslam, its a holly journey that millions of muslims had done. No need to read more of this article and l am very disappointed such prestigous website published this kind of essay!
Aqib Mehboob Oct 15, 2015

This piece simply highlights the poor understanding of the author of the subject. I am surprised Project Syndicate published this! Did you run out of fresh content or did he make a generous donation?
Moh Habib Oct 15, 2015

The article is full of incorrect information, it's more likely to be nonsense more than anything else. It seems the Author knows nothing about the basics of Islam and no effort been exerted to collect the right materials in order to articulate his thoughts. I blame project syndicate as a pioneer org. on allowing such a ....... To be published.
Akhter Khan Oct 14, 2015

Cent percent agree with you. It is wahabi influence that has made the crowd there. Alomgwith hajj there are other basic tenets of isl but we are not that serious about them as we are about hajj.
rizwan ali Oct 14, 2015

i guess Mr. Nile have very little knowledge of Islam.
Hajj (Mecca to Pilgrimage) is the 4th piller of ilsam (after Shahadah, Namaz, Fasting, Hajj and Zakat charity) no shrine pilgrimage can replace the Hajj. in past the Hajj was difficult to due to transportation but still Muslims were coming and you will not see in any year in the history that Muslims didn't came for Hajj due to any reason. since 14 centuries Muslims are going to Mecca to perform an essential duty of their faith. in 19th century it accelerated due to batter means of transportation available.
we can debate how to manage the visitors to Mecca but please dont think that any local shrine can replace the importance of Mecca. dont you know Muslims pray five times a day facing towards Mecca long before Saudi government came into existence.
Momodou Dibba Oct 14, 2015

Salami, for me the question is: How did this make to publication? Even an undergrad student would have done a better job on this..
Sikiru Salami Oct 14, 2015

Prof. Nile has just displayed crass ignorance in this subject of interest. This is a poorly researched work, to say the least. The Prof. didn't even make any reference to Qur'an, the incontrovertible rallying point for all Muslims, which made Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca act of worship for all believing Muslims who have the capacity to make the journey. To even suggest alternative visit site for this spiritual journey is even more ludicrous. For me, this is a huge disappointment! Shameful!
Momodou Dibba Oct 14, 2015

Nile Green, Please stick to what you know. To think that i am reading this piece on Project Syndicates baffles me. This is utter crap! The basic facts are wrong, so everything else is rubbish. Hajj is a fundamental pillar of Islam for evrryone not only for males as you indicated. And, it is not for Muslims to create alternatives.
Get your facts right Professor
Abida Muttaqiena Oct 13, 2015

Pilgrimage to Mecca (hajj) is one of the five pillars of Islam, and not merely KSA's interest. The rising number of pilgrims from time to time is the result of the rising religiosity and prosperity among Muslims worldwide. It might be seen as positive by some, or negative by some, but there is one clear point here:
The solution to the repeated deaths during pilgrimage lies in better infrastructure, regulations, and instructions for the pilgrims, and not in changing the very basic of Islamic tenets.
Yusuf Imam Oct 13, 2015

It seems the author has limited info about the very basics of Islam.

1st, hajj is not obligatory only for males, but also for females. more here: http://islamqa.info/en/20045

2nd, Pilgrimage to Mecca always have an important role in Islam, as it is one of the five pillars of Islam. Read more in wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hajj

3rd, he is speaking about "promoting the neglected shrines in their own territories." Please, how many of the Islamic scholars agrees on holiness of those places??? One would find that there are very few, if any, and the sources they use to cite them as a holy place are usually not reliable.

4th, please understand that increase in the number of pilgrims was not mainly for the reasons that you count , but mostly is because of the advancement in transportation and affordability of the travel. It is a responsibility upon Saudis to accommodate pilgrims. There are very strict quotas by Saudis and by other Muslim countries in place- even Saudis cant travel to Mecca during Hajj season without having special hajj permission. Many try to trim the number of pilgrims, yet it is increasing and increasing year to year.

I would even continue this list and correct author's some other mistakes too. Alas, persons without having a good knowledge of the subject can publish articles on PS..
- Rachel Danna Oct 15, 2015
  
  Hi Yusuf. Thanks for pointing out that hajj is mandatory for both males and females. We've updated the paragraph accordingly. Best, Rachel

http://prosyn.org/AqfvePp/zh;

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