Holy City Research Articles

Shāh Walī Allāh Dihlawi (d. 1762): The Hajj Journey and Intellectual Scholarship Between India and Arabia

Rather than simply claiming the “unorthodox” or “pluralistic” mindset of an early modern Muslim thinker, this intellectual micro-history aims to show the complexity of Shāh Walī Allāh’s (d. 1762) thought-world. This article follows him to Mecca and Medina for the Hajj pilgrimage. While pilgrimage is traditionally included in the fundaments of Islamic practice, it is also important to realize that the majority of Muslims have not historically participated in this pilgrimage. Due to the physical limitations of travelling as the Muslim community rapidly expanded in the 7th century onwards, we have nearly a thousand years until the 18th century where only a select few Muslims, usually wealthy enough to make the arduous journey, participated in the yearly practice. This created a complex culture of pilgrims in the Holy Cities with the cities functioning as informal circles of scholarship. Shāh Walī Allāh Dihlawī engages in this knowledge production process while carrying out the mandatory rituals associated with the Hajj pilgrimage. Thus, this article shows that the complex interplay of Walī Allāh with Meccan and Medinan scholars is a highly dynamic process with unexpected outcomes as specific sacred geography interacts with the conceptual (and genealogical) categories that scholarly pilgrims bring with them to this intellectual encounter. In doing so, we catch a glimpse of the 18th century through a very particular set of Indian Sufi eyes.

Far from the Caliph’s Gaze: Being Ahmadi Muslim in the Holy City of Qadian, written by Nicholas H.A. Evans

Far from the Caliph’s Gaze: Being Ahmadi Muslim in the Holy City of Qadian, written by Nicholas H.A. Evans

The Importance of the Role of Emergency Paramedics in Quickly Transporting Traffic Accident Cases to Health Facilities

This study aims to know the effect of ambulance transportation in reducing the rate of injuries for people injured in traffic accidents, the importance of the role of emergency paramedics in reducing the rate of injury for people transported to health facilities, a questionnaire was prepared via Google Drive and distributed to the population between the ages of 25-55 years from Men and women in the holy city of Mecca. The questionnaire was distributed via the social networking program (WhatsApp) for the purpose of distancing. 400 questionnaires were distributed, and 380 responses were obtained via email to the principal researcher. it concluded that everyone mentioned the importance of paramedics in transporting all dangerous cases (whether traffic accidents or other) in record time and with a very high degree of professionalism.

Re-Orientations: Spain and Jerusalem in the Longue Durée

ABSTRACT This article provides a brief overview of Spain’s historical ties to Jerusalem, arguing that a Mediterranean approach to Spanish Jerusalem encourages us to resituate the Holy City in both space and time as a key location in the articulation of Spanish imperial and national identity. By recovering the fundamental Mediterraneanness of Spanish entanglements with Jerusalem, scholars are also obliged to recognize at once the complex, interdependent, porous borders through which the categories of empire and nation are regularly negotiated, and the profoundly transtemporal resonance of those configurations, which continue to matter today.

Microfacies and Sedimentary Environments of Nfayil Formation (Middle Miocene) in Karbala Using Stable Isotope

A surface section of the Nfayil Formation (Middle Miocene) was studied approximately 80 km from the holy city of Karbala. The study area includes the Malutiyat area's Nyfail Formation (Middle Miocene age). The Nfayil Formation contains marls interbedded with limestones, as well as marly limestone. Fieldwork and petrographic analysis are being conducted on Miocene sediments from the Karbala region. Details obtained from textural and faunal properties aided in the designation of microfacies zones, which led to environmental subdivisions as a ramp. The carbonate lithic arenite sandstone has a significant amount of carbonate fragments. Microfacies characteristics of the whole successions showed skeletal and non-skeletal grains. The oysters, an index fossil of the Nfayil Formation are found in the lower part of the Nfayil Formation. The stable isotopes 18O/16O and 13C/12C in carbonates are analyzed to define the depositional characters and the basin paleo depth. The studied samples have negative δ18O isotope values (average -11.79 %). The carbon isotope composition is of positive values (average 2.16‰), The Z values, higher than 120, reflect the marine sediments of the formation. Four facies were identified, (Lime mudstone Microfacies, Sandy Lime mudstone Microfacies, Peloidal Bioclastic Packstone-Wackestone Microfacies, Bioclastic Wackestone Microfacies) and based on them, the formation environment was determined (restricted marine, and shallow open marine environments).

The impact of climate change on air temperature in the holy city of Najaf

يهدف البحث الى توضيح اثر التغير المناخي على درجة حرارة الهواء في مدينة النجف الاشرف , ودراسة وتحليل التغير الذي طرا على درجة حرارة الهواء الاعتيادية والصغرى والكبرى لمدة الدراسة الممتدة من (1977- 2020) , سجل معامل الاتجاه العام لدرجة حرارة الهواء الاعتيادية ودرجة الحرارة الصغرى للدورات المناخية جميعها الاتجاه الموجب وتفاوت معامل الاتجاه العام لدرجة الحرارة العظمى في منطقة الدراسة بين الزيادة والنقصان فقد سجل معامل الاتجاه العام انخفاضا في الدورة المناخية الاولى بلغ حوالي (-0.0464) , اما باقي الدورات المناخية فقد سجلت ارتفاعا في الاتجاه العام , وتم حساب التغير النسبي والكلي لدرجة حرارة الهواء الاعتيادية لمدة الدراسة والذي بلغ اعلاه في شهر( اذار) للتغيرين النسبي والكلي فقد سجلا حوالي(0.98 , 43.12) لكل منهما على التوالي , وسجلت اعلى كمية من التغير النسبي لدرجة الحرارة الصغرى في شهر شباط اذ بلغت (0.366) , وقدر التغير الكلي لدرجة حرارة الهواء الصغرى اعلاه في شهر شباط اذ بلغت (16.04) , وتم حساب اعلى قيم للتغير النسبي لدرجة الحرارة العظمى في شهر نيسان اذ سجلت (0.82) , وسجل شهري كانون الثاني وشهر شباط اقل كمية من كميات التغير النسبي اذ بلغت حوالي (-0.13 ,-0.54) و لكل منهما على التوالي, اما حساب التغير الكلي فقد بلغ اعلاه في شهر نيسان اذ بلغ حوالي (36.08) .وتم حساب معدل التغير ونسبة التغير لدرجة الحرارة الاعتيادية بين الدورات المناخية اذ سجل اعلى معدل للتغير بين الدورة المناخية الاولى والثانية بلغ حوالي (1.37), وسجلت اعلى نسبة من التغير بين الدورة المناخية الاولى والثانية اذ بلغ حوالي (5.438) . وبلغ اعلى معدل للتغير لدرجة الحرارة الصغرى (0.7) بين الدورة المناخية الثانية والثالثة , وسجل اعلى نسبة تغير بين الدورة المناخية الثانية والثالثة اذ بلغ (3.977) ,وتم حساب معدل التغير لدرجة الحرارة العظمى بين الدورة المناخية الثانية والثالثة فقد بلغ (1.8) , وبلغت نسبة التغير بين الدورة المناخية الثانية والثالثة حوالي (5.882) , اما المدى الحراري السنوي لدرجة الحرارة الاعتيادية بين شهري كانون الثاني وشهر تموز فقد سجل حوالي (26.6) وسجل لدرجة الحرارة الصغرى (21.8) و(27.8) لدرجة الحرارة العظمى .

Conceptualizing the Young Women Social Entrepreneurship Phenomenon in al-Madinah al-Munawarah

Social entrepreneurship has become a global trend, and in Saudi Arabia, it is gaining traction among public authorities, financial institutions, young people, and academics. Despite its growing popularity, scientific publications on the subject remain limited. This study aims to conceptualize the phenomenon of young women's social entrepreneurship in Al-Madinah Al-Munawarah, the cradle of Muslim civilization and Islamic charity. Based on the field experience of Basiqāt Waqf, which trained 128 young women from 2020-2022 in personal development and entrepreneurial excellence using the Personal Development Analysis (PDA) tool, the study finds existing models insufficient to capture the multidimensionality of this phenomenon. A key factor identified is the intrinsic pleasure young women derive from engaging in social entrepreneurship projects that sustainably improve the quality of life in the holy city. The challenge lies in identifying what these women love doing while being beneficial to others. Despite limitations, this study aids stakeholders in better coordinating efforts to promote social entrepreneurship among young women in Madinah beyond merely creating a competitive or attractive ecosystem. Data from 2023-2024 indicate that many of these trained women actively participate in the Basiqat project, particularly in organizing the breaking of the Ramadan fast at the Prophet's Mosque.

Quba’ Mosque in the Works of Early Muslim Visitors and Scholars

This article discusses the religiosity, historicity and architecturality of the Quba’ mosque in the holy city of Madinah. It does so through the literary works of the early Muslim visitors and scholars. The discussion covers the timespan from the earliest periods of the Islamic presence in the Prophet’s city till the age al-Samahudi whose scholarly contributions stand for the embodiment of the Islamic classicism in Madinah, and also the age and contributions of Abu Salim al-Ayyashi whose case signified a transition from the Islamic classical times to the premodern ones. The primary sources consulted for the article were of two kinds: the classical history writings about Madinah, and an array of travel and exploration literature. The research method adopted is a combination of descriptive and historical interpretation as well as analysis.

Effect of Acupressure Technique with Wristband on Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting in Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy Patient

Background: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is widely recognized as the preferred method for treating gallstone disease. However, like any surgical procedure involving anesthesia, it carries the risk of postoperative complications, including common side effects such as vomiting and nausea. As a result, acupressure treatments targeting the pericardium 6 (P6) point have gained attention in alleviating nausea and vomiting. This non-invasive massage technique has been emphasized by the World Health Organization (WHO) due to its significance.Objectives: The main purpose of this study is to assess the impact of acupressure treatment at the wristband point (P6) on nausea and vomiting experienced by patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy.Method: A quasi-experimental study was conducted at Safer Al Imam Al Hussein Surgical Hospital in Karbala Holy City. Sixty patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy were divided into two groups: 30 patients in the intervention group received acupressure techniques using an elastic wristband postoperatively, which was removed after six hours, while 30 patients in the control group received routine conventional care. Descriptive analysis (e.g., frequency, percentage, and mean score) and inferential analysis (e.g., one-way ANOVA test, independent sample t-test) were employed to examine and measure the study outcomes. A p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant.Results: The mean score for nausea and vomiting in the intervention group decreased significantly from 1.97 ± 0.183 before the intervention to 1.13 ± 0.354 after implementing the intervention (p-value = 0.000). In contrast, the control group did not experience any improvement in their symptoms, with their condition worsening significantly.Conclusion: Patients experiencing nausea and vomiting after laparoscopic cholecystectomy surgery may benefit from the non-invasive treatment of wristband acupressure.

Investigation of Interleukine-1 Beta in Urinary Tract Infection Patients

Objective: The study aims to investigate interleukin -1 beta (IL-1 ) in patients with urinary tract infections in the holy governorate of Karbala. Methods: This study was conducted during the period from October 2023 to February 2024 at Imam Hussein Hospital in the holy city of Karbala and the laboratories of the College of Applied Medical Sciences/University of Kerbala. The current study included collecting urine samples (for use in general urine examination) and blood (using blood directly to measure the complete blood count CBC and serum to measure interleukin -1 beta (IL-1 ) from 70 patients with urinary tract infection (35 patients with positive bacterial growth and 35 patients with negative bacterial growth) in addition to 70 healthy people. The following general criteria were also investigated: age, sex, height, and weight. Results: Eight bacterial species were obtained. From the findings of the study is the increase in concentration of IL-1 in patients with urinary tract infections compared to the control group. The presence of a negative correlation between LBP and IL-1 . Conclusions: Increase the concentration of IL-1 in patients with urinary tract infections. There is a negative correlation in patients with bacterial growth between LBP and IL-1 .

Spatial analysis of the efficiency of civil defense centers in the holy city of Najaf

Spatial analysis of the efficiency of civil defense centers in the holy city of Najaf

Environmental Impact Assessment of a Dumping Site: A Case Study of Kakia Dumping Site

Open dumping threatens the environment and public health by causing soil, water, and air pollution and precipitating the deterioration of the environmental balance. Therefore, sustainable waste management practices and compliance with environmental regulations are important to minimize these negative impacts. In this context, it is very important to identify the environmental damage inflicted by open dumping areas and to take measures to prevent this damage. Makkah is among the cities that still use open dumping for solid waste disposal. The rapid increase in this city’s population is generating large quantities of municipal solid waste (MSW), making it difficult to manage waste economically without harming the environment or public health. During Umrah and Hajj, the rate of MSW generation increases to an even greater degree. The sustainable management of MSW in holy cities is of great importance. This study aimed to investigate the environmental impact of the Kakia Open Dumping Site in Makkah on air quality, soil, and nearby groundwater wells. It also conducted analyses of essential elements (Ca, Mg, and Na), heavy metals (Pb, Cd, and Cr), and a metalloid (As) in leachate produced at the Kakia Open Dumpsite, enabling the development of management strategies. In addition, the correlations between the essential elements, the metalloid, and the heavy metals were also analyzed. The goal is not only to mitigate the negative effects of open dumping, but also to highlight the need to adopt sustainable management strategies for MSW in religiously significant cities like Makkah.

The Impact of Digital Marketing Dimensions on Customer Satisfaction

This study aims to examine the role of digital marketing in customer satisfaction at Al-Warith Al- Anbiya University and Al-Zahra University in the holy city of Karbala. Due to the scarcity of studies and research attempting to understand the role of this topic, this study is considered one of the first to address these variables. Moreover, this study addresses a real problem that directly affects the educational sector in the relationship. A questionnaire was used to collect data, with (40) questionnaires distributed and (32) responses obtained from employees at Al-Warith Al-Anbiya University and Al-Zahra University in Karbala, using a random sampling method. The study concluded that there is a positive and significant relationship between the use of digital marketing and customer satisfaction in the researched universities. The report makes many recommendations, including expanding the use of digital marketing as a successful strategy for achieving customer satisfaction and offering staff members ongoing training and development opportunities to advance their knowledge of digital marketing and stay abreast of technical advancements in the industry. The report also suggests doing more extensive research in the future to determine the digital marketing tactics and best practices that these colleges might employ to raise customer satisfaction.

The holy city of holidays: Seven theses on the touristification of Spain

This paper analyses the notion of the ‘city of holidays’ in Spain by means of seven theses. Analysed as a transhistorical construction, valid to narrate the cultural history of modern tourism, the ‘city of vacations’ represents the symbiosis of a constructive model, a nationalist and religious imaginary, and an urban device of patrimonial origin. This construction defines the Spanish tourist paradigm, seen in the long-term, as it constitutes a recurrent- and mutant- fantasy that accompanies the economic and social Modernity associated with tourist development. Although the triumph of the Francoist Spanish vacation model is celebrated in the sixties, it has a much earlier genealogy, which takes us back to the foundational imaginaries of national-Catholicism and its ceremonial places. Born from the romantic discourses of the Restoration, linked to the neo-Catholic sanctuaries, the ‘city of vacations’ reemerges after the Civil War as a central part of the patrimonial discourse of the new Regime. There, the accumulation of capital at the base of the so-called ‘tourist miracle’ comes directly from the violence of Franco’s repression, including slave labour. At the same time, this model responds to the new economic logics of the Cold War framework, where the ecological and environmental cost of this urban model of development, based on itinerancy and mass-circulation, is dissolved. The celebration of the contemporary identity of today’s Spain as a global tourist power is carried out at the expense of this violent genealogy, even though such an identity is probably unsustainable in the eco-energetic and social horizon to which we are collectively heading.

The Role of Religious Tourism Projects in Reducing Unemployment in Holy Karbala (A Case Study of some Sections of the Holy Hussein Shrine)

Economists with different orientations have emphasized the importance of the role of the human element and consider it one of the most essential elements of production. Therefore, most countries in the world, with varying degrees of economic progress, have paid attention to building and forming human capital, developing it, and acquiring knowledge, experience, and skills, which leads to increasing job opportunities, reducing unemployment, and redistributing income. The national and Iraqi economies suffered from unemployment challenges before and after 2003, and there are factors and reasons for the increase in unemployment rates. Based on this, our research focuses on building human capital formation by investing in the human element in various ways, including investing in tourism projects and their importance, especially in the holy city of Karbala.

Strategic planning and its role in enhancing institutional confidence An exploratory study of a sample of workers in the Kufa leather factory, Najaf Governorate

The research aims to determine the role of strategic planning that works to strengthen and enhance the institutional confidence of the various levels of its workers in the Kufa Leather Factory in the Holy City of Najaf, where the dimensions of (vision, mission, goals, values) were represented as an independent variable in enhancing institutional confidence, the dimensions of which were (trust among employees) (and trust in senior management, and trust in direct superiors). The research community included workers in departments of the Kufa leather factory, numbering (400) workers, from whom a random sample of (205) workers was taken. In addition, the researcher formulated a set of questions that represented the problem of the research, What are effective strategies to enhance confidence among employees in the organization? The questionnaire was relied upon as a main measure for the research, through which data and information were collected from members of the research sample, which was relied upon in the applied aspect. The researcher used the statistical program (Spssv26). The research reached results, the most important of which is the existence of a significant correlation between strategic planning and institutional trust, as well as There is a significant impact of strategic planning on institutional confidence. In addition, the researcher put forward a number of recommendations, the most important of which is maintaining following the correct scientific and technical methods, such as strategic planning, and making optimal use of its available resources for the purpose of achieving its goals efficiently and effectively

Muslim pilgrims’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding complementary and alternative medicine (CAM); a study conducted during Hajj season

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has attracted much interest, and its prevalence in both developed and developing countries has increased. During the Hajj season, millions of Muslims from many different countries travel to Makkah for the pilgrimage. In dealing with health issues during the holy season, many pilgrims prefer to self-medicate with traditional remedies instead of visiting medical practitioners, which could affect the efforts of state healthcare organizations to maintain overall public health during this mass gathering. This study aims to gauge the prevalence of CAM use during Hajj, and to assess pilgrims’ beliefs and knowledge of CAM therapies, with particular reference to products available in Makkah. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in several camps and hotels occupied by Hajj pilgrims in Makkah, during Hajj 2023. CAM modalities were used by 68.8 % of the study participants during the Hajj season. There were almost equal numbers of men (53.7 %) and women (46.3 %) participants, with 88 % of the CAM users being non-Saudi and only 12 % Saudi. The majority of the CAM users belonged to two age groups, the 31–40 year group (29.9 %) and the 41–50 year group (34.5 %). The most frequent self-practice therapies were religious prayer/rituals (30.2 %), and the most popular practitioner therapies was herbal treatments (12.3 %). The most common source of CAM-related information was family/friends (29.2 %), for improving well-being reason (25.8 %). More than half of the participants (56.8 %) strongly believed that CAM therapies have the potential to cure disease, although they were unaware of possible interactions between CAM and conventional drugs (76.7 %). More than half of the participants (57.8 %) did not disclose their CAM usage to healthcare practitioners. Half of the sample said they used CAMs during Hajj because of the common belief that therapeutic products from the holy city of Makkah, such as Zamzam water, are more effective. In conclusion, CAM therapies are commonly used by Hajj pilgrims as they are presumed to be natural and therefore safe, raising concerns about the potential risks of relying on CAM without adequate consultation with healthcare providers or awareness of potential interactions between prescription drugs and CAM treatments.

In Awe of the Holy City: Mecca in the Eyes of Five Medieval Travellers

This paper elaborates and analyses the situation of Mecca between the 11th to 16th centuries based on travel accounts of five medieval travellers: Ibn Khusraw (1004–1072), Ibn Jubayr (1145–1217), Ibn Battuta (1304–1369), Ma Huan (1380–1460) and di Varthema (1470–1512). Moreover, by thoroughly consulting primary sources scored by above-mentioned travellers and other relevant secondary sources, this study aims to ascertain the importance of Mecca, in the given period, in the eye of Muslims and non-Muslim travellers. As the holiest city in Islam, which is also associated with Muslim religious pilgrimages, Mecca has a long and intriguing history throughout the ages. Furthermore, more often than not, during the medieval period, the pilgrimages to Mecca, which are usually conducted during the Islamic month of Dzulhijjah, were haunted by challenges and dangers posed by natural and social environments in and around Mecca, thus made the journey experiences of above-mentioned travellers all the more challenging, precious and memorable. However, at the end of the day, their hardships paid off and their praises proclaimed since they found themselves drenched in joy and in awe of the beauty and greatness of the Holy City. This research uses historical methodology, focusing on primary texts written by the five pilgrims mentioned above. This study provides a more comprehensive picture of the condition of the Holy City of Mecca in the era under study.

Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome in Young Adult Female Students in the Holy City of Makkah

Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome in Young Adult Female Students in the Holy City of Makkah

Estimation the Role of CD4 and CD8 in patients infected with Varicella-Zoster Virus in Al-Najaf Al-Ashraf City

About 60 samples were collected from patients with varicella zoster, including 24 males and 36 females, as well as from healthy people, which included 29 samples (15 males and 14 females), aged between 15 and 60 years. Data were collected in the holy city of Najaf between November, 2022 and July, 2023. VZV patients were selected from Sadr Medical City and private laboratories. The research used BD FACS Canto II Flow Cytometry technology to measure the CD4 and CD8 cells/ml in the blood of patients and healthy controls. The majority of patients fell within the age groups of 26–34 and 36–45, constituting approximately 25%, with a mean standard deviation of 37.17 ± 12.38. Conversely, the control group mostly belonged to the age group of 25 years and above, representing about 34.48%, with a mean and standard deviation of 26.86 ± 4.74. The results revealed that patients with VZV exhibited a significantly decrease of CD4 count (303.7833 ± 64.276) compared to the control group (626.103 ± 122.07) (p-value < 0.0001). Patients with Varicella-Zoster Virus (VZV) showed a significant increase in CD8 count (1197.717 ± 201.369) compared to the control group (580.379 ± 98.391) with a p-value ≤ 0.0001.