67Haj PIlgrImage
Since Prophet Mohammed began this practice in 632 AD, the annual haj
pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina has been the largest assembly of human-
ity. Over centuries the gathering of believers from around the world also
provided opportunities for trade, exchange of ideas and people-to-people
contacts. It attracted traders and merchants from various parts of the
world and commercial contacts, in turn, paved the way for the introduc-
tion of Islam to the subcontinent. Indian merchandise, especially spices,
cereals, perfumes and silk, were sought after by the Arab and other mer-
chants who travelled to Mecca and Medina during haj.
Until the discovery of oil, haj had been the primary source of revenue
for the fledging Saudi state. Rich Indian Nawabs (members of the aristo-
cratic gentry similar to the peerage system in Britain) and princes donated
large sums of money for the upkeep of various Islamic holy sites in the
Middle East, including the Ka’aba, the sanctum sanctorum in Mecca. Such
philanthropic contributions earned them the respect of the community
both in India and in the Middle East (Ahmad 1969 ). Despite the geo-
graphical distance and the arduous travel routes, the Indian Muslim nobles
undertook the visit to Mecca during the haj season as it was not only con-
sidered an obligatory part of the faith but also seen as an act that absolves
the faithful from all worldly sins and ensures heavenly abode in the after-
life. Most of these nobles, because of their wealth and philanthropic activi-
ties, were welcomed with warmth by the Hashemite rulers of Hejaz and
sometimes even given family audience, a rare occurrence given that the
Sharifs were considered to be the highest in Muslim social hierarchy.^3
The oil boom of the 1970s and the transformation of the global econ-
omy have changed the nature of haj but it still spurs local trade. Though the
revenue generation through haj has been less significant to Saudi economy,
it is still substantial. For example, haj-related revenue accruing to Saudi
Arabia in 2016 was estimated at US$50 billion and Saudi experts estimate
that by 2022 with the expansion of the Masjid al-Haram nearing comple-
tion, the haj-related revenues could rise to US$150 billion (Al-Thaqafi
2017 , 150). As the custodian of the two holy mosques, Saudi Arabia has
been benefitting from the haj and the year-round umrah pilgrimages in
enhancing its global positions and relations with other countries.
(^3) Some of the accounts of haj pilgrimage undertaken by Nawab Sikandar Begum of Bhopal
in 1864 indicate the warmth and respect shown by the Sharif family to the Begum in Mecca
(Lambert-Hurley 2007 ).
ISLAMIC DIMENSION