Hajj: Only at this Sacred Time and Place

Abstract

Committing to paper one’s experiences and memoires of the hajj pilgrimage, belongs to a long-established rich genre. The classical tradition comprises descriptive travelogues and devotional treatises. By the twentieth century the genre had expanded to predominantely include personal reflections on, and observations of, this grand collective ritual. One moving account of such a memorable experience is Journey of Discovery: A South African Hajj (2000), co-authored by Na’eem Jeenah and his late wife, Shamima Shaikh. This article expounds upon their “journey of discovery.