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Hajj Selfie Divides Pilgrims
9-22-2015
For the second year, selfie fever is gripping the holy journey of hajj, with tens of thousands of pilgrims divided on the practice, despite scholars warns against the social phenomenon.
“I was very annoyed by all of the people stopping to take selfies. It would really break my concentration when I was praying or trying to let the spirituality overtake me – having to move out of the way of people taking pictures and stopping suddenly to pose,” Mohammed Rashid, an Emirati computer engineer, told the National on Tuesday, September 22.
“What’s the point of all these pictures? To show off?”
Rashid is one of many Muslims who oppose taking selfie during hajj, seeing it an activity that spoils the spirituality of the holy journey.
Last year, thousands of selfies were taken by pilgrims and visitors of the two holy mosques, sparking angry debates among scholars and other Muslims worshippers.
Selfies of pilgrims “walking around the Kaaba, kissing the black stone, perched close to the mount of Safa or Marwa, or standing near the green dome of the Prophet’s mosque” were the most common on social media, at that time.
A similar fever is dominating this year’s hajj, with many pilgrims posing for a selfie-portrait to document their pilgrimage.
“I took a few selfies during the main hajj rituals, such as on Mount Arafat and at the Jamarat [stoning of Satan],” Noha Safar, a Jordanian ESL teacher who lives in Jeddah, said.
“Not everyone has the opportunity to perform the hajj and I was just so happy to be there, I wanted to remember it, so I took pictures for the memories.
“It only takes a few seconds to do and an additional few seconds to post on Facebook.”
For pilgrims, who take selfies during hajj or Umrah, sharing photos on social media would help make the idea of the trip “less intimidating and more inviting” for other Muslims.
“I proudly take selfies when I go to Umrah with my parents now, but I don’t check in and share pictures live on social media,” Dana Abusalhieh, a Jordanian-Canadian who lives in Dubai, said.
“I just share them when the moment is right. Mainly, I think it’s good to share the experience once it’s over, as the time there should be used for spirituality only.”
Dangerous
Hajj selfie photos were abandoned by many pilgrims who warned against the growing trend that jeopardize pilgrims in crowded places.
“I was worried about the ladies when they would stop in the middle of the hajj rituals to take a picture. It is an extremely crowded place and people are constantly moving, so to stop in the middle of all this to take a picture can be dangerous – you might get trampled,” Abdelrahim Syed, a 37-year-old Pakistani, said.
“I understand why they want to take pictures – to record these memories and have tangible proof of this wonderful, sacred place we are in – but you only need one or two pictures for that, not dozens."
Similar worries were shared by Noor Al Khatib, a Palestinian-Jordanian who lives in Dubai.
“For safety reasons, it’s not safe to use selfie sticks in the Haram. It’s crowded and you can harm people if you use your stick. Also, you can harm yourself while taking a selfie. No one will wait for you to take a selfie. And you can be pushed on the ground while you are smiling for a picture,” Al Khatib said.
Many of hajj selfie critics deem the fad as an act of showing off.
“I am not a fan of selfies. In my opinion, it is like showing off. I would never publish my pictures on a social network, because hajj is for Allah and the intention has to be clear. How can I expect to get the reward if my intention is to show off on Facebook?" Sabine Lenkeit, who lives in Germany, said.
On their part, several Muslim scholars have advised pilgrims not to indulge in such practice for it serves as an aberration of the spiritual atmosphere of the life-time journey.
“Those who photograph themselves through selfies with the Holy Ka`aba for fun are being disrespectful and it displeases God,” Ali Gomaa, Islamic scholar, jurist and the 18th Grand Mufti of Egypt from 2003 to 2013, once said in an interview on the CBC TV channel.
Hajj consists of several ceremonies, which are meant to symbolize the essential concepts of the Islamic faith, and to commemorate the trials of Prophet Abraham and his family.
Every able-bodied adult Muslim who can financially afford the trip must perform hajj at least once in a lifetime.
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