Abstract
The philosophical contributions of ontology, axiology, and epistemology have not provided a clear understanding of conventional or Halal tourism, including the Hajj pilgrimage. Against this background, this study aims to explore the Halal perspective of knowledge creation, including At-Tawhid, Ijtihad, and philosophies, through a qualitative and grounded theory approach with inductive reasoning and ethnographic approach. The author collected primary data through active observation of the Hajj rituals from June 16th to July 25th, 2022, in Makkah, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and popular blog posts about the travel experience of pilgrims. Then, the data were analysed using ATLAS.ti to result in content, concept, and thematic analysis. The findings indicate that the Hajj pilgrimage must be performed based on authentic knowledge. At-Tawhid serves as the foundation while Ijtihad is the branch of sourcing knowledge for Halal research. Given that the approach to gaining knowledge encompasses Ilmul, Eyenul, and Haaqqul Iyakeen, or certainties; where Ilmul Iyakeen is obtained through reading, writing, hearing, and critical thinking, Eyenul Iyakeen can be attained through interviews and observation, and Haaqqul Iyakeen can result from experiencing, experimenting, and action research. In essence, Halal axiological philosophy entails valuable knowledge of the Quran and Sunnah (Prophetic tradition) associated with the hajj, while Halal ontology introduces the historical Islamic realities to the pilgrims. Notably, Halal epistemology results from viewing the truth of Islam (Ontology) and sensing the value of Islamic principles in the entire journey (Axiology). In the Hajj pilgrimage, halaka and ibadah have close participation followed by jiarah to support the three philosophical views. Thus, the findings have significant implications for religious tourism practitioners, policymakers, and academics.
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Recommended Citation
Islam, Mohammad Mominul
(2025)
"Ontology, Epistemology and Axiology in Halal Research: Empirical Evidence from Hajj Pilgrimage,"
International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage:
Vol. 13:
Iss.
1, Article 5.
Available at:
https://arrow.tudublin.ie/ijrtp/vol13/iss1/5