The first non-muslim in Makkah and Madinah

Omer, Spahic (2022) The first non-muslim in Makkah and Madinah. Journal of Islam in Asia, 19 (1). pp. 196-217. E-ISSN 2289-8077

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Abstract

This article is about Ludovico di Varthema who was the first European non-Muslim to visit Makkah and Madinah and to record his journeys as well as impressions. He became famous for three reasons. First, he joined the exclusive club of avant-garde European explorers and discoverers. Second, he was a history-maker, in that he accomplished things no other non-Muslim had ever done before. And third, he furnished the craving 16th-century European audience with an additional and priceless reference on Islam, Muslims and Islamic culture, due to which it has been considered a “literary wonder” despite its many deficiencies and errors. The article aims to set the instance of Ludovico di Varthema against the background of the medieval East-West interactions. The article’s research methodology is a blend of descriptive, thematic and content analysis. The article concludes that the case of Ludovico di Varthema was an archetype. It shows how ignorant about, and prejudiced against, Islam and Muslims the 16th-century Europe was. The man was a product of a circumstance and a system of thought. He experienced and chronicled his voyages not just in his personal, but also in his culture’s intellectual and psychological mould.

Item Type:	Article (Journal)
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Ludovico di Varthema; Makkah; Madinah; Hajj
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BL Religion B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BP Islam. Bahaism. Theosophy, etc > BP1 Islam
Kulliyyahs/Centres/Divisions/Institutes (Can select more than one option. Press CONTROL button):	Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences > Department of History & Civilization
Depositing User:	Omer Spahic
Date Deposited:	22 Jul 2022 11:11
Last Modified:	22 Jul 2022 11:17
URI:	http://irep.iium.edu.my/id/eprint/98897

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