The Impact of Hajj on the Society of Bangladesh
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24090/ijtimaiyya.v3i1.1676Keywords:
hajj, society, economy, culture, impact, bangladeshAbstract
Millions of Muslims from around the world including Bangladesh pour perform Hajj every year. Being the largest gathering of the Muslims, the Hajj has got immense socio-economic and cultural impacts on every Muslim society as well as Bangladesh. Hajj develops a unique symbol of unity, equality, universality, co-existence, brotherhood, indiscrimination, peace and tolerance, through performing common rituals, among the individuals, societies and nations belonging to different races, castes, ethnicities, colors, and languages, which create differences in everyday life of human beings. Bangladeshi Hajjis’ views towards women are more positive as gender interaction is a natural part of Hajj, while it is uncommon in the country. The positive teachings of Hajj particularly of pure Aqidah, produced several revolutionary movements in Bengal such as the Faraidi movement of Hajji Shariatullah with the aim of purifying Muslim society from superstitious Aqidah and practices. Hajj works as a social platform of getting together for Bangladeshi people at Makkah and Madinah. Hajj has developed the private tour operating industries in Bangladesh to facilitate the Hajjis. Transaction of billions of dollars takes place commercially during Hajj, while many commodities are exchanged informally. The Hajjis enjoy a very special dignity and status in the society of Bangladesh. Hajj creates an inter-cultural amalgamation combining various elements of different cultures particularly of Arabian. Hajj increases knowledge of the Hajjis both experimental and theoretical through various means. Bangladeshi Hajjis consider Hajj as the preparation for death; and thus try to remain isolated from the worldly activities and observe the religious duties strictly. This transformative property enables the Hajjis to pursue a more purified life and they become a model of spirituality and religiosity. Hajj not only moulds the Hajjis into sincere and practicing Muslims, but also the society at large with their honesty and piety. Thus, Hajj brings immense impacts on the society, economy, education, religiosity and culture of Bangladesh. This chapter is aimed at analyzing the socio-economic and religio-cultural impacts of Hajj on the society of Bangladesh. It also included the perspectives of the society with a view to better understanding the influence of Hajj on the Hajjis, non-Hajjis and the society at large.Downloads
Download data is not yet available.
References
Al-Qura’n, 3: 96-97, (Indeed, the first House [of worship] established for mankind was that at Makkah - blessed and a guidance for the worlds. In it are clear signs [such as] the standing place of Abraham. And whoever enters it shall be safe. And [due] to Allah from the people is a pilgrimage to the House - for whoever is able to find thereto a way. But whoever disbelieves - then indeed, Allah is free from need of the worlds.) Accessed February 10, 2017, http://quran.com/3/96-97 .
Al-Qura’n, 22: 26-27, (And [mention, O Muhammad], when We designated for Abraham the site of the House, [saying], "Do not associate anything with Me and purify My House for those who perform Tawaf and those who stand [in prayer] and those who bow and prostrate. And proclaim to the people the Hajj [pilgrimage]; they will come to you on foot and on every lean camel; they will come from every distant pass-.) Accessed February 10, 2017, http://quran.com/22/26-27 .
Sabir Shah, “Number of foreign Hajjis grows by 2,824 percent in 92 yearsâ€, The News International, Pakistan, October 25, 2012, last modified 4 October 2015, http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-2-139473-Number-of-foreign-Hajjis-grows-by-2824-percent-in-92-years .
Syed Ashraf Ali, “Hajj,†in Banglapedia: The National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh, eds. Sirajul Islam, (Bangladesh: Asiatic Society of Bangladesh, 2003), Accessed February 28, 2017, http://www.banglapedia.org/.
“Muslim population by country,†Pew Research Center, Accessed February 12, 2017, http://features.pewforum.org/muslim-population/ .
“Top Ten Countries with Largest Muslim Population,†Maps of World, Accessed February 12, 2017, http://www.mapsofworld.com/world-top-ten/world-top-ten-countries-with-largest-muslim-populations-map.html
“Hajj Package 2015,†Bangladesh Hajj Management Portal of Ministry of Religious Affairs, Accessed March 11, 2017, http://www.Hajj.gov.bd/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Hajj_pakage_2015.pdf
M.N. Pearson, Pious Passengers: The Hajj in Earlier Times, (New Delhi: Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd., 1994), 1.
Al-Qura’n, 22: 28, Accessed February 10, 2017, http://quran.com/22/28 .
Qiblah is the direction of the place to which Muslims must turn for prayer- the Ka’abah at Makkah.
“Population Census 2011â€, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, Accessed February 10, 2017, http://www.bbs.gov.bd/ .
For details about the syncretistic practices surrounding childbirth, death, marriage and circumcision in the then contemporary Bengali Muslim society and the Faraidi efforts to eliminate them, see Muin-ud-Din Ahmad Khan, History of the Fara’idi Movement in Bengal, (Karachi: Pakistan Historical Society, 1965), Part II, pp. xxxvii-xxxviii.
Muin-ud-Din Ahmad Khan, “Dudu Miyan,†in Banglapedia: The National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh, eds. Sirajul Islam, (Dhaka: Asiatic Society of Bangladesh, 2003), Accessed February 28, 2017, http://www.banglapedia.org/.
Iftekhar Iqbal, “Between Puritan Islamic and Syncretistic Muslim Traditions in Bengal: An Ecological Perspective on the Faraizi Movement,†Bangladesh e-Journal of Sociology 8, no. 1. (2011): 66.
Ibid., 69.
Muin-ud-Din Ahmad Khan, Islamic Revivalism, (Dhaka: Bangladesh Institute of Islamic Thought, 2010), 176-205.
Ibid., 141-162.
Hastings Donnan, “Symbol and Status: The Significance of the Hajj in Pakistan.†Muslim World 79, no. 3-4. (1989): 205-216; C. Yamba, C., Permanent Pilgrims: The Role of Pilgrimage in the Lives of West African Muslims in Sudan. (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 1995); Dale F. Eickelman and James Piscatori, “Muslim Travellers: Pilgrimage, Migration, and the Religious Imagination.†In Barbara D. Metcalf, ed. Comparative Studies on Muslim Societies, vol. 9, (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1990).
“Bangladesh†Languages of the world, Accessed February 28, 2017, http://www.ethnologue.com/country/BD
Men wear two white sheets. Women face less stringent requirements but typically also wear white.
Mohammad Aman Ullah Khan, Mohimamoy Jiban (Glorious Life), (Chittagong: Baitus Sharaf Anjumane Ittehad, 2011), 100.
Muhammad Abdul Hai Nadwi, Hazrat Allama Shah Maulana Mohammad Abdul Jabbar R.: Life and Ideal, (Bangladesh: Allama Shah Abdul Jabbar Foundation Chittagong, 2012), 67.
Ahmadul Islam Chowdhury, Aasheqe Rasul, Mujaddede Mahfil-i-Siratunnabi Hazrat Shah Maulana Hafez Ahmad R., (Bangladesh: 2007), 42.
Hazrat Shah Moulana Muhammad Abdul Jabbar, Ta’alimul Hajj, Umrah and Ziyarat, (a chapter entitled Cautions from experience), (Chittagong: Allama Shah Abdul Jabbar Foundation, 2012) 30-33.
Aman Ullah Khan, Mohimamoy Jiban, 100-116.
K. A. Nizami, “Introduction,†in Arab Accounts of India, ed. Dr. Mohammad Zaki, (Delhi, 2009); George Faldo Hourani, Arab Seafaring in the Indian Ocean in Ancient and Medieval Times, (Princeton University Press, 1951).
Muhammad Enamul Haq, Purba Pakistane Islam Prochar (Spread of Islam in East Pakistan), (Dhaka, 1948), 17.
Abdul Karim, Social History of the Muslims in Bengal, (Chittagong: Baitush Sharaf Islamic Research Institute, 1985), 31-33; M. Mohar Ali, History of the Muslims of Bengal, Vol-I A, (KSA: Department of Culture and Publication of Imam Muhammad Ibn Sa’ud Islamic University, 1985), 33-34.
K.N. Dikshit, Memories of the Archeological Survey of India, no. 55, (Delhi, 1938), 87.
F.A. Khan, Recent Archeological Discoveries in East Pakistan: Mainamati, (Karachi: Pakistan publications, n.d.), 11.
According to the Satti system, Hindu widows would go to burn with her husband.
Mohammad Akram Khan, Moslem Bhonger Samajik Itihash (Social History of the Muslims of Bengal), (Dhaka: Azad publications Ltd., 1965), 83.
“Hajj Bulletin,†Bangladesh Bangladesh Hajj Management Portal of Ministry of Religious Affairs, Accessed March 11, 2017, http://www.Hajj.gov.bd/en/daily-Hajj-bulletin/page/2/.
“List of Hajj Agencies of Bangladesh,†Hajj Agencies Association of Bangladesh (HAAB), Accessed March 11, 2017, http://www.haab-bd.com/index.php?option=com_agency&Itemid=26&lang=en&limitstart=1220.
“Arab Versus Asian Migrant Workers in the GCC Countries,†UN Expert Group Meeting on International Migration and Development in the Arab Region, (Beirut: Department of Economic and Social Affairs United Nations Secretariat, 15-17 May 2006), Accessed December 11, 2016, http://www.un.org/esa/population/meetings/EGM_Ittmig_Arab/P02_Kapiszewski.pdf.
Personal interview with the author
Ahmadul Islam Choudhury, My First Hajj-Mobarak Smriti (Blessed Memories), (Chittagong: 2005) 86.
Personal interview with the author
Syed Ashraf Ali, “Hajj,†in Banglapedia: The National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh, eds. Sirajul Islam, (Bangladesh: Asiatic Society of Bangladesh, 2003), Accessed February 28, 2017, http://www.banglapedia.org/.
Al-Qura’n, 22: 26-27, (And [mention, O Muhammad], when We designated for Abraham the site of the House, [saying], "Do not associate anything with Me and purify My House for those who perform Tawaf and those who stand [in prayer] and those who bow and prostrate. And proclaim to the people the Hajj [pilgrimage]; they will come to you on foot and on every lean camel; they will come from every distant pass-.) Accessed February 10, 2017, http://quran.com/22/26-27 .
Sabir Shah, “Number of foreign Hajjis grows by 2,824 percent in 92 yearsâ€, The News International, Pakistan, October 25, 2012, last modified 4 October 2015, http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-2-139473-Number-of-foreign-Hajjis-grows-by-2824-percent-in-92-years .
Syed Ashraf Ali, “Hajj,†in Banglapedia: The National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh, eds. Sirajul Islam, (Bangladesh: Asiatic Society of Bangladesh, 2003), Accessed February 28, 2017, http://www.banglapedia.org/.
“Muslim population by country,†Pew Research Center, Accessed February 12, 2017, http://features.pewforum.org/muslim-population/ .
“Top Ten Countries with Largest Muslim Population,†Maps of World, Accessed February 12, 2017, http://www.mapsofworld.com/world-top-ten/world-top-ten-countries-with-largest-muslim-populations-map.html
“Hajj Package 2015,†Bangladesh Hajj Management Portal of Ministry of Religious Affairs, Accessed March 11, 2017, http://www.Hajj.gov.bd/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Hajj_pakage_2015.pdf
M.N. Pearson, Pious Passengers: The Hajj in Earlier Times, (New Delhi: Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd., 1994), 1.
Al-Qura’n, 22: 28, Accessed February 10, 2017, http://quran.com/22/28 .
Qiblah is the direction of the place to which Muslims must turn for prayer- the Ka’abah at Makkah.
“Population Census 2011â€, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, Accessed February 10, 2017, http://www.bbs.gov.bd/ .
For details about the syncretistic practices surrounding childbirth, death, marriage and circumcision in the then contemporary Bengali Muslim society and the Faraidi efforts to eliminate them, see Muin-ud-Din Ahmad Khan, History of the Fara’idi Movement in Bengal, (Karachi: Pakistan Historical Society, 1965), Part II, pp. xxxvii-xxxviii.
Muin-ud-Din Ahmad Khan, “Dudu Miyan,†in Banglapedia: The National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh, eds. Sirajul Islam, (Dhaka: Asiatic Society of Bangladesh, 2003), Accessed February 28, 2017, http://www.banglapedia.org/.
Iftekhar Iqbal, “Between Puritan Islamic and Syncretistic Muslim Traditions in Bengal: An Ecological Perspective on the Faraizi Movement,†Bangladesh e-Journal of Sociology 8, no. 1. (2011): 66.
Ibid., 69.
Muin-ud-Din Ahmad Khan, Islamic Revivalism, (Dhaka: Bangladesh Institute of Islamic Thought, 2010), 176-205.
Ibid., 141-162.
Hastings Donnan, “Symbol and Status: The Significance of the Hajj in Pakistan.†Muslim World 79, no. 3-4. (1989): 205-216; C. Yamba, C., Permanent Pilgrims: The Role of Pilgrimage in the Lives of West African Muslims in Sudan. (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 1995); Dale F. Eickelman and James Piscatori, “Muslim Travellers: Pilgrimage, Migration, and the Religious Imagination.†In Barbara D. Metcalf, ed. Comparative Studies on Muslim Societies, vol. 9, (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1990).
“Bangladesh†Languages of the world, Accessed February 28, 2017, http://www.ethnologue.com/country/BD
Men wear two white sheets. Women face less stringent requirements but typically also wear white.
Mohammad Aman Ullah Khan, Mohimamoy Jiban (Glorious Life), (Chittagong: Baitus Sharaf Anjumane Ittehad, 2011), 100.
Muhammad Abdul Hai Nadwi, Hazrat Allama Shah Maulana Mohammad Abdul Jabbar R.: Life and Ideal, (Bangladesh: Allama Shah Abdul Jabbar Foundation Chittagong, 2012), 67.
Ahmadul Islam Chowdhury, Aasheqe Rasul, Mujaddede Mahfil-i-Siratunnabi Hazrat Shah Maulana Hafez Ahmad R., (Bangladesh: 2007), 42.
Hazrat Shah Moulana Muhammad Abdul Jabbar, Ta’alimul Hajj, Umrah and Ziyarat, (a chapter entitled Cautions from experience), (Chittagong: Allama Shah Abdul Jabbar Foundation, 2012) 30-33.
Aman Ullah Khan, Mohimamoy Jiban, 100-116.
K. A. Nizami, “Introduction,†in Arab Accounts of India, ed. Dr. Mohammad Zaki, (Delhi, 2009); George Faldo Hourani, Arab Seafaring in the Indian Ocean in Ancient and Medieval Times, (Princeton University Press, 1951).
Muhammad Enamul Haq, Purba Pakistane Islam Prochar (Spread of Islam in East Pakistan), (Dhaka, 1948), 17.
Abdul Karim, Social History of the Muslims in Bengal, (Chittagong: Baitush Sharaf Islamic Research Institute, 1985), 31-33; M. Mohar Ali, History of the Muslims of Bengal, Vol-I A, (KSA: Department of Culture and Publication of Imam Muhammad Ibn Sa’ud Islamic University, 1985), 33-34.
K.N. Dikshit, Memories of the Archeological Survey of India, no. 55, (Delhi, 1938), 87.
F.A. Khan, Recent Archeological Discoveries in East Pakistan: Mainamati, (Karachi: Pakistan publications, n.d.), 11.
According to the Satti system, Hindu widows would go to burn with her husband.
Mohammad Akram Khan, Moslem Bhonger Samajik Itihash (Social History of the Muslims of Bengal), (Dhaka: Azad publications Ltd., 1965), 83.
“Hajj Bulletin,†Bangladesh Bangladesh Hajj Management Portal of Ministry of Religious Affairs, Accessed March 11, 2017, http://www.Hajj.gov.bd/en/daily-Hajj-bulletin/page/2/.
“List of Hajj Agencies of Bangladesh,†Hajj Agencies Association of Bangladesh (HAAB), Accessed March 11, 2017, http://www.haab-bd.com/index.php?option=com_agency&Itemid=26&lang=en&limitstart=1220.
“Arab Versus Asian Migrant Workers in the GCC Countries,†UN Expert Group Meeting on International Migration and Development in the Arab Region, (Beirut: Department of Economic and Social Affairs United Nations Secretariat, 15-17 May 2006), Accessed December 11, 2016, http://www.un.org/esa/population/meetings/EGM_Ittmig_Arab/P02_Kapiszewski.pdf.
Personal interview with the author
Ahmadul Islam Choudhury, My First Hajj-Mobarak Smriti (Blessed Memories), (Chittagong: 2005) 86.
Personal interview with the author
Syed Ashraf Ali, “Hajj,†in Banglapedia: The National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh, eds. Sirajul Islam, (Bangladesh: Asiatic Society of Bangladesh, 2003), Accessed February 28, 2017, http://www.banglapedia.org/.
Downloads
Published
2018-03-30
How to Cite
Islam, M. T. (2018). The Impact of Hajj on the Society of Bangladesh. Ijtimā Iyya Journal of Muslim Society Research, 3(1), 97–128. https://doi.org/10.24090/ijtimaiyya.v3i1.1676
Issue
Section
Articles
License
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
