The Meaning of Pilgrimage (Hajj): Re-shaping the Pious Identity of Belgian Turkish Muslims

Toguslu, Erkan

doi:10.1080/09596410.2017.1282721

Cited by 5 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…Pilgrims from the USA viewed Hajj, not as a tourism phenomenon, but a journey of a lifetime to pray and perform religious rituals where one's rewards are increased significantly while praying at the holy sites (Raj and Bozonelos, 2015). Belgian Muslims of Turkish origins also viewed Hajj as a religious obligation but also with some individual motivations such as purified minds, seeking spiritual path, understanding meaning of life and sense of returning home (Toguslu, 2017). Gunlu and Okumus (2015) confirmed in their study that female pilgrims from Turkey understand Hajj as a one of the five pillars of Islam and a religious obligation of a Muslim.…”

Section: Understanding Of Hajjmentioning

confidence: 85%

“…According to Vijver (2018), a cross-cultural study advances and expands knowledge scope beyond a particular context. Although previous studies (Haq and Jackson, 2009;Toguslu, 2017;Werbner, 2002) have dealt with cross-cultural studies of Muslims on pilgrimages in their environments, no such research has been conducted on Ghana and Uzbek. This study showed interesting results as the impact of the culture and the national lifestyle on the meaning of Ghana and Uzbek Muslims about Hajj was found to be weighty.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Spiritual journey to Hajj has been investigated by earlier scholars (Aziz, 2001;Bianchi, 2008;Haq and Jackson, 2009;Gatrad and Sheikh, 2005;Gunlu and Okumus, 2015;Raj and Bozonelos, 2015;Scott and Jafari, 2010;Timothy and Iverson, 2006;Toguslu, 2017). Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam, meaning that it is one of the main obligations of able-bodied Muslims in terms of health and budget (Gatrad and Sheikh, 2005).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Earlier studies (Caidi, 2019;Haq and Jackson, 2009;Toguslu, 2017;Werbner, 2002;Van der Beek, 2017) have affirmed that shedding further light on understanding of Hajj pilgrims from various countries should be explored. Thus, the goal of this study is to explore the understanding of Hajj by Uzbek and Ghanaian pilgrims, since this direction of studies is crucial.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the context of religious tourism research, limited cross-cultural studies have been carried out to explore the understanding, impact and observation of Hajjis between two different cultures (Donnan, 1995;Gunlu and Okumus, 2015;Haq and Jackson, 2009;Raj and Bozonelos, 2015;Toguslu, 2017). To fill this knowledge gap, this study works with three specific objectives: first to explore the understanding of Hajj between pilgrims of Ghana and Uzbekistan, second, to examine the impact of Hajj on oneself after the pilgrimage; and third, to identify challenges that are during the pilgrimage.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Understanding spiritual journey to hajj: Ghana and Uzbekistan perspectives

Preko

Allaberganov

Mohammed

et al. 2020

JIMA

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Purpose This study aims to explore the country-specific understanding of Hajj, its experience and challenges between the pilgrims of Ghana and Uzbekistan. Design/methodology/approach Anchored on the theory of constructivism, this study explored and used the purposive sampling method in the context of qualitative research to select 97 Muslim pilgrims from Ghana and Uzbekistan of varying demographics for in-depth interviews. Findings Findings show that the philosophy of Hajj as the fifth pillar obligation set by Allah was common among the Muslim pilgrims of these two countries which support earlier literature. Interestingly, this study uncovered some distinctions in the construction of the understanding of Hajj; that is Ghanaian pilgrims have attached social status of respect and titles to Hajj in their societies. While Uzbekistan pilgrims are seen in their communities as spiritual role models that inspire others to live meaningful lives in the society. Research limitations/implications The conclusion and the outcome of this study cannot be generalized as to represent the whole population of Ghana and Uzbekistan due to qualitative approach. Practical implications This study revealed country-specific understanding and experience of Hajj that can be used by the policymakers and marketers to create better travel package. Originality/value The outcome of this study advanced a cross-cultural Hajj understanding which is important to policymakers, businesses and spiritual tourism practitioners to have a better insight into Hajj in contexts.

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Section: Understanding Of Hajjmentioning

confidence: 85%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%