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Three Thousand Miles for a Wish, Kisah Seorang Muslimah Menaklukan Keputusasaan dan Meraih Harapan
Apa yang akan kaulakukan saat duniamu runtuh?
Ia telah sukses dengan karier akademis dan mulai meniti dunia pekerjaan. Namun, rutinitas pekerjaan membuatnya bosan. Ia banyak menghabiskan malam di kelab. Mabuk. Puncaknya, percintaannya kandas. Mimpi buruk itu membuatnya depresi. Putus asa membisik dengan halus dan mendorongnya terjun ke jurang kehancuran.
Namun, suara-suara harapan selalu terdengar sayup-sayup.
Haji! Haji! Haji! Makkah adalah tanah harapan. Perjalanan yang akan mengubah kehidupan.
Dari Inggris ke Arab. Berbalut pakaian ihram yang menyerupai kain kafan—satu-satunya pakaian yang akan dibawa ke kubur, berbaur dengan jutaan muslim dalam ritual ibadah haji yang penuh kejutan. Menjalankan ibadah yang penuh risiko.
Akankah ia berhasil mewujudkan harapannya?
Three Thousand Miles for a Wish adalah kisah nyata mengharukan tentang seorang wanita muda menemukan kebahagiaan dalam sebuah perjalanan ziarah paling agung di dunia.
Ia telah sukses dengan karier akademis dan mulai meniti dunia pekerjaan. Namun, rutinitas pekerjaan membuatnya bosan. Ia banyak menghabiskan malam di kelab. Mabuk. Puncaknya, percintaannya kandas. Mimpi buruk itu membuatnya depresi. Putus asa membisik dengan halus dan mendorongnya terjun ke jurang kehancuran.
Namun, suara-suara harapan selalu terdengar sayup-sayup.
Haji! Haji! Haji! Makkah adalah tanah harapan. Perjalanan yang akan mengubah kehidupan.
Dari Inggris ke Arab. Berbalut pakaian ihram yang menyerupai kain kafan—satu-satunya pakaian yang akan dibawa ke kubur, berbaur dengan jutaan muslim dalam ritual ibadah haji yang penuh kejutan. Menjalankan ibadah yang penuh risiko.
Akankah ia berhasil mewujudkan harapannya?
Three Thousand Miles for a Wish adalah kisah nyata mengharukan tentang seorang wanita muda menemukan kebahagiaan dalam sebuah perjalanan ziarah paling agung di dunia.
393 pages, Paperback
First published December 22, 2001
79 people are currently reading
553 people want to read
About the author
Safiya Hussain
7 books12 followersEntrepreneur. Lawyer. Author
Preston, Lancashire, United Kingdom
Preston, Lancashire, United Kingdom
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
July 9, 2012
This was not a gripping story, but it was compelling in a way I can't really describe. I was very interested in Haj, and what it means to Muslims and how it is performed. I don't know why more people are not killed in this pilgrimage every year - maybe they are and we are just not told about it. I found myself being slightly envious of the total faith and love (but not the depression or despair) that drove Safiya to Haj. It seems to me that Christians and Muslims have more in common than some would like us to believe.
May 13, 2013
I just kind of hated this. The writing got on my nerves. The most annoying part was the author's INSISTENCE on sentence fragments. Once in a while, using a sentence fragment can have a powerful effect. Using them all the time just makes me want to stick pencils in my eyes because you don't know what a freaking VERB is!!!
Beyond that, the book seemed to be a cross between Islam-for-Dummies and a trite apologetic about Muslims. I think the author intended to be didactic, but ended up being pedantic. She even threw in a little Israel bashing.
Maybe I am pre-disposed to dislike the book, but I've read other works on Islam that I found fascinating, whereas this was just irritating.
Avoid.
Beyond that, the book seemed to be a cross between Islam-for-Dummies and a trite apologetic about Muslims. I think the author intended to be didactic, but ended up being pedantic. She even threw in a little Israel bashing.
Maybe I am pre-disposed to dislike the book, but I've read other works on Islam that I found fascinating, whereas this was just irritating.
Avoid.
May 28, 2012
Very good! It started a little slow, and quite frankly, I thought it was going to be over far sooner than the number of pages indicated, but a lot of that was my not knowing all that was involved in Hajj.
I learned a lot about Islam reading this book, even though I don't think that was the authors sole intent. I think this book could and should be read by anyone wanting to deepen their own spiritual understanding. I found many passages that I could easily relate to my own life and struggles with religion.
I learned a lot about Islam reading this book, even though I don't think that was the authors sole intent. I think this book could and should be read by anyone wanting to deepen their own spiritual understanding. I found many passages that I could easily relate to my own life and struggles with religion.
May 3, 2013
I found the book to be very interesting and emotional. I am a Christian and this book has brought me a new understanding of how little I know about middle eastern faiths. I now have a desire to know more about other faiths. I also wonder if the middle east has the same unknown knowledge about Christian faith as I do about their faith.
May 10, 2016
Saya ke gramedia demi sebuah “me before you” setelah membaca reviewnya di goodreads. Tapi tidak ketemu di search engine.Jadilah saya berkeliling di rak new release dan ketemu “me before you” yang tebal setebal harganya. Tapi mata saya tertuju ke sebuah buku dengan sampul menarik terbitan zaman dan kucari review di GR untuk buku Three thousand miles for awish.. dan kubawalah buku itu ke kasir.
Chapter awal saya begitu terpengaruh dengan emosi wanita muda akan kesedihannya yang membuncah yang hanya bisa terobati dengan perjalanan suci, yaitu haji. Meski belakangan saya merasa agak lebay..karena bisa ikut merasakan penyakit “patah hati”nya sampai duniamu terasa begitu gelap!. Hanya orang2 yang pernah mengalaminya yang tahu pasti. Buku ini karya non fiksi, dan merupakan memoir dari si penulis sendiri, safiya Hussain dalam melaksanakan perjalanan suci ditahun 2008.
Alurnya maju mundur dimana banyak perenungan safiya akan makna hidup dan pemberontakannya akan ketidakadilan dan rasa sakit yang diterimanya karena orang lain. Dalam hal ini adalah zamer lelaki yang bisa membuatnya melambung atas nama cinta. Tapi bukan perjalanan cinta mereka yang akan mendominasi isi buku melainkan efek dari cinta yang menyakitkan itu yang membawa safiya sejauh 3000 mil menuju Makkah melakukan ibadah haji untuk memenuhi panggilan Allah dan membebaskan dirinya dari rasa sakit hati yang tidak ada ujungnya.
Begitu banyak cerita dari pengalaman orang-orang yang pernah melakukan ibadah haji, namun cerita dibuku ini cukup mempengaruhiku karena detail pemaparannya sejak dipesawat menuju saudi terasa menghidupkan pengalaman pribadi saya waktu menuju ke tempat yang sama atas nama umrah. Air mata dipesawat dan cerita2 dibaliknya membuat saya flash back akan perjalanan saya sendiri yang serupa meski tak sama.
Tidak seperti diindonesia saat ini yang kalau daftar haji perlu waktu bertahun tahun untuk merealisasikannya. Safiya hanya perlu 3 minggu sejak pernyataannya ingin ikut dengan kedua orang tuanya, sehingga tentu saja tidak ada manasik haji seperti kita disini. Mereka didampingi Layts pemandu yang sering dipertanyakan profesionalismenya oleh safiya. Setiap ritual dipaparkan maksud dan tata caranya tepat sebelum akan dilaksanakan. Inilah yang membuat emosi safiya sebagai wanita muda yang kurang sabaran kadang naik turun membawa pembacanya ikut merasakan tiap momen dan emosinya. Dari tahapan tiap ritual itulah safiya mengenal orang2 serombongannya dan tahu banyak kisah dibalik perjalanan suci ini, sehingga membaca buku ini seperti ikut membaca buku doa,sirah nabi dan potongan ayat-ayat Al Quran tanpa ada kesan ditempel sedikitpun. Semuanya terurai atas pertanyaan logis safiya dan dijawab secara logis pula oleh orang disekelilingnya. Meskipun untuk hal ini mungkin tetap jadi pertanyaan bagi yang tidak seiman.
Buku ini bisa membuat saya jadi emotional *baca sering nangis, karena tetap merindukan tanah haram disana. Meski takut dan ciut sering melanda saat melihat jutaan orang mengelilingi ka’bah dan ikut dalam pusarannya tapi sensasi saat melihat langsung bangunan itu belum bisa saya deskripsikan sampai saat ini..rindu itu tetap ada. Terlepas dari perlakuan yang diterima sejak dari bandara dan orang-orang asing disana..Tanah haram itu tetap kurindukan..dan pengalaman dalam tenda-tenda di mina dan arafah seperti diceritakan safiya belum sempat kurasakan. Semoga kesempatan berikutnya Allah mengizinkanku berhaji.
Sebagai penganut agama islam dari asia mungkin sebagian besar cara berislam kita sama dengan keluarga besar safiya yang sedikit terpengaruh budaya dan menerima langsung tanpa perlu mempertanyakan. Karena keimanan tidak perlu diperdebatkan. Namun karena safiya imigran di Inggris, sikap kritisnya tentu saja sering muncul mempertanyakan ketidak adilan atas statusnya sebagai perempuan dalam islam dan tidak didapatinya penjelasan yang memuaskan dalam lingkungan keluarganya membuatnya jadi pemberontak dan mencari arti kebahagiaan yang hakiki.
Saya sempat kecewa dengan endingnya, karena setelah melakukan perjalanan suci ini safiya kembali ke kehidupannya yang dideskripsikan tetap berbusana ketat dan tak berhijab. Tapi dari pemaparannya soal keimanan saya kembali berkaca pada diri sendiri, sudah berbanding luruskah pakaian islamiku dengan keimanan yang kupahami dan yang kurasakan?. Satu yang pasti bahwa setan tidak akan berhenti membisiki kita sampai ajal menjemput sehingga kebahagiaan hakiki hanya ada di akhirat, di surga. Sehingga Safiya masih tetap merasa tidak bahagia dan masih mencari arti kebahagiaan itu di dunia fana ini....terkesan menggantung, apa buku ini ada sekuelnya?.. jadi dari bintang 5 ke 4 atas pertanyaan terakhirku..
Chapter awal saya begitu terpengaruh dengan emosi wanita muda akan kesedihannya yang membuncah yang hanya bisa terobati dengan perjalanan suci, yaitu haji. Meski belakangan saya merasa agak lebay..karena bisa ikut merasakan penyakit “patah hati”nya sampai duniamu terasa begitu gelap!. Hanya orang2 yang pernah mengalaminya yang tahu pasti. Buku ini karya non fiksi, dan merupakan memoir dari si penulis sendiri, safiya Hussain dalam melaksanakan perjalanan suci ditahun 2008.
Alurnya maju mundur dimana banyak perenungan safiya akan makna hidup dan pemberontakannya akan ketidakadilan dan rasa sakit yang diterimanya karena orang lain. Dalam hal ini adalah zamer lelaki yang bisa membuatnya melambung atas nama cinta. Tapi bukan perjalanan cinta mereka yang akan mendominasi isi buku melainkan efek dari cinta yang menyakitkan itu yang membawa safiya sejauh 3000 mil menuju Makkah melakukan ibadah haji untuk memenuhi panggilan Allah dan membebaskan dirinya dari rasa sakit hati yang tidak ada ujungnya.
Begitu banyak cerita dari pengalaman orang-orang yang pernah melakukan ibadah haji, namun cerita dibuku ini cukup mempengaruhiku karena detail pemaparannya sejak dipesawat menuju saudi terasa menghidupkan pengalaman pribadi saya waktu menuju ke tempat yang sama atas nama umrah. Air mata dipesawat dan cerita2 dibaliknya membuat saya flash back akan perjalanan saya sendiri yang serupa meski tak sama.
Tidak seperti diindonesia saat ini yang kalau daftar haji perlu waktu bertahun tahun untuk merealisasikannya. Safiya hanya perlu 3 minggu sejak pernyataannya ingin ikut dengan kedua orang tuanya, sehingga tentu saja tidak ada manasik haji seperti kita disini. Mereka didampingi Layts pemandu yang sering dipertanyakan profesionalismenya oleh safiya. Setiap ritual dipaparkan maksud dan tata caranya tepat sebelum akan dilaksanakan. Inilah yang membuat emosi safiya sebagai wanita muda yang kurang sabaran kadang naik turun membawa pembacanya ikut merasakan tiap momen dan emosinya. Dari tahapan tiap ritual itulah safiya mengenal orang2 serombongannya dan tahu banyak kisah dibalik perjalanan suci ini, sehingga membaca buku ini seperti ikut membaca buku doa,sirah nabi dan potongan ayat-ayat Al Quran tanpa ada kesan ditempel sedikitpun. Semuanya terurai atas pertanyaan logis safiya dan dijawab secara logis pula oleh orang disekelilingnya. Meskipun untuk hal ini mungkin tetap jadi pertanyaan bagi yang tidak seiman.
Buku ini bisa membuat saya jadi emotional *baca sering nangis, karena tetap merindukan tanah haram disana. Meski takut dan ciut sering melanda saat melihat jutaan orang mengelilingi ka’bah dan ikut dalam pusarannya tapi sensasi saat melihat langsung bangunan itu belum bisa saya deskripsikan sampai saat ini..rindu itu tetap ada. Terlepas dari perlakuan yang diterima sejak dari bandara dan orang-orang asing disana..Tanah haram itu tetap kurindukan..dan pengalaman dalam tenda-tenda di mina dan arafah seperti diceritakan safiya belum sempat kurasakan. Semoga kesempatan berikutnya Allah mengizinkanku berhaji.
Sebagai penganut agama islam dari asia mungkin sebagian besar cara berislam kita sama dengan keluarga besar safiya yang sedikit terpengaruh budaya dan menerima langsung tanpa perlu mempertanyakan. Karena keimanan tidak perlu diperdebatkan. Namun karena safiya imigran di Inggris, sikap kritisnya tentu saja sering muncul mempertanyakan ketidak adilan atas statusnya sebagai perempuan dalam islam dan tidak didapatinya penjelasan yang memuaskan dalam lingkungan keluarganya membuatnya jadi pemberontak dan mencari arti kebahagiaan yang hakiki.
Saya sempat kecewa dengan endingnya, karena setelah melakukan perjalanan suci ini safiya kembali ke kehidupannya yang dideskripsikan tetap berbusana ketat dan tak berhijab. Tapi dari pemaparannya soal keimanan saya kembali berkaca pada diri sendiri, sudah berbanding luruskah pakaian islamiku dengan keimanan yang kupahami dan yang kurasakan?. Satu yang pasti bahwa setan tidak akan berhenti membisiki kita sampai ajal menjemput sehingga kebahagiaan hakiki hanya ada di akhirat, di surga. Sehingga Safiya masih tetap merasa tidak bahagia dan masih mencari arti kebahagiaan itu di dunia fana ini....terkesan menggantung, apa buku ini ada sekuelnya?.. jadi dari bintang 5 ke 4 atas pertanyaan terakhirku..
July 22, 2013
I usually love memoirs, especially by women. I also love to read about people of different cultures. This book was not good though. I read it in two days, not because it was great... I started speed-reading when I realized how awful it was. Even writing this review feels like I am giving this book more time than it deserves.
I generously give this book two stars because I found the trip to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, for a Hajj, the great pilgrimage, interesting. CRAZY and dangerous, but interesting.
The beginning is self-indulgent whining, and doesn't pick up until chapter 4. The author uses dialogue to explain what jihad REALLY means... striving in the way of Allah. Funny, my kindle dictionary did not have that as a meaning.
"It's the same permission given to British soldiers by the Queen or Government to fight those countries and kill those that have wronged Britain and its people."
"Yeah, like the World Wars."
"Yeah... Those that died fighting in the wars became war heroes."
"Yeah, they did. They were heroes. Saved the country."
(She then uses the dialogue to explain that the 9/11 terrorists were twisted bastards, not jihaadis.)
The dialogue is all so, "oh so... yeah... and this... yeah, I get it." Her attempt to make the conversation sound real made it sound like I was listening to my middle-school students.
We get to experience the miracle of evil jinns pushing an unignited coach up a hill.
"They have powers where they can travel big distances in super speed. They make themselves look like anything, a tree or... a person."
Oh, and before the Prophet Mohammed, females were oppressed and exploited. But when he came, he spoke for females, giving them rights and equality.
It also appears there is a very good logical reason for the way the females dressed (and still dress). "There was never any intention to oppress women. Women didn't feel oppressed!"
Her very logical reason for the way women dress and the separation of men and women, told again through twitty dialogue, did not convince me.
"It was realised that because of the dangerous magnetic attractions between men and women, to avoid further destruction, they'd need to be controlled as much as possible." Women were just advised to stay at home with the children... not ordered!
The book would have been so much better if the author's attempt to educate the readers had been straight-forward rather than in cheesy dialogue. I still wouldn't have bought it all, but it might have been easier to read.
By the end of the book, I was hoping for some good feeling, but no. The author is not happy and will never be happy. She goes about her life knowing she is not happy, but she knows that she will find that happiness in the afterlife. She describes this afterlife happiness all like a Disney fairytale, complete with waterfalls of honey and seas of melted chocolate, white wings sprouting from her sides with a click of her fingers, the man on a white horse. That is when she will know true happiness.
There were MANY grammar and punctuation errors throughout the book, which I tried to keep when quoting from the book.
So, even though I love memoirs, and I love learning about people from the middle east, I did not love this book. I did not even like it.
I generously give this book two stars because I found the trip to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, for a Hajj, the great pilgrimage, interesting. CRAZY and dangerous, but interesting.
The beginning is self-indulgent whining, and doesn't pick up until chapter 4. The author uses dialogue to explain what jihad REALLY means... striving in the way of Allah. Funny, my kindle dictionary did not have that as a meaning.
"It's the same permission given to British soldiers by the Queen or Government to fight those countries and kill those that have wronged Britain and its people."
"Yeah, like the World Wars."
"Yeah... Those that died fighting in the wars became war heroes."
"Yeah, they did. They were heroes. Saved the country."
(She then uses the dialogue to explain that the 9/11 terrorists were twisted bastards, not jihaadis.)
The dialogue is all so, "oh so... yeah... and this... yeah, I get it." Her attempt to make the conversation sound real made it sound like I was listening to my middle-school students.
We get to experience the miracle of evil jinns pushing an unignited coach up a hill.
"They have powers where they can travel big distances in super speed. They make themselves look like anything, a tree or... a person."
Oh, and before the Prophet Mohammed, females were oppressed and exploited. But when he came, he spoke for females, giving them rights and equality.
It also appears there is a very good logical reason for the way the females dressed (and still dress). "There was never any intention to oppress women. Women didn't feel oppressed!"
Her very logical reason for the way women dress and the separation of men and women, told again through twitty dialogue, did not convince me.
"It was realised that because of the dangerous magnetic attractions between men and women, to avoid further destruction, they'd need to be controlled as much as possible." Women were just advised to stay at home with the children... not ordered!
The book would have been so much better if the author's attempt to educate the readers had been straight-forward rather than in cheesy dialogue. I still wouldn't have bought it all, but it might have been easier to read.
By the end of the book, I was hoping for some good feeling, but no. The author is not happy and will never be happy. She goes about her life knowing she is not happy, but she knows that she will find that happiness in the afterlife. She describes this afterlife happiness all like a Disney fairytale, complete with waterfalls of honey and seas of melted chocolate, white wings sprouting from her sides with a click of her fingers, the man on a white horse. That is when she will know true happiness.
There were MANY grammar and punctuation errors throughout the book, which I tried to keep when quoting from the book.
So, even though I love memoirs, and I love learning about people from the middle east, I did not love this book. I did not even like it.
January 8, 2019
I'm not really sure how to explain my feelings towards this book.
The opportunity to get an "inside" look into Hajj and the journey many Muslims spend their whole life dreaming of, well, that is fascinating. It's one thing to read factual information about Hajj from various sources written to spread awareness; it's quite another to read about this from a more personal outlook. That part of the book is wonderful and fascinating and perhaps a tad drawn out, but still interesting and moving enough to encourage retrospection.
That being said, the main charachter annoys me to the absolute end of the Earth. She's not a criminal and not a horrible person, but she is superficial and whiney and doesn't seem to understand that her big AHA! moment should probably last more than a page before she goes back to whining about her expensive haircut and charachters from the movie Titanic.
She was kind of a wet blanket on an otherwise interesting story, in my opinion. This book could've also been cut down by about 30 pages and still been just fine.
Regardless, decent book and worth the read, but I will probably not rush back to reading it again any time soon.
The opportunity to get an "inside" look into Hajj and the journey many Muslims spend their whole life dreaming of, well, that is fascinating. It's one thing to read factual information about Hajj from various sources written to spread awareness; it's quite another to read about this from a more personal outlook. That part of the book is wonderful and fascinating and perhaps a tad drawn out, but still interesting and moving enough to encourage retrospection.
That being said, the main charachter annoys me to the absolute end of the Earth. She's not a criminal and not a horrible person, but she is superficial and whiney and doesn't seem to understand that her big AHA! moment should probably last more than a page before she goes back to whining about her expensive haircut and charachters from the movie Titanic.
She was kind of a wet blanket on an otherwise interesting story, in my opinion. This book could've also been cut down by about 30 pages and still been just fine.
Regardless, decent book and worth the read, but I will probably not rush back to reading it again any time soon.
July 22, 2014
The positive qualities of Three Thousand Miles for a Wish - an insider's glimpse into the hajj - are balanced by the bad qualities - bad writing and editing.
What kept me going when my teeth were grating from more sentence fragments was wanting to see the end of Safiya Hussein's pilgrimage to the holy places of Islam. Three million people! I knew very little about the hajj going into the book and my eyes were wide with her description of the places and experiences. Hussein is both an insider and and outsider - raised in the UK in a Muslim family, she lived a pretty secular life before her journey. The spiritual awakening she experienced might read well to a fellow believer; I have certainly read gushing Christian passages that left me still not really getting it. The rest of the book, however, could have used a heavy edit to tame the sentence fragments, flip the passive voice statements, and untangle some of the idiom. So - three stars for the story, one star for the writing.
What kept me going when my teeth were grating from more sentence fragments was wanting to see the end of Safiya Hussein's pilgrimage to the holy places of Islam. Three million people! I knew very little about the hajj going into the book and my eyes were wide with her description of the places and experiences. Hussein is both an insider and and outsider - raised in the UK in a Muslim family, she lived a pretty secular life before her journey. The spiritual awakening she experienced might read well to a fellow believer; I have certainly read gushing Christian passages that left me still not really getting it. The rest of the book, however, could have used a heavy edit to tame the sentence fragments, flip the passive voice statements, and untangle some of the idiom. So - three stars for the story, one star for the writing.
May 4, 2012
I started reading this book,seeing its good reviews on Amazon. It talks of a young western muslim girl's search for happiness and her in sight in islam as she takes the Hajj with her parents. As a non-muslim, I will never be doing this trip. So in those terms, it was interesting to read about the Hajj. At times, it did feel like reading a religious text to which I could not relate at all, and yet I could not give up on this one. Something about the book kept me hooked to it. It was interesting to know about the views of a modern muslim regarding the current islam scare. Also the book put forth a more modern real interpretation of the kuran which has worth a read. however, I did find my self skipping some parts of the text, more keen on reading about the experiance of the Hajj, the mysterious rituals while doing the Hajj. An eye opening experience about islam in todays world
December 21, 2013
This was the first encounter I have experienced with Islam. This book opened my eyes & yes my soul to these people. It made me realize that they love their Allah as much as we love our God. We have the same feelings and emotions; love, guilt, wants, yearnings, impatience, vulnerability, weaknesses, as we are all part of the human race. We all hate satan & love God. Our final goal is to spend eternity in heaven. We follow the same Golden Rule. Love thy neighbor. Love is the answer. It makes this life on earth so much easier.
August 27, 2018
Fascinating
As a Catholic Christian, I knew little about the Hajj except it's great importance in the Muslim faith. I found Safiya Hussain's account of her pilgrimage fascinating. I also learned a great deal about Islam!
While many of the rituals of the Hajj are quite foreign to my Christian sensibilities, the purposes behind them are similar to many Christian beliefs and practices. The need for repentance, praise, forgiveness, patience, compassion, humility, equality before God/Allah.... prayers multiple times a day (our Liturgy of the Hours), different stances during prayer, the great commandments to love God and love your neighbor...
Thank you for sharing your story, Safiya. It has given me many insights and much to ponder!
As a Catholic Christian, I knew little about the Hajj except it's great importance in the Muslim faith. I found Safiya Hussain's account of her pilgrimage fascinating. I also learned a great deal about Islam!
While many of the rituals of the Hajj are quite foreign to my Christian sensibilities, the purposes behind them are similar to many Christian beliefs and practices. The need for repentance, praise, forgiveness, patience, compassion, humility, equality before God/Allah.... prayers multiple times a day (our Liturgy of the Hours), different stances during prayer, the great commandments to love God and love your neighbor...
Thank you for sharing your story, Safiya. It has given me many insights and much to ponder!
June 25, 2022
Aku lumayan suka dengan buku ini karena aku melihat ada usaha dari penulis untuk membawa pembahasan mengenai Islam di tengah-tengah masyarakat Inggris dengan cara yang unik.
Buku ini juga dilengkapi dengan banyak kutipan yang memotivasi serta juga memuat beberapa sejarah penting dalam Islam.
Namun, konflik dalam buku ini menurutku seperti saling berkejar-kejaran. Konflik kurang kuat, penokohan juga sedikit membingungkan, serta penggunaan alur maju-mundur yang perlu diperhatikan lagi.
Tapi, tetap saja buku ini perlu dan harus kamu baca. Terlebih lagi jika kamu sedang menghadapi fase terendah, merasa putus asa, atau sedang berjuang menggapai harapan.
Buku ini juga dilengkapi dengan banyak kutipan yang memotivasi serta juga memuat beberapa sejarah penting dalam Islam.
Namun, konflik dalam buku ini menurutku seperti saling berkejar-kejaran. Konflik kurang kuat, penokohan juga sedikit membingungkan, serta penggunaan alur maju-mundur yang perlu diperhatikan lagi.
Tapi, tetap saja buku ini perlu dan harus kamu baca. Terlebih lagi jika kamu sedang menghadapi fase terendah, merasa putus asa, atau sedang berjuang menggapai harapan.
April 10, 2022
I learned a lot about the Muslim faith and the Hajj and I enjoyed that aspect. I got tired of the author calling African women baboons and saying how large they were and calling men that wear pink wusses. About 140 pages in I got tired of reading the book and DNF.
March 10, 2019
It inspired me to embark on my haj pilgrimage!! Thank you Safiya!
March 27, 2021
It was really interesting
March 3, 2022
Read this book on my kindle. Great adventure of the author, after reading this book, was enlightened to go for Hajj (during that time I hadn't been for Hajj/Umrah).
April 13, 2025
L'auteur est raciste, je n'ai pas pu finir ce livre tellement j'étais mal à l'aise.
January 13, 2013
An emotional and transformational Journey
From just the beginning of the book, the author's note and the dedication to her mother, I almost immediately fell in love with this book. I am not a Muslim, but respect all faiths, and have educated myself beyond the negative stereotype of most, including Islam, so it was beautiful to see the quotation of Islamic beliefs and practices included so early on.
I love the author's style, the way she includes repeating motifs throughout the text, the way she uses events to foreshadow circumstances later in the book, that draw you in to what is happening, and the simple yet poetic beauty in the flashback sections all serve to make this am more real, more emotional read than one often gets from memoirs.
I also liked that the author included, in an understated, human kind of way, many facets of Islam that those of us outside of the faith see presented only in the negative - the treatment of women for example - which is balanced here the truth against the prejudice. One thing that also struck me was the self-analytical conversation, part way thought, where those inside Islam discussed those fanatics, and radical, politicised Muslims.
There were times when the author, whose Hajj we share presents as a little too whiny, but I think that helped, somewhat, to contrast the description of her transformation to a more spiritual state through the course of the journey; from someone that was not necessarily a 'nice' person, to someone who was more mature, considered and considerate, but that was truly the only less than positive thing I experienced through the course of my reading.
All in all I would recommend this book to anyone interested in what it is like to experience the Hajj.
From just the beginning of the book, the author's note and the dedication to her mother, I almost immediately fell in love with this book. I am not a Muslim, but respect all faiths, and have educated myself beyond the negative stereotype of most, including Islam, so it was beautiful to see the quotation of Islamic beliefs and practices included so early on.
I love the author's style, the way she includes repeating motifs throughout the text, the way she uses events to foreshadow circumstances later in the book, that draw you in to what is happening, and the simple yet poetic beauty in the flashback sections all serve to make this am more real, more emotional read than one often gets from memoirs.
I also liked that the author included, in an understated, human kind of way, many facets of Islam that those of us outside of the faith see presented only in the negative - the treatment of women for example - which is balanced here the truth against the prejudice. One thing that also struck me was the self-analytical conversation, part way thought, where those inside Islam discussed those fanatics, and radical, politicised Muslims.
There were times when the author, whose Hajj we share presents as a little too whiny, but I think that helped, somewhat, to contrast the description of her transformation to a more spiritual state through the course of the journey; from someone that was not necessarily a 'nice' person, to someone who was more mature, considered and considerate, but that was truly the only less than positive thing I experienced through the course of my reading.
All in all I would recommend this book to anyone interested in what it is like to experience the Hajj.
January 25, 2016
This book is just terrible on all accounts. The author uses simple sentence structure and fragments, making it no fun at all to read. It fails both as spiritual literature and travel narrative. The author attempts for spiritual introspection but her work is just superficial. Why do bad things happen to good people? To test them. Or to punish them. She relays cheap, silly stories about poor people she met on hajj that taught her to reflect on humility and gratitude. She offers a cursory take on death and evil. The people she met didn't need her pity and she needed to go deeper into introspection.
Her naive and ignorant exploration of travel is mortifying. She is racist and sees anything and anyone not of the "west" as inferior. When she traveled to Saudi Arabia she was surprised to see malls and supermarkets with the same products as in the west, she expected cheap prices (because it is a "third world country"), she was surprised to see wealth and then judged the women spending "their wealthy husbands' money", and she ate at KFC.
Her horribly difficult life revolves around a romantic break up. Big deal.
Her naive and ignorant exploration of travel is mortifying. She is racist and sees anything and anyone not of the "west" as inferior. When she traveled to Saudi Arabia she was surprised to see malls and supermarkets with the same products as in the west, she expected cheap prices (because it is a "third world country"), she was surprised to see wealth and then judged the women spending "their wealthy husbands' money", and she ate at KFC.
Her horribly difficult life revolves around a romantic break up. Big deal.
September 26, 2013
powerful and very interesting. it gave me some insight into what Islam really is and into the meaning and reasons behind the beliefs. However, I can only give it two stars because if it weren't for my interest in learning about various religions and beliefs, I would have put down this book after the second chapter. While most of the traditions that she asks why they are done she gets the typical reason of because it is tradition and has always been done that way doesn't really answer the question, I still learned quite a bit in reading this book. The downfall of the book is the author herself. The author complains incessantly about her life, yet she has been given so much love, support and anything her heart has desired, but it was not enough. I figured by the end of the journey she would be humbled and realize her life is pretty wonderful and for the most part she did, but I still found it difficult to like her. she complains too much about little things. The journey she took is amazing and to learn about Islam is a reason to read this book.
February 6, 2013
A brutally honest account of the author's Hajj journey. The book charts her journey as she reflects upon the rituals of Hajj and conveys her feelings towards such a life-changing experience. In addition to her fascinating description of this spiritual experience, the memoir weaves stories from her past and present in a brilliant prose that many readers can relate to- whether they are Muslims or not.
It was interesting to know that this book has been a bestseller on Amazon. I rarely find a popular book written by Muslim or ex-Muslim female author that shows what true Islam is , and that does not reinforce the negative stereotypes of Muslim women being oppressed, subjugated, or forced into marriage. It is a book about a real, modern, highly-educated Muslim young lady who struggles to be a better Muslim and to become closer to Allah.
It was interesting to know that this book has been a bestseller on Amazon. I rarely find a popular book written by Muslim or ex-Muslim female author that shows what true Islam is , and that does not reinforce the negative stereotypes of Muslim women being oppressed, subjugated, or forced into marriage. It is a book about a real, modern, highly-educated Muslim young lady who struggles to be a better Muslim and to become closer to Allah.
September 9, 2012
I really enjoyed this book.
A western Muslim young woman going to Mecca after a heart break with her parents.
Doesn't sound that compelling but I really thought it was!! I know little about Muslim culture and the Hajj, and found the authors description of her feelings, findings and some near death experiences to be informative as well as enjoyable reading.
I thought this book was plausible, honest and interesting
A western Muslim young woman going to Mecca after a heart break with her parents.
Doesn't sound that compelling but I really thought it was!! I know little about Muslim culture and the Hajj, and found the authors description of her feelings, findings and some near death experiences to be informative as well as enjoyable reading.
I thought this book was plausible, honest and interesting
April 5, 2016
As a muslim, this book has been a thrilling experience for me. She brought us to an emotional roller coaster journey with her.
I haven't able to do Hajj before, but Alhamdulillah I was on a plane to do Umrah when I start this book so I would able to connect with her experience even more.
Finding yourself again and getting closer to HIM again is not an easy thing to do, the struggle is real.
and thanks to this book I can really imagine doing Hajj real like.
I haven't able to do Hajj before, but Alhamdulillah I was on a plane to do Umrah when I start this book so I would able to connect with her experience even more.
Finding yourself again and getting closer to HIM again is not an easy thing to do, the struggle is real.
and thanks to this book I can really imagine doing Hajj real like.
February 25, 2012
I found this a very interesting and moving account of a young woman's experience of hajj. She paints a brutally honest picture of her life before this momentous journey, and charts the spiritual re-awakening she undergoes as she joins her parents and the millions of other pilgrims in the rituals and acts of worship.
February 23, 2013
This was an interesting personal description of the Hajj and journey to Mecca. It was interesting to look at Islam from an insiders perspective, and gave me a bit more of an idea of some facets of the religion.
I did end up skimming some portions though, and at times it seemed a little self indulgent.
I did end up skimming some portions though, and at times it seemed a little self indulgent.
January 19, 2015
Well I found the second half really dragged and I just wanted to get over with it. But the description of her transforming through the course of journey made me keep reading. I like how safiya places self-analytical conversation into a picture where one can imagine different kinds of muslims. One fine cheat day which turned out to be a quite positive experience.
September 3, 2013
I found this story very hard to follow. At no time did I feel a connection to the main character. I'm sure the original premise was an excellent one but I could never get into the flow of the narration. What a waste.
September 23, 2013
This book was very enjoyable. It was the story of a woman who grew up in the US and went back to Saudi Arabia to perform the hajj. I found the information about the hajj very interesting and informative. Glad I read the book.
September 29, 2013
I persisted with this book because the topic of the Hajj is fascinating. I don't think she appreciated the support around her and there is a lot of self pity. Some of the spiritual expetiences seemed weird. However, the setting is intriguing & no doubt many of the pilgrims benefit.
May 29, 2013
disappointing. found I wasn't that bothered to hear about. thought this would be good, but found it slow reading.
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