The Meaning of Mecca - The Politics of Pilgrimage in Early Islam
By Liberty Books

Theand hajj, the fifth pillar of Islam, is a religious duty to be performed once in a lifetime by all Muslims who are able. The Prophet Muhammad set out the rituals ofand hajjand when he led what became known as the Farewelland Hajjand in 10 AH (632 AD). This set the seal on Muhammad's career as the founder of a religion and the leader of a political entity based on that religion.The convergence of the Prophet with the politician infuses theand hajjand with political, as well as religious, significance. For the caliphs who led the Islamic community after Muhammad's death, leadership of theand hajjand became a position of enormous political relevance as it presented them with an unrivaled opportunity to proclaim their pious credentials and reinforce their political legitimacy. This unique study analyzes information provided by contemporary sources about the leadership of the Hajj in Islam's formative period, between the seventh and tenth centuries, and assesses the pilgrimage from a political perspective.A unique study because it collects and analyzes information provided by contemporary sources about the leadership of theand Hajjand in Islam's formative period, between the seventh and tenth centuries, and uses it to assess the pilgrimage from a political perspective.Published in advance of a major British Museum exhibition,and The Hajj: Journey to the Heart of Islam, opening in London in January 2012.M.E. McMillanand earned a PhD in Islamic history at the University of St Andrews, and has worked for the UN Security Council as a translator. The author lives in Belfast, Northern Ireland.