Grave visitation/worship - Encyclopaedia of Islam, THREE
General Material Designation
[Article]
First Statement of Responsibility
McGregor, Richard J.
.PUBLICATION, DISTRIBUTION, ETC
Place of Publication, Distribution, etc.
Leiden
Name of Publisher, Distributor, etc.
Brill
GENERAL NOTES
Text of Note
(2,246 words)
SUMMARY OR ABSTRACT
Text of Note
Grave visitation/worship , commonly termed ziyāra , denotes simply a visit, but more specifically, a piously motivated pilgrimage. The most significant pilgrimage, incumbent upon all able-bodied Muslims with the material means, is that of the ḥajj to the Kaʿba, in Mecca, which may include a visit to the grave of the prophet Muḥammad, in Medina. The ḥajj shares many features with local and regional pilgrimage practices: experiences of liminality and sacred space, a social levelling and formation of community among fellow travellers, and a display of piety through rituals such