This article is more than 5 years old

This article is more than 5 years old

The Ka’bah is Islam’s most sacred shrine, circled reverently by Muslims taking part in the hajj and umrah, the pilgrimage to Mecca that is one of the five pillars of the religion. It is therefore somewhat unusual to see a pilgrim performing the tawaf on what looks like a hoverboard.

A YouTube video, which has been making the rounds on social media, shows an unidentified man balancing on the hands-free Segway-style device, his hands clasped in front of him.

The man is seen overtaking pedestrians, wheelchairs and pushchairs without anyone appearing to bat an eyelid.

While wheelchairs and other transport methods are allowed during tawaf for those who have a disability or are unable to walk, it is unclear whether hoverboards are permitted. The unusual means of travel has divided public opinion, with some claiming it was inappropriate to use the board at the sacred site.

علی جان ارا (@IslamicBoy2015) I just saw a video of a man doing tawāf (walking around the holy Kaaba in Makkah) on a hover board. What a time to be a Muslim masha'allah

kasha (@uk_muslimah) People be judging this person for using a hover board during tawaf - I would totally use one if I had one

Meowal (@nawalala) Yoo someone doing tawaf on a hoverboard? Thats kinda messed up maaan

lollapalooza نسيمة (@NassPepper) How can you be using hover board to do tawaf??? People take things too far 😂😂😂😂

Zachary Wright, an associate professor of religious studies at Northwestern University in Qatar, told al-Arabiya News that disapproving people should refrain from judging the man in the video. “Only the person in question knows his specific ailment,” he said.

“Muslim scholars should not judge this man on the Segway, but in no way could Islamic jurisprudence be used to justify this as normative practice. Indeed, it is very difficult to imagine a case where a person is able to mount and balance on a Segway but cannot walk.

“I’m sure the person had a valid reason but it should be clear that the Ka’bah should not suddenly be surrounding by whirring Segways.”

A hoverboard is a levitating board that was popularised by Marty McFly in the Back to the Future films. Several companies have marketed vehicles as hoverboards, though they require the use of wheels.

The latest comes from a California-based company, Hoverboard Technologies, which plans to release a device on 17 September that uses a central wheel that acts like a gyroscope to maintain balance, control direction and create a “floating feeling” for users. Prices are expected to start at $4,000 (£2,600).