Arthur John Byng Wavell A Self-Proclaimed Pilgrim in Makkah and Madinah

Author: Spahic omer

Publisher: Dar Al Wahi

Pages: 152

ISBN: 9789670729534

Weight:  200 gsm

Year: 2023

Price: RM39

Arthur John Byng Wavell (1882-1916), a British military officer, Arabist and a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, secretly in 1908-9 visited Makkah and Madinah as a “pilgrim.” His undertaking was ground-breaking, in that he arrived in Madinah via the historic Hijaz railway that had just become operational. He was the first non-Muslim to do so. His visit illustrated, and his narrative vividly documented, the onset of modernity in the holy cities, Indeed, what Ludovico di Varthema was for the genesis of the general custom of Western Christians in disguise visiting the holy pilgrimage places, Wavell was for the initiation of the custom’s new phase. Wavell was fully aware of his feat. Hence, the travelogue that resulted from his clandestine visit-cum-pilgrimage he titled CA Modern Pilgrim in Mecca and a Siege in Sanaa”, This book delves into the modernity disposition of Wavell’s travel to Makkah and Madinah, using his above-mentioned travelogue as a primary reference. The discussion will place the author’s experiences, as well as interpretations, of the modernity phenomenon in Makkah and Madinah against the backdrop of modernity as a comprehensive concept and ubiquitous trend. The book will focus on the following themes: modernity and modernism versus tradition; Wavell and his pilgrimage trip; Wavell’s unprejudiced views on Islam; the Hijaz railway as a symbol of modernity; elements of modernity in Makkah and Madinah; Muslims and the challenge of modernity; Wavell’s personal experiences and observations.”

Dr. Spahic Omer, an award-winning author, is an Associate Professor at the Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed K nowledge and Human Sciences, International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM). He studied in Bosnia, Egypt and Malaysia, In the year 2000, he obtained his PhD from the University of Malaya in Kuala Lumpur in the field of Islamic history and civilization, His research interests cover Islamic history culture and civilization, as well as the history and theory of Islamic built environment, He can be reached at: [email protected]