The British Museum Hosts ‘Hajj: Journey to The Heart of Islam’

To Increase Knowledge of Islamic Practices 

Written by: Alia Raffia Ullah

“Proclaim the pilgrimage to all people. They will come on foot and on the 
backs of swift camels from distant corners of the earth.” Qur’an, surat al-Hajj (27-30)

Hajj: Journey to the Heart of Islam is an exhibition featured at the British Museum 
in London from the 26th January 2012 until the 19th April 2012. Curated by 
Venetia Porter and Qaisra Khan, it is the first major exhibition dedicated to the
 pilgrimage of Hajj in the United Kingdom.

One of the five Pillars of Islam crucial to Muslim belief; it is a holy duty for 
Muslims across the globe to travel to Makkah at least once in their lifetime 

and complete the Hajj pilgrimage. Hajj attracts millions of pilgrims annually 
and connects Muslims all over the globe at the heartland of Islam where 
Prophet Muhammed (pbuh) received the first revelations in the early 7th century. 
Hajj takes place during Dhu’l Hija, the last month of the Islamic year with the 
many rituals involved remaining unchanged since its beginning including the circumambulation of the Ka’aba in the centre of Makkah.

    As the largest pilgrimage in the world, Hajj plays a fundamental role in the 
transmission of ideas, trade and the development of an Islamic identity. 
The exhibition tries to offer an understanding about the life changing 
experience Hajj is and what this experience means, concluding the British 
Museum’s series of shows that focus on spiritual journeys.

Exhibition

Hajj: Journey to the Heart of Islam examines the significance of Hajj 
and how it has rapidly evolved throughout history. Following long 
negotiations with 13 countries rare artifacts from Islam’s holiest 
sites have been bought to London and showcased to the public 
in this exhibition. Featuring eminent historical pieces of archaeological 
significance as well as contemporary thought provoking artworks, 
the exhibition conveys the deep emotional and spiritual significance 
of Hajj for Muslims. The exhibition is organized in three key strands; 
the pilgrims journey, the Hajj today and Mecca the destination of Hajj.

Loaned from the British Library, one of the oldest manuscripts of the Qur’an, 
known as the Ma’il Qur’an dated from the 8th century is a key feature of 
the exhibition. Another priceless object exhibited includes a Kaaba key 
from the mid 14th century from the Museum of Islamic Art, Doha, Qatar. 
Also exhibited is the cloth covering over the Kaaba, the Kiswah, which 
is showcased in the museum’s Reading Rooms, as this was considered
 the perfect shape to recreate the geographical structure of Mecca.  
 In the same room sound cones convey a sense of being in.
Mecca by transmitting the labaik, the prayer recited by pilgrims as they 
carry out their rituals.

Pieces of modern and contemporary art are also juxtaposed amongst 
the rare inspirational pieces of the past, highlighting the continuous 
importance and relevance of Hajj to Muslims all over the world. “Magnetism,” 
a minimalist piece of art by Saudi artist Ahmed Mater is an installation 
with magnets and iron filings symbolizing hundreds of thousands of 
pilgrims circling the Kaaba and is an exhibit sparking much intrigue.

As well as rare objects loaned from private collections, there are also 
other inspiring objects including a ticket for a Thomas Cook hajj ship, 
a hajj proxy certificate and pilgrims diaries.

Hajj Stories

The British Museum uses participatory techniques as part of the Hajj exhibition 
as a tool to meet expectations for active engagement. In order to deliver this effectively, 
the Hajj exhibition shares diverse personalized and changing content produced 
alongside both visitors and potential visitors. Rather than being ‘about’ hajj, 
 the museum actively encourages people to share their personal stories about 
a particular moment of Hajj or Umrah to help the British Museum create a picture 
of what the journey is like. Through the shared stories the exhibition is made 
 relevant to individuals and provides an alternative ‘voice’ and perspective 
to that of the curators or organizers.

What is especially fascinating about this exhibition is that the British Museum 
offers the opportunity for people to upload their ‘hajj stories’ onto their website, 
both through videos and written accounts. This creates a distinct online 
presence for the exhibition which is accessible all over the world. When 
browsing through the ‘stories’ it is clearly evident that the experience of 
Hajj and Umrah is one of diverse peoples of all races, ethnicities and ages. 
The accounts convey an overall message of a shared spiritual experience of 
Muslims across the globe, as not only residents of the United Kingdom have 
contributed stories. This has provided a perception of a universally united 
Muslim community through the sacred experience of Hajj and Umrah, as well as an understanding of what contemporary Hajj is and how it has shaped the lives of modern, progressive Muslims.

The mystery of Hajj in the West

Approximately 2.8 million Muslims reside in the UK. Despite this growing population, exhibitions in mainstream cultural institutions celebrating the culture of Islam
heard of. This exhibition is an opportunity to highlight an aspect of Islam that is not widely understood by the mainstream British population, which will foster a better understanding of Muslim identity in modern intercultural Britain.

Curator Qaisra Khan commented on the perception of Islam in Britain saying, 
“If you look at the last five years, even if not the last 12 months, there is a lot about 
Islam and the Middle East in the press and it doesn’t always get good press as we know.  
I think what the exhibition does is to talk about the one facet of Islam we don’t know much about and that it’s very much about peace.”

The process of Hajj is cloaked in mystery for the West as non-Muslims are 
strictly prohibited from entering the city of Mecca. Therefore they have limited 
knowledge about how Muslims perform pilgrimage.

Neil Macgregor, the director of the British Museum said that the exhibition would 
enable a global audience to deepen their understanding of the significance and 
history of the Hajj, “It is special in being the only aspect of Islam which non-Muslims 
cannot take part in. It is not merely a spiritual phenomenon; it has become a cultural phenomenon.”

Through the exhibition, the curators aim to open up this ambiguous and unexplored 
world to the British public in order to gain a better understanding of this misunderstood philosophy of life. The secrecy surrounding Hajj is a wonder that provokes 
curiosity by non-Muslims in the West. For this reason, this exhibition has inevitably 
 received much mainstream media coverage and wide interest.

Education

The exhibition offers an exclusive opportunity for students and teachers to develop
 an awareness of the experience and meaning of Hajj through providing restricted 
visits only open to school parties. The organizers of the exhibition have also created 
free downloadable resources to support visits to the exhibition and planning lessons 
around Hajj. These resources are available at a variety of levels to pupils of all ages.

There are also opportunities for adults to learn more about Hajj through curator tours, 
talks and lectures led by participating artists and organizers of the exhibition.

Supporting Organizations

The exhibition has been organized in partnership with King Abdulaziz Public Library. 
This is a philanthropic institution established in 1985. The library aims to disseminate knowledge and culture in Saudi society with emphasis placed on Islamic and 
Arab heritage and Saudi Arabia.

HSBC Amanah has supported the exhibition’s international reach outside the 
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia through the HSBC Cultural Exchange program. As an 
international bank working with clients across more than 80 countries worldwide,
 HSBC encourages the exchange of ideas across different cultures to generate and strengthen international business relationships.

As part of the exhibition, the British Museum has been awarded an Arts and 
Humanities Research Council award to support the research for the exhibition and accompanying publication. The outcomes of the grant will include an academic 
conference on Hajj and collaboration with the Department of Theology and Religious 
Studies, University of Leeds to explore British Muslim communities' experiences of Hajj.

Conclusion

With strong international support and a platform at a mainstream world renowned 
museum, Hajj: Journey to the Heart of Islam is a groundbreaking revolutionary event. 
Offering an insight into this benevolent phenomenon, the exhibition provides a 
platform for modern progressive Muslims to highlight the relevance and importance 
of Hajj in Britain.

Through personal accounts and educational tools the exhibition is an opportunity to 
learn about the rich cultural heritage of Muslims fostering greater understanding and appreciation between communities. This exhibition is a truly inspirational exciting 
event which suggests hope for representing Islam in British cultural institutions 
in the future.

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