Haj Season: ‘From Mecca with Selfies’

KOMPAS/ILHAM KHOIRI

An Umrah pilgrim checks his cellphone in front of the Kaaba at the Grand Mosque, Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Friday (10/6/2022). Almost all Umrah and Hajj pilgrims now carry cell phones to take pictures of themselves in a tawaf atmosphere near the Kaaba.

In the past, haj or umrah (minor haj) pilgrims would keep their experience, including in the tawaf procession around the Kaaba in Mecca, in memory. Now, along with the technological revolution, the moments of worship are also recorded and stored in memory cards through self-photo taking, or selfies. They can then share the pictures on social media. How does this phenomenon weigh on the ritual’s solemnity?

The invocation of "Labbaika allahumma labbaik...." (I respond to Your call O Allah) echoed continuously as hundreds of worshipers chanted it while going around the cube-shaped building of the Kaaba, to which Muslims around the world face in daily prayer. It was Monday (13/6/2022) at around 4 p.m. local time. The weather was quite cool. The floodlights in the Grand Mosque flickered through the sprawling worship area. People from all over the world, dressed in all-white seamless ihram cloths, were chanting the prayers while rotating around the Kaaba counterclockwise.

After completing seven rounds of rotation, the ritual was finished. Some retreated from the circling congregation and conducted two raakat (units) of sunnah (unobligotary or recommended) prayers. Among the retreating congregation was Muh Subhi (51), from Margoyoso, Pati, Central Java. He sat next to his travel mate Tedjo (54), also from Pati. They were part of the first batch from the Surakarta embarkation, arriving in Mecca on Sunday night. They prayed fervently, then sat cross-legged in the direction of the black cube. Their eyes looked moist as they could not hold back the tears.

This photo is for remembrance. This is a rare event for me, so it needs to be saved for later viewing when I get home.

Subhi and his wife Masrukah (48) had been in Medina for nine days before heading to Mecca to follow the tawaf, one of the seven ritual stages in performing the haj. He said they had previously embarked on the umrah and they were now cherishing the major haj after they had yearned for it for so long. To realize the dream, they had had to save for years from their shrimp and milkfish cultivation business. They registered for the haj and received the departure allotment for the 2020 season. However, because of the Covid-19 pandemic, they realized their dream in 2022.

"We are grateful we are back here," Subhi said. He reached into a small sling bag at his waist and took out his cell phone. He took a selfie with the Kaaba as the background. “This photo is for remembrance. This is a rare event for me, so it needs to be saved for later viewing when I get home," he said.

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Other congregation members from various countries were also seen busy photographing themselves. Some did it while walking. Others took them against the wall outside the Kaaba, near the tomb of Prophet Ibrahim. An area next to the Multazam (place of clinging) or in the front corner of the Black Stone were also among the favorite places for photo-taking. Fellow congregants took pictures of each other.

While allowing the photo-taking, the security guards asked the congregants not to stop in the middle of the rotating crowd to avoid disruption to the procession. "O, haj, tawaf, tawaf!” shouted the guards for the congregation to move on.

Observing the virtual world, we can find a myriad of selfies uploaded on social media accounts, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Tiktok. Not only the Kaaba, but uploaded photos also show the backgrounds of Safa and Marwah Hills, wukuf (gathering at Mount Arafah), jamarat (pebbles throwing ritual in Mina), tahaltul (hair shaving or cutting), the Mecca Grand Mosque and the Prophet's Mosque in Medina. The rituals at sacred sites appear too memorable to miss for selfie activities.

"I save selfies of the Haj on Facebook just in case if my cellphone is damaged. [If it is] they can be downloaded again," said Sholehuddin, a pilgrim from Sidoarjo, East Java. His previous pilgrimage trips were in 2018 and 2019. He joined the latter batch as an Indonesian haj official. Every now and then he was seen indulging on the documentation. He said he prayed for the blessings of the Baitullah (House of Allah) for his life.

KOMPAS/ILHAM KHOIRI

An Umrah pilgrim takes a selfie in front of the Kaaba at the Grand Mosque, Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Friday (10/6/2022)..

Part of moderation

When did selfies begin to become a common sight at the Kaaba? According to Sumanto Al Qurtuby, a lecturer in cultural anthropology at King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, the Saudi Arabian government previously banned selfies in the Kaaba and the Prophet's Mosque a few years ago.

The security guards were tasked with scrutiny to ensure the policy was followed. However, the ban has been lifted in recent years and selfies are now allowed as the country looks to be relaxing its tight control. It may be a sign of religious moderation that Saudi Arabia sees selfies as being natural, even in the holy shrines

“Saudi Arabian people also like selfies and photo-taking at various events. So, the congregation is also now freer to take photos at the Kaaba," Sumanto said.

He said taking selfies in holy places of Islam, or other religions, was common as people tended to relish pictures as memories.

Humans have an innate desire to stand out. In the perspective of spirituality, selfies can also be seen as a phenomenon where people show off their religious piety, such as for having performed the haj and umrah. "The development of mobile phone technology also plays its part," he said.

Also read:

> Extra Careful Preparations for Haj

> Pilgrim Safety should be Main Consideration

Selfies have gained popularity since the introduction of sophisticated smartphones, thanks to the information technology revolution. Social media has developed to accommodate human communication needs. Through social media channels, one can store memorable moments, then shares them with family, friends or anyone connected in their network.

What is the religious ruling on taking selfies in front of the Kaaba? "Selfies are okay. They don't cancel the validity of worship. The Kaaba security guards also take selfies at times," said Aswadi, a haj consultant with the working area in Mecca.

Selfies are not included in the list of prohibitions in the haj and umrah’s ethical codes. The “don’ts” list includes misbehaving, foul talk, stealing and arguing that can trigger hostility.

Aswadi, who is postgraduate director of the Sunan Ampel State Islamic University (UIN) Surabaya, said selfies were beneficial in that they could revive someone's memory of being close to Allah at the Kaaba and serve as a reminder for self-awareness to carry on their haj with good deeds. Haj photos could also be part of the promotion of Islamic messages, he said.

However, Aswadi advised congregants to take selfies after completing the procession given that umrah and haj rituals needed undistracted focus and solemnity.

This article was translated by Musthofid.