Introduction
Religion is defined as the belief in divine beings being in control of life and all other factors that control life. With religion, individuals get to show devotion to their religion, which helps direct them towards doing what is deemed right in their religion. The world has numerous religions that people have placed a lot of faith in. With religion, religious differences are observed especially if the religions that are in question have vast differences in the beings that are worshipped. Mecca represents a holy ground that the majority of the Muslims visit; and is only supposed to be visited by Muslims. The popularity of Mecca has increased the scope of its effects, showing that it has an influence on tourism the financial aspects of the region and lastly religion today.
Outline
Muslims are devout individuals who strictly follow the Islamic faith and the practices that have been put in place since the era of Prophet Muhammad. Mecca holds a special place in the hearts of Islamic followers since it represents a place where the Muslims go, to make a pilgrimage. The Hajj (Arabic for pilgrimage) is an annual 5-day religious pilgrimage occurring in mid-august. Approximately 2 million people from around the world travel to the site of Mecca in Saudi Arabia to perform the hajj. The hajj is considered as one of the 5 pillars or duties of Islam, alongside the profession of faith to the one God and his prophet Mohammed, daily prayer, charitable giving, and fasting during the holy month of Ramadan. The hajj is a physically demanding and grueling experience, being one of the most complex Islamic rituals. All Muslims who have the physical and financial capability to travel to Mecca to perform the hajj is expected to do so at least once in their lives (Gatrad & Sheikh 133).
Mecca is directly associated with the hajj since this is where the pilgrimage takes place. Mecca was the birthplace of the founder of Islam, Prophet Muhammad, and where he is believed to have received the first revelations from God in the early 7th century. The place of pilgrimage is specifically a large Islamic mosque where the Ka’bah (or the black cube) is located, believed in tradition to have been built by Abraham and his son Ismail, and declared as the site of pilgrimage. The location is a place of worship and veneration of the one God in the Islamic faith (“Hajj”).
The city portrays a place that is considered to be the most Holy where an individual following the Islamic faith can seek help, and carry out religious tasks at the place. Mecca has had a strong influence on religion since it attracts people of all walks of life, and is strictly restricted to Muslims (Mikhail and Zhemukhov 379). However, in some places such as Medina people who do not follow the Islamic faith can go through, provided they show respect for the place and do not engage in any misconduct.
Influences
Mecca has had a lot of influence on religion whereby it helps different people get to understand each other and coexist peacefully. This is because one of the most important laws that people visiting Mecca have to live by is not engaging in any physical altercations while there. The people going there have to understand that they are in one of the holiest places in the Islamic religion. When approaching the Kaaba one has to ensure that they have the purest of intentions. This helps in resolving the issues that people may have when traveling to Mecca. Mecca, therefore, serves as a location where people are able to resolve their differences (Singh 124). Since the period in which large masses of people visit Mecca is known, people with issues such as disagreements can plan on when to visit the place, to allow them to have ample time to resolve their differences.
Mecca has had a strong history, dating back to the times of Abraham. The location is one that many people have heard of through different sources of media. Since traveling to Mecca takes a large amount of time and finances, some people can only get a chance to examine the historical region through diverse forms of media. Being a historic site, numerous individuals would wish to travel there but have been unable as they do not meet the most basic requirements such as being a follower of the Islamic faith. The presence of literary works that have accurate representations of Mecca has helped older generations to visualize the city and get a chance to visit the place virtually (Mikhail and Zhemukhov 378). The use of current technology has allowed people to get an actual visual representation of the city, and all that it entails. This has helped in bringing people together since they share a similar love for the city.
The unifying element for all Muslims around Mecca has great significance. The site of the hajj, the Ka’bah described earlier, in Islamic tradition was the sacred place where angels would worship God before humans were created. Eventually, Adam created a shrine in that spot and eventually the Ka’bah was built by Abraham and his son. These notably Biblical figures are also vital to Islamic religious history. As a result, this spot in Mecca became a point of focus and a central spot for all Muslims to direct their thoughts and prayers to God (“Hajj”). When Muslims pray, they seek to pray in the direction where Mecca is located. This tradition is present in all denominations of Islam, serving as a unifying force, meant to unite Muslims from around the world. The Hajj when occurring in Mecca increases the observance of global Islamic practices the likes of prayer and fasting, while actually decreasing the use of more localized practices such as amulets or dowry Islam can be quite divisive, particularly in the confrontations between Shiites and Sunnis Muslims. However, the belief in equality and peace among ethnic Muslim groups, various sects increases, and there are greater favorable attitudes towards women and even the belief in harmony among adherents of different religions (Clingingsmith et al. 1133). The respect and veneration which Mecca holds for all Muslims make it a place of peace and coming together. The atmosphere is one conduce to creating a sense of community for the second biggest religion in the world (al Shamsi).
Mecca has also had an influence on religion in that it promotes an understanding between people of different religions and cultures. Originally, Prophet Muhammad tried to get all people to get along and gain tolerance over each other’s religion by inviting them to attend his teachings. He did this by offering people of different religions an opportunity to join him in the mosque and his teachings. The pilgrimage to Mecca helps many people as they are expected to make the trip to Mecca as it helps relieve them of the burdens that they have and gives them an opportunity to make the necessary amends in their lives. With the rampant differences between religious groups, it is very easy to have misunderstandings between people who follow different religions (Jahanzeeb and Sharpley 46). Therefore, having a place that promotes peace and understanding between different people allows people to learn how to accept each other.
The trip to Mecca is one that is filled with difficult stages of preparation. Individuals had to read a great deal of literature in the past to ensure they understood the importance of making the pilgrimage. With the current religious state, individuals have had to incorporate technology into the preparation period of the journey to Mecca. Individuals get to access technology to help them learn all there is to know about the religious journey, and what they would hope to get out of the trip. Technology has also helped more people understand and accept the disparities that are experienced in the different religions that exist around the world. With access to sites such as YouTube, people can learn what and why people of the Islamic faith make an effort to visit Mecca (Jahanzeeb and Sharpley 49). This understanding makes people more accepting of the sacrifices and changes in behavior that might be exhibited by Islamic followers during their travels to Mecca.
The role of technology in religion is one that different scholars seem not to agree with. Numerous religions have learned how to integrate technology with their religious practices. Though this seems like a step forward, some faiths are yet to immerse themselves into technological advancements completely. For instance, some of the pilgrims who chose to visit Mecca ended up taking photos and “selfies” while they were there. This caused some problems since some people felt that taking pictures in the Holy grounds was prohibited, and going against the regulations that given this location. This shows that there are two sides to religion today (Singh 127). The two sides are the conservatives and the progressives.
Conservatives prefer having things remaining as they have been over the years. They frown upon change and if provided with the opportunity, would not have any aspects of their religion tampered with by the current technology. As for progressives, change is one of the things that is greatly accepted and encouraged as it makes it easier to incorporate people of all ages into religion. The progressives did not have any problem with the people taking photos since they were making use of technology and did not do anything wrong by taking the photographs. The progressives did not have a problem with the whole thing as the legitimacy of Mecca was retained, and this step would encourage more people who were willing to make use of technology to make the trip more often.
As a result of the 2020 COVID pandemic, the traditional hajj to Mecca has shifted significantly and most likely represents the status quo from now. First, a very limited amount of people, less than 10,000 compared to 2 million are being allowed to participate this year. In addition to test and self-isolation prior to the rituals, technology is playing a significant role. Pilgrims are provided with tracking bands for the Saudi government to monitor their quarantine and contacts along with a smartphone app to manage all the small details of the trip. The holy city itself was retrofitted with an electronic ID pass system and thermal scanners to measure temperature. There are also security cameras as well as high-quality cameras to televise the hajj to Muslims around the world (Batrawy). It is a drastic technological change that likely disappointed many conservative Muslims, but most Muslims accept these measures. For most Muslims, both attending and not, these elements are there to ensure their comfort and safety, while they focus on the spiritual elements of the hajj and the holy city of Mecca. This topic does bring up the discussion on how much older tradition and infrastructure can be preserved over time, and it is a complex element that many religious sites, particularly in the Middle East region face.
The use of technology allows different religions to interpret the actions that happen such as taking photographs at Mecca using their unique understanding. Some religions may view this move as being a step in the right direction, whereby the Islamic religion embraces change. It may also help people of varying religions to understand why the trip to Mecca is important to the Islamic faith. Different scholars have attempted to understand why the trip to Mecca holds such importance in the lives of people who have visited the region. Some of the facts that they have come up with include how making the trip allows individuals to reconnect with themselves, the environment and the people around them. The feelings of reconnection help people of other faiths relate to this trip and its importance (Singh 130). Different religions have places that are considered holy grounds, whereby many individuals visit as often as they can. As such places hold some importance to their faith, they can also use this information as a way to explain the level of importance that Mecca holds.
Negative Impact of Mecca
Mecca receives millions of guests every year, who are hoping to have their lives changed for the better after making the trip. However, though many are impacted positively, the effects of having many people visiting the region are both positive and negative. The negative impacts of having people visiting Mecca are mainly felt by the people who reside near or around Mecca. One negative impact is that the large number of visitors who constantly make trips every year result in hostility developing between the natives and the rest of the world (Ahmad 65). The people who live in Mecca may have some hostility towards the people who visit their location since this has resulted in the city being considered as more of a tourist attraction than a religious location.
Having Mecca being transformed into a tourist attraction takes away the sanctity of the place. Many people around the world try to visit Mecca or pass through it to get to see the place and understand why the place has such fame. This resulted in the areas surrounding Mecca turning into urban centers since the tourists help in boosting business. This causes bad blood between the people of Mecca and the rest who tour the region as they disrupt the daily lives of Mecca’s residents. Another negative impact is that with the popularity that Mecca has gained over the years, the number of people visiting it continues to increase each year (Fourie, Jaume Rosselló, and Maria Santana‐Gallego 53). Therefore, Mecca has had to be improved on and expanded, to keep up with the increasing number of people.
The Hajj to Mecca has become a multimillion-dollar business for Saudi Arabia. Due to it housing multiple religious sites, including the Holy Mecca, the religious tourism industry has been booming prior to the pandemic. Despite Mecca being meant to be a holy city and the hajj being symbolic of humility, sacrifice, and simplicity – religious tourism has transformed the city. People coming from all parts of the world seek different accommodations, for many, these are high luxury apartments and suites. There are obviously large hotels and transport infrastructure to accommodate that along with entertainment and sightseeing that is outside the religious rituals. All of this has a significant physical impact on the holy city, as the Grand Mosque and Ka’bah are surrounded by cranes and skyscrapers of an ever-ongoing construction. Mecca is no longer an old-fashioned, highly religious, and simplistic city – it is growing to become a megapolis of business on par with the region’s largest cities – all for the single purpose of attracting financially wealthy pilgrimage. While making the city beautiful is a good ambition, the way it is done through the lens of business and wealth rather than natural landmarks, for many it goes against the values of the holy city (Butt).
There are also political consequences to consider. Mecca and Medina as two of the holiest sites for Islam are located in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia is a Muslim majority country, which is also highly conservative, having strict rules where women cannot drive and maintaining a cruel regime of an absolute monarchy. The presence of Mecca on its territory provides significant power and influence to Saudi Arabia and its repressive regime which is both unaccountable and violates human rights, despite Islam being against either. The official Saudi interpretation of Islam is Wahhabism, a strong deviation from traditional Shi’a and Sunni Islam. This creates two issues, one being that pilgrims coming from poor countries to visit Mecca are dazzled by the wealth and beauty of Saudi Arabia, influenced by propaganda that if God had given the country so much money, then He must approve of their way of Islam. Second, is that using its tremendous wealth and influence, Saudis have rebuilt significant elements of Mecca and Medina. While some of this is beneficial, it has also come at a great cost for Islam’s oldest monuments and mosques which have been destroyed without concern or consultation with the rest of the Muslim world (Moghul). Therefore, Mecca in this case has overshadowed in its influence multiple other important locations and Islamic holy sites while providing soft political power to a regime that is by all interpretations an extremist ideology of Islam.
The changes that are made such as demolishing old buildings and bringing up new ones to accommodate the rising population. This does not sit well with conservatives since they are not in support of any changes being made, and would prefer to retain the originality of Mecca. This attitude may also affect people of other faiths why may want to understand or experience Mecca. If the people surrounding the region are not welcoming, then fewer people may be willing to try and understand their perspective, which would result in misunderstandings between people of different religions (Ahmad 83). The old walls and artifacts in Mecca are expected to be maintained, as they help people understand the history of the Islamic faith (Fourie et al., 57).
Some of the more positive impacts that Mecca has to include being an archeological site. As an archeological site that is religion-based, and can be traced back to the times of Abraham from the Bible, one sees that there has always been a relationship between Christianity and Islam. As the relationship between the Islamic followers and the Christians is one that has existent throughout history, current followers of the different religions have to make a conscious effort to accommodate each other’s differences and learn how to live together harmoniously. Other religions also need to come up with ways to coexist, and may even make use of well-known locations such as Mecca as symbols of unity among different religions (Ahmad 94). Mecca also has a great history, showing how the Islamic faith has grown to what it is today, making it a suitable location to learn as much as possible about the Islamic faith and the individuals who follow this faith.
Conclusion
Mecca is one of the most well-known religious locations in the world. It is a symbol of the Islamic faith as it has gained popularity throughout the years. Many Muslims make an effort of going to Mecca at least once in their lifetimes, to allow them to get a chance to reflect on their lives and see how they can change their lives to live quality lives. Mecca allows people to learn how to make the changes that they require, such as being accepting towards people of opposite faiths as the Islamic faith promotes coexistence between all people. The presence of Mecca has also proved to be of advantage to people who are not of the Islamic faith for several reasons. The people get to understand how important Mecca is to Muslims and they can, therefore, help their Islamic friends to live their lives according to their teachings (Mikhail and Zhemukhov 375). More religions need to understand that the differences between themselves and other religions are minimal and that they can exist in harmony if they choose to use the differences as unique features that show the beauty of religion. Preserving archeological sites such as Mecca will help others to understand why religious differences are important as they help people understand that there is a different side to everything that they are used to. Thus they need to find the common factor and do away with the differences.
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