Spiritual Meanings of the Hajj Rituals – A Philological Approach

Product Description Abdulla Galadari is an Associate Professor of Islamic Studies at Khalifa University. His area of interest is in Qur’anic hermeneutics, philology of the Qur’an, and its possible engagement with Near Eastern traditions in Late Antiquity. He also works in comparative theology and religion. Galadari is the author of Qur’anic Hermeneutics: Between Science, History, and the Bible (2018) and Metaphors of Death and Resurrection in the Qur’an: An Intertextual Approach with Biblical and Rabbinic Literature (2021). Abdulla completed a B.Sc. in Civil Engineering with minors in Astrophysics, Computer Science, and Mathematics from the University of Colorado, a second B.Sc. in Applied Mathematics, a M.Sc. in Civil Engineering, a M.Eng. in Geographic Information Systems, and a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering. He also completed a Ph.D. in Arabic and Islamic Studies from the University of Aberdeen. Abdulla’s work is often interdisciplinary, combining religion and science. He is invited to give lectures at various universities, institutions, and academic societies around the world, including Harvard University, University of Notre Dame, University of Toronto, and New York University. He is active in interfaith dialogue both locally and internationally. Reviews The Hajj is the most ritualized of practices in Islam, and yet its theological and spiritual meanings affecting upon its practitioners is extensive. Seamlessly Abrahamic in its exposition of the Qur'an and the Bible, Galadari masterfully explores the polysemy of narrative and ritual elements in salvation history. Oriented to the time and geography of the ritual, this work presents the abundant array of allusions to prophets' lives by which practitioners embody the Hajj's meaning and transformative effects. Demonstrating the high utility of intertextual method, the author offers the reader a milestone in ritual interpretation. Dr. Kurt Anders Richardson, Director of the Institute for Abrahamic Relations, University of Toronto This innovative and thought-provoking work uses the method of ‘intertextual polysemy’ to uncover the richness of the Qur'an's references to death and resurrection. Abdulla Galadari carefully analyses the Qur'an's Biblical subtext and its theological strategies. He thereby uncovers new meanings in Islam's scripture. A must-read for students and scholars of the Qur'an and the Bible.” (Note: Endorsement for 'Metaphors of Death and Resurrection in the Qur’an') Gabriel Said Reynolds, Crowley Professor of Islamic Studies and Theology, University of Notre Dame, USA This is the first detailed monograph study of death in the Qur'an. Galadari has done Qur'anic studies a great service. This book is a must-read. (Note: Endorsement for 'Metaphors of Death and Resurrection in the Qur’an') Walid Saleh, Professor, University of Toronto, Canada