Selfies and Smartphones Hajj 2016
The biggest spiritual journey of Muslims for their annual
pilgrimage has been completely transformed into selfies and smartphones. In the
last several years, Hajj has also gone high-tech. More than 1400 years ago the
ritual journey performed by Prophet Mohammed and which drew believers arriving
on foot and on camels for centuries is today broadcast live through cyberspace.
This year around 1.8 million people have gathered at Mecca
to perform Hajj, a tradition in which Muslims from different countries gather
for a spiritual tour. Selfies, smartphones and gadgets has transformed Hajj
and this has exhibited the light of the Islam faith to non-believers.
Saudis and people from Arab’s are among the world’s most
active people on social media. Due to which Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and
Snapchat have been teeming with images of Mecca and the Hajj.
Many scholars,
including mufti’s from Saudi Arab, had earlier warned that taking a selfie
during pilgrimage is akin to boasting and thus sacrilegious. While Saudis complain
that the proliferation of pilgrims taking selfies while performing tawaf around
the Kaaba is causing dangerous congestion.
Saudis are too concerned about using smartphones and taking
photos while performing sacred rituals. Last year, a video of a young man
circling around the Kaaba on a hoverboard went viral. After few days the
authorities in Saudi Arabia banned it.
Technology is part of Hajj. Several innovators believe that technology is part of Hajj
and it can’t be neglected at a place where people in millions gathered on a
single day. Kamel Badawi, an engineer from Mecca who invented an “intelligent
umbrella” in Medina said, “Technology is now part of Hajj”. Pilgrims are also
updating their each and every moment with their arms outstretched to broadcast
their Hajj live to family and friends by mobile phones.
Last year, there were two deadly disasters taken place
during Hajj, the Saudi government has said it will provide electronic bracelets
to pilgrims which will contain identification information, such as passport and
visa details, as well as where pilgrims will stay in the kingdom during Hajj.
This wearable will be important for pilgrims who don’t speak
Arabic, the official Saudi Press Agency reported. A local newspaper reported
that the device will be activated with GPS system and will be water resistant.
The device can be scanned from smartphone easily will have the name, passport
number, home country and a contact number of person tour group.
Lost in Mecca, Tarek AlZubair wandered around Islam’s holy
city for 15 minutes a few months ago. He couldn’t find a designated area to
carry out ritual washings required before prayer.
The information online was either nonexistent or incomplete.
“I thought to myself: why can’t there be a better method?” said AlZubair, 25.
So he raced to develop an app, released Wednesday, that acts as a field guide
to Hajj, which starts this week.
Technology is transforming the thousand-plus-year-old ritual
in ways that are making Islam’s traditions more accessible while also sometimes
confounding traditionalists, who abhor selfies.
Zohair Zahid, a 26-year-old technology consultant from
London, said he was given a bracelet with a QR code when he arrived at his
hotel. The code which can be scanned with a smartphone has his name, passport
number, home country and a contact number for his tour group.
He said it was similar to one a friend of his received last
year.
“It’s not one of the new ones that they promised with chips
inside and GPS tracking,” he said.
Zahid said he’s been posting about his journey. “It’s all
about sharing the experience with the friends that can’t be here,” he said.
“They’ve been loving it. So apologies if anyone is offended by me taking a
10-second video.” But a funny thing happened to some short video clips he tried
to take while circling the Kaaba.
“They magically got deleted,” he said. “I don’t know if that
was divine intervention or what.”
Sajjad Majid, a 30-year-old IT professional from Mumbai said about his journey, “It’s all about expressing their happiness, about the journey. Today’s generation is expressive they share their thoughts, sadness, and happiness on their social media profile. Due to which the young generations love to record one of the best memories of their time”. He further said that if anyone is offended, “we don’t go further making video clips of the holy place”
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