Comments on: When Orthodoxy Is Good for You: Making Sense of the “Hajj Effect” http://www.religionwriter.com/islam-in-america/islam/when-orthodoxy-is-good-for-you-making-sense-of-the-hajj-effect/ Fresh Ideas on Religion in Whole-Grain Journalism Form Thu, 18 Feb 2010 22:47:55 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Islam: Positive Effects of Hajj Documented, Including Increased Tolerance and Concern for Womens Welfare « Progressive Muslima News http://www.religionwriter.com/islam-in-america/islam/when-orthodoxy-is-good-for-you-making-sense-of-the-hajj-effect/comment-page-1/#comment-1871 Islam: Positive Effects of Hajj Documented, Including Increased Tolerance and Concern for Womens Welfare « Progressive Muslima News Sun, 13 Jul 2008 14:52:54 +0000 http://www.religionwriter.com/?p=218#comment-1871 [...] July 13, 2008 A period of enforced religious rites, physical hardship, patience and exposure to Muslims from all around the world leads to noticeable attitude changes for many who complete the Hajj. When Orthodoxy Is Good for You: Making Sense of the “Hajj Effect” [...] [...] July 13, 2008 A period of enforced religious rites, physical hardship, patience and exposure to Muslims from all around the world leads to noticeable attitude changes for many who complete the Hajj. When Orthodoxy Is Good for You: Making Sense of the “Hajj Effect” [...]

]]> By: shaikh rahman http://www.religionwriter.com/islam-in-america/islam/when-orthodoxy-is-good-for-you-making-sense-of-the-hajj-effect/comment-page-1/#comment-1846 shaikh rahman Tue, 24 Jun 2008 21:55:59 +0000 http://www.religionwriter.com/?p=218#comment-1846 salamualaikum. good article. to answer priscilla's article, i think there is some truth to what she has said. basically, when the Saud regime got power, they were wahhabis. Their core idea is monotheism. Muslims from other areas very often follow practices that are shunned by islam. When the wahhabis came to power, they destroyed anything they thought would be un-monotheistic. so they destroyed the prophet muhammad's (s.a.s.) house, and hte graves of some important people. Many other historically important places and relicswere also destroyed. Muslims from other religions would literally come to these places and start worshipping these things or to these people. The abolition of such things was necessary. salamualaikum.

good article. to answer priscilla’s article, i think there is some truth to what she has said. basically, when the Saud regime got power, they were wahhabis. Their core idea is monotheism. Muslims from other areas very often follow practices that are shunned by islam. When the wahhabis came to power, they destroyed anything they thought would be un-monotheistic. so they destroyed the prophet muhammad’s (s.a.s.) house, and hte graves of some important people. Many other historically important places and relicswere also destroyed. Muslims from other religions would literally come to these places and start worshipping these things or to these people. The abolition of such things was necessary.

]]> By: David Liepert http://www.religionwriter.com/islam-in-america/islam/when-orthodoxy-is-good-for-you-making-sense-of-the-hajj-effect/comment-page-1/#comment-1817 David Liepert Thu, 12 Jun 2008 15:40:05 +0000 http://www.religionwriter.com/?p=218#comment-1817 Assalamu-Alaikum Andrea! Another beautiful, well researched and well considered article- Jazaka Allahu Khairun, and many thanks. My own Hajj experience, and the changes I saw in myself and my fellow Hajjis completely confirms your premise. I think part of it is a simple matter of perspective. Hajj is life in microcosm- every step you take and every moment there is directed at pleasing God on your journey to Heaven. It makes it easy to see the bumps and grinds of living in a more positive context: someone who steps on your foot is an opportunity to forgive! The other side is a profoundly spiritual one- you spend every day drinking from a well with no geophysical reason for existence that's capable of supplying water to millions of pilgrims who happen to be there, the hot desert sun doesn't burn even shaved-head, white-skinned Muslims like me, and Muslims from around the world are unified, happy and helpful to each-other despite sometimes having nothing in common but the simple evidence that we're so committed to Allah that we're there. It's easy to see God's hand in your life when He waves it in front of you, and easier to trust Him to look after everything else but your own personal righteousness and kindness to others for ever after. Allahu-Akhbar! David Assalamu-Alaikum Andrea!
Another beautiful, well researched and well considered article- Jazaka Allahu Khairun, and many thanks. My own Hajj experience, and the changes I saw in myself and my fellow Hajjis completely confirms your premise. I think part of it is a simple matter of perspective. Hajj is life in microcosm- every step you take and every moment there is directed at pleasing God on your journey to Heaven. It makes it easy to see the bumps and grinds of living in a more positive context: someone who steps on your foot is an opportunity to forgive! The other side is a profoundly spiritual one- you spend every day drinking from a well with no geophysical reason for existence that’s capable of supplying water to millions of pilgrims who happen to be there, the hot desert sun doesn’t burn even shaved-head, white-skinned Muslims like me, and Muslims from around the world are unified, happy and helpful to each-other despite sometimes having nothing in common but the simple evidence that we’re so committed to Allah that we’re there. It’s easy to see God’s hand in your life when He waves it in front of you, and easier to trust Him to look after everything else but your own personal righteousness and kindness to others for ever after. Allahu-Akhbar!
David

]]> By: Farhanahz Ellis http://www.religionwriter.com/islam-in-america/islam/when-orthodoxy-is-good-for-you-making-sense-of-the-hajj-effect/comment-page-1/#comment-1816 Farhanahz Ellis Thu, 12 Jun 2008 15:14:37 +0000 http://www.religionwriter.com/?p=218#comment-1816 Sciences, especially those in direct relationship with the human being, will find benefit in the understanding of the human being as a very intricate trilogy. Body, mind and soul do not and cannot operate individually, in a vacuum. Whatever is done to one component affect the others. I wish the researchers understand what you've explained so succinctly and clearly. Insha'Allah, maybe one day Science will come to see that it is one of the manifestations of God's power, nothing more, nothing less. Sciences, especially those in direct relationship with the human being, will find benefit in the understanding of the human being as a very intricate trilogy. Body, mind and soul do not and cannot operate individually, in a vacuum. Whatever is done to one component affect the others. I wish the researchers understand what you’ve explained so succinctly and clearly. Insha’Allah, maybe one day Science will come to see that it is one of the manifestations of God’s power, nothing more, nothing less.

]]> By: Saafir http://www.religionwriter.com/islam-in-america/islam/when-orthodoxy-is-good-for-you-making-sense-of-the-hajj-effect/comment-page-1/#comment-1815 Saafir Thu, 12 Jun 2008 10:18:27 +0000 http://www.religionwriter.com/?p=218#comment-1815 Thank you for writing such a thoughtful article. It is rare to find much contemporary analysis on the Hajj, so this is a refreshing and welcome piece. Tolerance and patience are probably the most widely reinforced themes of the Hajj. It should be noted that many Muslim scholars interpret the rituals of Hajj as blueprint for the social and otherwise interactive life of each individual that performs these rituals upon their return home. I find difficult Priscilla's point about the Hajj as governed by the Saudi's to be some sort of forced Wahabbism. Despite the critique of the Saudi's asserted about El Fadl's book, I am impressed with the Saudi's accomodation and care taken to host and manage literaly millions upon millions of pilgrims multiple times per year. Thank you for writing such a thoughtful article. It is rare to find much contemporary analysis on the Hajj, so this is a refreshing and welcome piece. Tolerance and patience are probably the most widely reinforced themes of the Hajj. It should be noted that many Muslim scholars interpret the rituals of Hajj as blueprint for the social and otherwise interactive life of each individual that performs these rituals upon their return home.

I find difficult Priscilla’s point about the Hajj as governed by the Saudi’s to be some sort of forced Wahabbism. Despite the critique of the Saudi’s asserted about El Fadl’s book, I am impressed with the Saudi’s accomodation and care taken to host and manage literaly millions upon millions of pilgrims multiple times per year.

]]> By: M. Jalal Khan http://www.religionwriter.com/islam-in-america/islam/when-orthodoxy-is-good-for-you-making-sense-of-the-hajj-effect/comment-page-1/#comment-1813 M. Jalal Khan Wed, 11 Jun 2008 15:05:10 +0000 http://www.religionwriter.com/?p=218#comment-1813 A very insightful article. Your religion-based explanations of some of the observed phenomena are very plausible and add to the social theory arguments of the paper. A very insightful article. Your religion-based explanations of some of the observed phenomena are very plausible and add to the social theory arguments of the paper.

]]> By: Priscilla http://www.religionwriter.com/islam-in-america/islam/when-orthodoxy-is-good-for-you-making-sense-of-the-hajj-effect/comment-page-1/#comment-1812 Priscilla Wed, 11 Jun 2008 14:48:28 +0000 http://www.religionwriter.com/?p=218#comment-1812 This is very interesting, Andrea. I like your hypothesis about the influence on the individual of attempting the specific religious commandments associated with Hajj. As far as the other ideas go, what I am reading in The Great Theft complicates the picture. Khaled Abou El Fadl makes the case that the current uniformity of Hajj practice is actually itself a product of intolerance, specifically the Saudi adoption and promotion of Wahabbism and their control over what rituals are performed during Hajj. Before the rise of the Saudi regime, he says, there was much more variation in practice. This is one of the ways, along with sophisticated largesse, that the Saudis have influenced Islam world-wide because, as you say, “Hajj almost sets the standard for what it means to be Muslim around the world.” El Fadl’s book also makes me wary of the word orthodoxy. When I see it now I think, orthodoxy defined by whom? And I now have another reason to use as little oil and its derivatives as possible, as it is helping to fund the re-shaping of Islam in unhappy ways. I’m rather taken with El Fadl, but I also realize I’m not really equipped to do a critical analysis of The Great Theft. I wonder what you think of it? best, Priscilla This is very interesting, Andrea. I like your hypothesis about the influence on the individual of attempting the specific religious commandments associated with Hajj.

As far as the other ideas go, what I am reading in The Great Theft complicates the picture. Khaled Abou El Fadl makes the case that the current uniformity of Hajj practice is actually itself a product of intolerance, specifically the Saudi adoption and promotion of Wahabbism and their control over what rituals are performed during Hajj. Before the rise of the Saudi regime, he says, there was much more variation in practice. This is one of the ways, along with sophisticated largesse, that the Saudis have influenced Islam world-wide because, as you say, “Hajj almost sets the standard for what it means to be Muslim around the world.” El Fadl’s book also makes me wary of the word orthodoxy. When I see it now I think, orthodoxy defined by whom? And I now have another reason to use as little oil and its derivatives as possible, as it is helping to fund the re-shaping of Islam in unhappy ways. I’m rather taken with El Fadl, but I also realize I’m not really equipped to do a critical analysis of The Great Theft. I wonder what you think of it?

best,

Priscilla

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