FREE ESSAY ON BOOK REPORT ON THE ROAD TO MEKKAH

BOOK REPORT ON THE ROAD TO MEKKAH

In Road to Makkah, the reader is initially confronted with a protagonist who is on a
journey through the deserts of Saudi Arabia. However, as one continues to read the book,
the reader is aware that there are actually two parallel journeys going on: the journey
through the deserts of Saudi Arabia, and also the journey through the life of Muhammad
Asad on his way to Islam. At first I found the book rather hard to follow because of the
constant cutting from desert scenes to the description of the life he left behind in
Europe, but once I got past this initial hurdle, the two plots no longer posed a problem
to my understanding of Muhammad Asad's life. 
Following the author's journey from Europe to the Middle East, and his longer life
journey to Islam, I was struck by the conviction with which the author believed in the
message of Islam and the way that he immersed himself in the culture. This I feel is
truly admirable seeing as prior to converting to Islam, Muhammad Asad did not have a very
high opinion of religion. As he writes early on in the book, his family was not
particularly religious, and like most of the youth of Europe at that time, he was fairly
nonchalant about religion. Although his grandfather was a rabbi, Muhammad Asad did not
really practice Judaism. That is why I am particularly amazed by just how quickly he
adopts Islam, especially in light of his upbringing and negative societal views about
Islam. I am also impressed by the manner in which the author immersed himself in the
culture of the people. 
I have often wondered how non-Muslims view the way that Muslims practice their religion,
and was interested in Muhammad Asad's interpretation. At first glance, it must seem
rather odd the way that Muslims pray to God. After all, how could repeated prostrations
bring an individual closer to God, but as the hajji in the novel says, God created the
soul and body together, so it would only make sense that both would be incorporated in
prayer. After the hajji's explanation, the reason for the manner in which Muslims pray
became quite clear to Muhammad Asad, and opened the first door to Islam for Muhammad
Asad. I found that throughout the book there were many explanations of the laws of Islam,
which provided the reader with a great deal of insight into the inner workings of the
religion, just not the superficial practices. 
In my sociology class we discussed the issue of fatalism in the Arab world, but we did
not come to any definite conclusions. However, after having read Road to Makkah, I feel
that I better understand the notion of fatalism, and the role that it plays in Islam.
Often Western scholars say that the reason the Arab world does not develop is because the
members of society are fatalistic, meaning that they believe that whatever happens to
them in their life is because of God's will. However, as Muhammad Asad asserts in his
book, the Qur'an does not in fact promote fatalism. If anything, it encourages man to
take hold of his destiny to some extent, such as by trying to find cures for diseases.
What interested me more was how he related fatalism back to the Europeans, the very
people who claimed that it was the Muslim world that was fatalistic. After all, it was
Christian Europe at that time that regarded the plague as a scourge from God.
Having been brought up as a Muslim, the only religion that I have ever practiced has been
Islam, but in spite of my inexperience of other religions, I agree with what the author
thinks about Islam being the true religion. I was brought up in a fairly liberal family,
and although I have been to Makkah before, I was impressed by the emotions that the
author felt while he was on his journey there. I am really proud to be a Muslim, and in
Makkah, just like the author, I was overwhelmed by emotions. There were thousands of
Muslims all praying together, and there was no bad feeling among us. 
However, this is not to say that Muslims are like this in all situations. As Muhammad
Asad writes, when he married an eleven-year-old girl, some of the Muslim men did not have
any problem remaining with her, but he could not justify it to himself. 
I think that the author's impression of Islam is a little romanticized, as is his
impression of Arab life. It is true that the Arabs are known for their hospitality, but
it seemed rather incredulous that the King of Saudi Arabia would in effect adopt a new
convert to Islam in the manner that Abd al-Aziz adopted Muhammad Asad. 
Often the image of Muslims portrayed in the media of the West is one of ridiculing them.
Reporters often just see Muslims as fundamentalists who blindly follow the Qur'an, but in
fact the group referred to as the "fundamentalists" is just a minority of Muslims. I was
struck by how much of an open mind Muhammad Asad kept about Islam. In fact, I was
surprised that he took the side of the Arab Muslims rather than the Zionists when it came
to establishing a state for the Jews. I feel that the conflict that arises between the
West and Islam is tidily summed up by the argument that Muhammad Asad makes when he
writes:
"If Muslims keep their heads cool and accept progress as a means and not as an end in
itself, they may not only retain their own inner freedom but also, perhaps, pass on the
Western man the last secret of live's sweetness…" (349)
However, having said that he can see things from the point of view of Muslims is not to
say that he exclusively sees through this pair of glasses. There were instances when
Muhammad Asad looked at Islam from the point of view of a Westerner, for example when he
mocks his friend for believing in Jinns. Although he appears to be completely
arabianized, he still cannot perceive something that he cannot see. 
I think that for me, Muhammad Asad presented an impression of converts, which is somewhat
different from what I thought a recent convert to Islam would be. From my experience,
both in the US and in Saudi Arabia, I have found converts to be people who are very
passionate about Islam, but often to an extent bordering on fundamentalism. I would not
call these people fundamentalist, but I find them not to be understanding of Muslims who
do not practice with as much enthusiasm and vehemence as they do. In some instances they
do not understand why people are not as passionate as them, and try and force them to be
religious by ramming it down their throats. 
However, after reading Road to Makkah I have a considerably different picture of converts
to Islam. I am not saying that Muhammad Asad is not passionate, because the book it quite
clearly demonstrates his devotion to Islam. Unlike my experience with other converts
though, he seems a lot more levelheaded and not as pushy. I genuinely got the feeling
from reading the book that Muhammad Asad is not as judgmental as the people that I have
come into contact with. He is very accepting of the little Arab idiosyncrasies, showing
that his open-minded attitude to things foreign to him.
In conclusion, I think that The Road to Makkah is a wonderful book about the journey that
one man goes through on his way across the deserts of Saudi Arabia, and the path that he
takes to reach his ultimate conversion to Islam. The author presents a very balanced view
of Muslims and their beliefs, rather than perpetuating the myths that are often portrayed
in traditional western texts about the Arab world and Islam. At the same time as being
accurate the author effectively informs the reader about Islam and Arabian culture. For
me it was also an eye-opener because being Muslim I have always been told that one should
pray, but I never really understood the connection between the body and the soul. Also, I
did not have a clear understanding of some of the other laws in Islam such as why Muslim
women may not marry non-Muslim men, and what little understanding I did have was tainted
my Western literature criticizing Islamic laws. Therefore, this book provided a lot of
insight for me.
WORKS CITED
Asad, Muhammad. The Road to Makkah. Delhi: Adam Publishers and 
Distributors.
Bibliography
WORKS CITED
Asad, Muhammad. The Road to Makkah. Delhi: Adam Publishers and 
Distributors.