Hajj pilgrimage certificate
Type:
Scrolls
Date:
1433
Location or Findspot (Modern-Day Country):
Saudi Arabia
Medium:
Parchment
Description:
This fifteenth-century scroll commemorates a pilgrimage to Mecca, called the hajj, of a Muslim woman named Maymunah, daughter of Muhammad ibn 'Abd Allah al-Zardali. The starting point of Maymunah journey and the certificate's place of production are unknown, although one possibility is that the certificate was issued in Mecca.
According to the scroll, Maymunah visited Mecca and Medina in 836 AH (1432–33). In addition to information about the journey and hajj-related texts from the Qur'an, the scroll includes representations of the Ka'ba, the tomb of the Prophet Muhammad in Medina, and the sole of Muhammad's sandal. The sandal belongs to a larger tradition of talismanic sandal-print amulets. The verses accompanying this example encourage readers to kiss the image during times of difficulty and to circumambulate it until they've worn out their own shoes.
According to the scroll, Maymunah visited Mecca and Medina in 836 AH (1432–33). In addition to information about the journey and hajj-related texts from the Qur'an, the scroll includes representations of the Ka'ba, the tomb of the Prophet Muhammad in Medina, and the sole of Muhammad's sandal. The sandal belongs to a larger tradition of talismanic sandal-print amulets. The verses accompanying this example encourage readers to kiss the image during times of difficulty and to circumambulate it until they've worn out their own shoes.
Relevant Textbook Chapter(s):
10
Repository and Online Resources:
• Read more about the certificate on the website of the British Library.
