The Potential of The Big Island of Melaka and the Tomb of Sultan al-Ariffin Sheikh Ismail as a Visitor-Friendly Religious Tourism Destination

Big Island Melaka is one of Malaysia's historical and religious tourist destinations. However, many people are unaware of the island's historical and religious significance. The purpose of this research is to explore and describe the current state and history of Melaka Big Island as an Islamic tourist destination through content analysis methodology. The results of the study found that the Big Island is a historical island that contributed greatly to the effective spread of Islam in Melaka and its surroundings. The existence of the tomb of Sultan al-Ariffin and other figures is the main attraction for many religious tourists to come to the Big Island to get to know more about the historical side of this Big Island. However, some tourists continue to engage in khurafat activities and violate Islamic restrictions. The Big Island should adopt the idea of Islamic tourism to make it free from aspects of shirk and khurafat as well as cosy and welcoming to visitors. Local authorities need to be concerned about monitoring the activities carried out by visitors to this Big Island. With various studies on programmes and activities that have been carried out, it is hoped that the management of Pulau Besar will be better for the purpose of being recognised as an Islamic tourist destination that is visited by tourists at the local and global levels.