Author ORCID Identifier
0009-0003-5703-0606
Abstract
Shrine tourism is highly prevalent in developing countries. Despite this, the volume of research in this field is quite limited. This study makes a novel contribution to shrine tourism from an Islamic lens. It aims to explore the fiction (the beliefs of the pilgrims) held by shrine devotees and the facts (the religious doctrine of Islam) based on Islamic principles, including the noble Quran and the Sunnah (Prophetic tradition), to showcase the facts against the fiction. The study conducted in-depth interviews with 30 devotees from Bangladesh’s most renowned shrines or mazars between January and November 2023. Later, the data were analysed using the qualitative data analysis software ATLAS.ti.23. The findings reveal that shrine devotees offer various items to the shrines in anticipation of materialistic and spiritual benefits, a practice considered an unforgivable sin from Islamic viewpoints. Despite these offerings, devotees receive no tangible outcomes from the shrines. This research contributes to the literature on spiritual tourism and recommends that the relevant religious authorities in Bangladesh address devotees’ misconceptions and eliminate non-Islamic practices.
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Recommended Citation
Mollik, Md. Soleman; Akter, Muslima; and Islam, Mohammad Mominul
(2026)
"Shrine Tourism: Fiction and Fact Through an Islamic Lens,"
International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage:
Vol. 14:
Iss.
3, Article 7.
Available at:
https://arrow.tudublin.ie/ijrtp/vol14/iss3/7