MUI Emphasizes Virtual Hajj Is Not Valid in Memory Today, February 9, 2022
JAKARTA -
, four years ago, February 9, 2022, the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) emphasized that virtual hajj was not valid. MUI revealed that the Hajj must be done physically, not just pampering the eyes. As a result, a person cannot meet the conditions for the Hajj.
Previously, efforts to travel to the Hajj in Saudi Arabia were disrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many countries did not dare to take risks for fear of the spread of the corona virus. The Saudi government tried to come up with an idea. They tried to present the Hajj journey virtually.
The COVID-19 pandemic hit all countries. This condition has affected many industries. Mainly the aviation industry. Many countries do not want to take the risk of opening flights massively because it can carry the corona virus.
The impact also occurred during the haj pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia. The annual spiritual journey is important for Muslims to be canceled. They don't want their people to go to Saudi Arabia and then come home with the virus. The problem also arose in Indonesia.
The Indonesian government chose to cancel the hajj in 2020. All of this is because the Saudi government has no clarity regarding the rules and safety of the hajj pilgrims. Not to mention that pilgrims must be quarantined for 14 days before departure and upon arrival.
This condition makes many pilgrims disappointed. The reason is that pilgrims in Indonesia need to wait for years to be able to leave. The same narrative then also occurred in the implementation of the 2022 hajj.
The government again took a stance to cancel the hajj trip. This condition made the Saudi Arabian government try to turn their brains. They can't force the opening of the hajj door wide open because of the pandemic conditions.
Another option was tried. As a result, the Saudi government through the Saudi Arabian Exhibition and Museum Management Agency, which cooperates with Umm Al Qura University, came up with a new service. They presented a virtual hajj program called Virtual Black Stone Initiative in December 2021.
This condition makes prospective pilgrims able to visit the Ka'bah with the help of technology. In fact, prospective pilgrims can smell the holy black stone, hajar aswad from home by utilizing virtual reality (VR) technology.
"Saudi Arabia has great religious and historical sites that we must digitize and communicate to everyone through the latest technology," said the Imam of the Grand Mosque, Sheikh Abdul Rahman al-Sudais, as quoted by the Middle East Eye website, December 20, 2021.
MUI welcomes the presence of virtual Hajj worship technology. MUI considers this step to be able to make it easier for prospective Hajj pilgrims to know the places where they worship in Saudi Arabia. However, MUI emphasized that virtual Hajj worship is not legal on February 9, 2021.
This condition is because the conditions for going on the hajj must be done physically, not just pampering the eyes. In fact, MUI considers virtual hajj in the metaverse world to be no different from watching a culinary program on television. It just stimulates the appetite, but it's still hungry.
"If someone is going to hold a virtual hajj via metaverse, it means that he is holding his hajj not physically but only through sight. So this is clearly not in the category of carrying out the hajj. This means that if someone cannot attend the Grand Mosque at the time specified by the syara', then the person is not considered to have carried out the hajj."
"All of this is because the person concerned cannot be present at the place in question at the time specified. Not to mention those related to the Muzdalifah, throwing jumroh in Mina, tawaf at the Ka'bah, sertasa'iantara Shafa and Marwa. All of this must be done physically at the place and time already determined by syara', "said Deputy Chairman of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), Anwar Abbas as quoted by the ANTARA website, February 9, 2021.