BENEFITS AND PURPOSES OF TOURISM FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF ISLAMIC TEACHINGS

Abstract

Today, tourism is one of the areas which have attracted a lot of attention. Although Qur’ān does not directly focus on tourism, in the modern sense, it mentions some benefits and goals for traveling by presenting some basic principles. Qur’ān's simultaneous focus on the world and hereafter and its emphasis on understanding and using the Divine Signs serve as a basis for its view on tourism. The reviving teachings of Islam highlight tourism as a factor affecting individual and social growth and excellence. Discussing the issue of traveling over the land, Qur’ān presents a new horizon for the tourism industry. In addition, Islamic narrations provide ample information about tourism. The present study mainly aimed to analyze the benefits and goals of tourism based on Islamic teachings. To this end, using library research, the researchers analyzed and described the related verses and narrations. The results showed that benefits and purposes of traveling can be found under the Qur'ānic words related to travel. In Islam, the purposes of traveling are mainly spiritual, such as traveling to make a pilgrimage to the Ka'ba (House of God) in the form of Hajj and to eulogize the religious Saints, to maintain relations with relatives, and learn morals from the life of the antecedents. Moreover, Qur'ān also discusses the material aspects of tourism such as traveling to do business and earn money, going to nature for entertainment and recreation.