Hajj selfies gain popularity, spark controversy

Religious scholar says it’s better for Muslims to avoid them

MINA: Raising his arm, Yousef Ali hugs his elderly father in front of one of Islam’s holiest sites as they grin for a selfie – a craze that has hit this year’s Hajj.

But not everyone is happy about young pilgrims from around the world constantly snapping “selfies”, photographs taken of one’s self, as they carry out the rites of Hajj which are the high point of a Muslim’s spiritual life.

From Tawaf – circumambulating the holy Kaaba – to prayers atop Mount Mercy in Arafat, and stoning of the “devil” in Mina, the key stages of Hajj have all been recorded on cameras and smartphones for posterity, and for instant sharing through social media.

Hajj is the one of the world’s largest religious gatherings. It has attracted over two million believers this year.

“As this is my first pilgrimage, it is important for me to document all the events taking place around me,” Ali, 24, told AFP, snapping a picture of himself with a green sign reading “Big Jamarah”, which refers to a wall where pilgrims ritually stone Satan.

“Wherever I go, I take pictures, especially since nowadays we have these little cameras... that offer a full view of the area,” the bearded Kuwaiti, casually dressed in sweatpants and a pair of trendy sandals, said with a smile.

The increasingly popular phenomenon has sparked controversy among more conservative Muslims, however, with some taking to Twitter to criticise pilgrims who take selfies.

Speaking to AFP by telephone, a professor of Islamic Sharia in the Saudi capital Riyadh said that “if photographs are only for personal memory and not for disseminating, then no problem.

“But if they were for the purpose of showing off, then they are prohibited, such as the photography that takes place at the (Hajj) rites.”

The scholar requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of stating a religious opinion in the kingdom.

“It is better for Muslims to avoid them,” he said of selfies.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 6^th, 2014.