Destination Mecca

Destination Mecca
Destination Mecca  
Author(s) Idries Shah
Country United Kingdom
Language English
Publisher Rider & Octagon Press Ltd
Publication date 1957
Media type Print (Hardback)
ISBN 0-900860-03-0
OCLC Number 19631
Dewey Decimal 915.6
LC Classification DS49 .S48 1969

Destination Mecca is an early book by the writer Idries Shah, who went on to produce an extensive corpus of material on Sufism that is both accessible and relevant to contemporary western readers. It was first published by Rider in 1957 (with photographs by the author), and subsequently by Octagon Press in 1969 (minus the photos)[1]. Shah had already made a name for himself as the author of two well-researched and in many ways ground-breaking books about magic. However, these scholarly works, and the vastly more influential work, The Sufis, which was to follow in 1964, by their nature entailed keeping his own personality in the background. His intention in this present book appears to be to counterbalance this tendency through his skilful use of the familiar travel book format, and he steps out of the shadows as an approachable young man with a lively mind and a fine sense of humour and adventure – someone who is comfortable in his mid-twentieth century skin and equally at home in Eastern and Western contexts.


Contents

Content

Idries Shah

The book consists of twenty-three short pieces of reportage, distilled from two years of travel and study in the Middle East. The central focus of the book is the pilgrimages he performed, as a dutiful Muslim, to Mecca and other holy places, but this amounts to far more than the mere words might suggest: in every sense it is voyage of discovery, for both author and reader. In the course of describing his impressions and experiences and the many and varied personages he encountered on the way, he allows the reader an insight into how his Afghan origins, family background and connections allowed him to gain access to people and places that few if any westerners could hope to reach on their own initiative. We also learn something of the astonishing breadth of his own interests and aspirations.

Reception

The Times Literary Supplement review commented that “Sayed Idries Shah has done much to explain the world of Islam to Westerners and in particular, to promote the study of Sufi philosophy among English-speaking people... Much of what he writes illuminates factors of permanent importance in the Middle East; and no one can read this book without carrying away a lasting impression of the vigour and vitality of Islamic culture, and of the many surprising manifestations of that culture in the Asian world of today.”[2]

References

  1. ^ Destination Mecca page on Octagonpress.com
  2. ^ The Times Literary Supplement, 5 December 1957

External links


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужен реферат?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • mecca — [n] center, goal aim, capital, destination, focal point, focus, heart, hub, nerve center, objective, purpose; concepts 435,438,507,659 …   New thesaurus

  • mecca — noun Usage: often capitalized Etymology: Mecca, Saudi Arabia, a destination of pilgrims in the Islamic world Date: 1843 a place regarded as a center for a specified group, activity, or interest < a vacation mecca > < a mecca for shoppers > …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • mecca — (Roget s 3 Superthesaurus) n. center, hub, destination, goal …   English dictionary for students

  • Idries Shah — ادریس شاه इदरीस शाह Born 16 June 1924 (1924 06 16) Simla, India Died 23 November 1996 …   Wikipedia

  • Faqir of Ipi — born Mirza Ali Khan (Urdu/Pashto: مرزا علی خان) (born 1897, died 1960) was a Pashtun from today s North Waziristan Pakistan, Federally Administrated Tribal Areas. His followers addressed him as Haji Sahib (or Respected Pilgrim). The village of… …   Wikipedia

  • Disasters — ▪ 2009 Introduction Aviation       January 23, Poland. A Spanish built CASA transport plane carrying members of the Polish air force home from a conference on flight safety in Warsaw crashes near the town of Miroslawiec; all 20 aboard are killed …   Universalium

  • Coachella Valley — For the city, see Coachella, California. For the high school, see Coachella Valley High School. Coachella Valley Coachella Valley (   …   Wikipedia

  • Umayyad Caliphate — بنو أمية Banu Umayyah (Arabic) ← …   Wikipedia

  • Khalid al-Mihdhar — Born Khalid al Mihdhar (in Arabic: خالد المحضار) May 16, 1975(1975 05 16) Mecca, Saudi Arabia …   Wikipedia

  • Compass — This article is about the direction finding instrument used in navigation. For other uses, see Compass (disambiguation). A simple dry magnetic pocket compass …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”