Celebrities are no strangers to getting criticised, with some getting criticised for somewhat petty reasons. Local actor Zul Ariffin was one of the recent celebrities to be called out by netizens – and here’s why.
Through his Instagram, the actor shared several photos of his travels while in Saudi Arabia. One of the places he visited was Al-Ula, an ancient city with a prominent history in Islam. In one of the photos he shared, the 36-year-old was seen casually sitting by an empty street, while in another photo, he was lounging on a sofa with a swimming pool pictured in the background.
While they may seem like your typical holiday snapshots, the actor’s choice of destination did not sit well with locals, especially Muslims, because of the place’s history. Al-Ula is known as Maidan e Saleh in Islam and was the home of the nation of Thamud, the people of Prophet Saleh. According to the Quran, the entire city and its people were cursed and punished by Allah for challenging the Prophet sent to guide them.
Prophet Muhammad also prohibited his followers from visiting the city and even ordered his companions to pass through Al-Ula quickly. The city’s history is why Muslims believe the place should be off-limits to anyone practising the faith. However, the Saudi Arabian government has made the city into a tourist destination and UNESCO even recognised it as one of its oldest heritage.
As for Zul, his posts have recently been flooded by netizens criticising him for visiting Al-Ula. Many wonder why he would choose to visit the city that was banned by Prophet Muhammad. Others also expressed disappointment in the actor publicising his visit, claiming he seemed proud to be in the city. However, some comments backed his visit, saying the city would’ve been closed off to Muslims if it wasn’t meant to be visited.
What do you think about Zul’s visit to Al-Ula?
Sources: Instagram (1)(2), The Islamic Information
Adleena contributed to this article.
