Is Going to Mecca in the Metaverse a Pilgrimage? Indonesian Clerics Say No

TheIndonesia.id - Deputy Chairperson of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) Anwar Abbas stated that it is a good thing to surround the Kaaba in the metaverse, but cannot be called part a pilgrimage because it does not meet the requirements for performing the pilgrimage.

"If someone is going to perform the pilgrimage virtually via metaverse, it means that he is not performing his pilgrimage not physically but only through sight, then this is clearly not included in the category of performing the pilgrimage," he said when contacted from Jakarta, Wednesday, February 9, 2022.

Metaverse is a combination of various technological elements including virtual reality, augmented reality, and video that allows users to perform various activities in a single digital universe. The government of Saudi Arabia is planning to present the Kaaba in the metaverse, which will allow Muslims around the world to experience virtually seeing the Kaaba and the Black Stone.

According to Anwar, seeing the Kaaba virtually will be like watching a culinary program on television, tantalizing but unable to overcome hunger. Anwar explained that the pilgrimage includes physical activities in predetermined places such as in Padang Arafah, Muzdalifah, Mina, the Kaaba in the Grand Mosque, Safa, and Marwa.

The pilgrimage time is also determined in the month of Dzulhijjah. Anwar then quoted the Hadith of the Prophet Muhammad SAW, "Whoever finds wukuf at Arafah, then he finds Hajj".

"This means that if there are people who cannot be present at Padang Arafah at the time determined by the syara', then the person concerned cannot be recognized according to sharia as having performed the pilgrimage because the person concerned cannot be present at the place referred to at the time specified. determined," said Anwar.

"Not to mention those concerning mabit at Muzdalifah, throwing jumrah at Mina, tawaf at the Kaaba, and sa'i between Safa and Marwa. It all has to be done physically at a place and time that has been determined by syara'," he added.

Anwar said that the presence of the Virtual Black Stone Initiative could be used to get to know the Kaaba virtually and motivate Muslims to go on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, but it could not be used as a means to perform the pilgrimage.

"Is this act in vain? I don't think so, because this will obviously lead to goodness and benefits for the person concerned because by doing so he will know a lot about matters related to the Hajj," he said.