Experience on Hajj Journey by European Christians

Abstract

Objectives: This article is as part of the research entitled “the journey to the virtue: Hajj experience of the Malay Muslims from the South of Thailand”, which aimed at studying the historical development of the Hajj journey experience of the people from the South of Thailand as much as evidence being found. In detail, this research objective, mainly focus on Hajj experience of people worldwide. Even though their aim of Hajj were mistaken, their records gave much reflection on situation of pilgrims and everything related during their journey especially those who concerned to the people from the Southeast Asian region.

Methodology: This article was done based mainly of a book, Christians at Mecca, written by Augustus Ralli in 1909, combined and analysed the records of 15 Christians once journeyed to Hajj pilgrimage during the period of 1500 till 1890. The author extracted only 5 Christians who gave much influence to the Muslim world and especially Southeast Asia. Their record reflected their huge effort and preparation to get reach Mecca and doing Hajj. They also gave a lot of information and opinion on situation of Hajj in the past, as well as information about Society, Sanitary, Business, Hajj Travel, Hajj Process, Buildings and Environment around Mecca, Madinah and other major cities, which information is really valuable for the later research and memory. Other sources also used as to support this article argument and analysis.

Research Findings: The book entitled “Christians at Mecca”, combined records and analysis on Hajj by 16 European Christians. They reached Mecca on the ambiguous purposes. The book had been summarized 20 Christians’ records focused on Mecca. The first one had been in Mecca by 1503 while the last one was in 1894. Such primary sources are really contributed to picture the Hajj activities, society, politics, health, trade and business, travel experiences, process of Hajj, buildings and structures, and overviews of the city of Mecca and Madinah. In the records themselves contained some data on the Southeast Asian people, Hajj routes and development of Hajj journey from the past up to the late 19th century.

Contribution: The study reflects the views from outsiders towards Hajj activities, valuable and primary sources on Hajj both through various documents and pictures. It also acknowledges how difficult they were in order to get Hajj complete from the beginning till end, and Hajj journey routes from different directions.