When I was a pupil at Spine Road High School, my English teacher, Mrs. Saban, asked me to join the school debating team.
This was based not only on academic merit, but I think more because I was a very argumentative laaitie.
One of the issues we debated back then was titled: “Technology will destroy the world”. Today, almost 15 years later, I find myself thinking about that statement again.
With all the technological growth and enhancements taking place on a daily basis, is this statement far-fetched?
Is it really for the better of mankind and what are the repercussions of this great technology we have access to so easily?
I can undoubtedly say that, yes, technology has improved the world; we have more access to tons of information, only a tap away.
It’s interesting to see what kind of impact technology is having on the hajj.
It started with online greeting and now we no longer have the luxury of “missing” someone.
Back in the day, the hajj journey was a long affair, with people leaving their homes for months on end.
Besides the odd, and very expensive phone call, we never knew what their journey was like until they got home to tell us.
Almal het mekaar met seer harte gemis, and we could not wait for the goejaajies to arrive home to share their emotional, physical and spiritual journey with us.
Mecca and Medina were beautiful, mysterious places in far off lands, and we relied on our hujjaaj to come and describe it to us.
Then there was that blessed feeling of hugging them, hearing their voice and being able to wish them, with sincere hearts, a hajj maqbool (may Allah accept your hajj).
Elke goejaajie had that picture of them standing in front of the ka’bah (grand mosque) which we later learnt was photoshopped in behind them.
Today when we go on Facebook or Instagram, thanks to smart phones, goejaajies are posting pictures of every aspect of their journey, from when they board the plain, disembark in Medina, enter Mecca and sit on Arafah.
There are videos and photos of all the holy places, of the athaan (call to prayer) and we can all have a look and listen while sitting at home in Cape Town.
This is wonderful and should inspire each and every Muslim to make the intention and start preparing for their journey of a lifetime, as it did for me.
This is the impact of having the world in one’s hand on a cellphone.
However, there is also a dangerous line we are treading with technology.
How soon till we see drones flying around in these holy places, mounted with cameras (and God knows what else), recording our every move?
The footage will no doubt be amazing, but what kind of impact will this have on the emotional and spiritual journey of the hujjaaj?
A television presenter once told the Bollywood actor Shahrukh Khan, “you must be so used to cameras because you are so natural in your movies”, to which he responded, “whenever I’m in front of a camera I act. Any actor who says they do not act is lying, the camera makes you act, it’s right there, you can’t ignore it, you feel obligated to act, hence you study acting”.
Do we really want to spend our life’s savings on a journey where we might end up “acting” for the benefit of people, instead of giving our all for our Creator?
If technology ever progresses to that level, I would urge us, the WiFi generation, to refrain from using any kind of social media during hajj.
Why spoil something pure and beautiful for the sake of a few “likes”?
Islam preaches moderation, and I think if we use technology and social media in moderation we should be okay.
Don’t be that boeta or tietie who makes a video call home in the midst of your tawaaf(circling the ka’bah).
The tawaaf is an act of worship, like your salaah, or reciting the Quran. Would you take a selfie while you make salaah?
Let’s rather use technology to enhance our deen (religion).
Let’s not become so engulfed by it that we lose focus of the most important trip you’ll ever make in your life.
Experience your hajj through your own eyes, not the lens of a camera. So that even if you have no pictures or videos, you will always have the memory fixed in your mind.
May Allah grant all our goejaaj hidayat (guidance) and a gadj maqbool, in sha Allah (God willing), ameen.