E-Prosiding Persidangan Serantau Manasik Haji 2025 (MANASIK2025)

MANASIK2025 Putrajaya, Malaysia, 7-8 Oktober 2025 603 ADAPTATION OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN HAJJ MANAGEMENT AND GUIDANCE: THE MALAYSIAN PERSPECTIVE IN THE DIGITAL ERA Siti Maziah Binti Ab Rahman 1 , Nur Hazelen Mat Rusok 2 , Ahmad Zawawee Mohd Nor 3 1,2,3 Faculty of Business and Management, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Kelantan, Malaysia Abstract The Hajj pilgrimage is among the world’s largest religious gatherings, with more than 1.67 million pilgrims globally in 2025, including approximately 31,600 from Malaysia. The complex management of logistics, crowd safety, health, and spiritual guidance requires innovative digital solutions. This paper examines the adaptation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the management and guidance of Malaysian pilgrims, highlighting AI's role in crowd control, health monitoring, digital guidance systems, and logistical coordination. Using an interdisciplinary approach with government data, operational statistics, and expert interviews, the ethical considerations framed by maqasid al- shariah are also discussed. The study reveals AI’s improving potential in operational efficiency and spiritual care, alongside challenges such as data privacy, digital literacy, and cost barriers. Hajj pilgrimage, Malaysia, Artificial Intelligence (AI), maqasid al-shariah, 1. Introduction The Hajj pilgrimage, one of the five pillars of Islam, annually attracts millions of Muslim s to the holy cities of Mecca and Medina (Al-Nana et al., 2025). The scale and complexity of managing such a large and diverse congregation, estimated at over 1.67 million pilgrims in 2025 which is mandate innovative solutions for logistics, crowd safety, health monitoring, and religious guidance. Malaysia, with an allocated pilgrimage quota of approximately 31,600 for the year 2025, is among the countries actively integrating contemporary digital technologies, especially Artificial Intelligence (AI), to enhance pilgrimage experiences and operational effectiveness. One of the critical challenges for Muslim pilgrims is ensuring the correct observance of intricate religious rites, which can be complicated by language barriers, physical stress, and unfamiliar environments (Almehmadi, 2023; Coleman & Elsner, 1995; Eickelman & Piscatori, 2013; Moulaei et al., 2024; Oktadiana et al., 2016). Traditionally, pilgrims sought in-person guidance from scholars or facilitators; however, technological advancements have enabled Malaysian pilgrims to access instant, reliable guidance remotely, even while on site in the Holy Land. The e-Taib system, developed and managed by Lembaga Tabung Haji (TH), exemplifies this technological leap. It is a human-assisted AI-enabled platform accessible through the THujjaj mobile application that connects pilgrims with certified ibadah facilitators (Pihtas) for specific religious inquiries in real time. Unlike generic AI chatbots such as ChatGPT or web search engines, which provide generalized and sometimes inconsistent answers, e-Taib emphasizes doctrinal accuracy and contextual appropriateness through expert human oversight. This approach underlines Malaysia’s commitment to harmonizing technological innovation with religious values ensuring pilgrims’ spiritual goals align with the maqasid al-shariah (higher objectives of Islamic law), including preserving faith, life, and intellect. The introduction of e-Taib has been met with high demand and positive reception. On average, the platform handles over 1,000 queries weekly, with anticipated surges to nearly 4,000 during peak periods