A Comprehensive Study of Virtual Reality Applications in Religious Ritual Simulation and Cultural Education

Abstract

Virtual Reality (VR), on the other hand, has shown promise in terms of the potential improvements that it can make in the field of religious education. Current practices in the training of pilgrims for the rituals associated with the annual pilgrimage of Hajj and the minor pilgrimage of ʿUmrah depend on the description and demonstration of the rituals. However, these practices are limited in their ability to ensure that the trainees are adequately trained in the precise manner in which the rituals are to be carried out. In the current study, a VR-based simulation of the ritual of Saʾi—the devotional walk between the two hills of Al-Safa and Al-Marwa in the Grand Mosque—is presented as a case study in the application of technology in the instruction of religious rituals. The system is based on the three-dimensional modeling of the Masʿa in a highly accurate manner and is implemented in two different forms: a fully immersive version that is based on standalone head-mounted displays and a PC/web-based version that is aimed at enhancing the accessibility of the system. The performance of the system is discussed in terms of various design-oriented parameters such as usability, accessibility, completeness, and inclusiveness. One of the limitations that are associated with the current study is the lack of empirical data on the learning that is associated with the proposed framework