E-Prosiding Persidangan Serantau Manasik Haji 2025 (MANASIK2025)

MANASIK2025 Putrajaya, Malaysia, 7-8 Oktober 2025 605 1. Methodology This study adopts a mixed-methods approach to comprehensively evaluate the adaptation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Malaysian Hajj management, with a focus on digital guidance systems like e-Taib, health monitoring, crowd control, and logistical coordination. Data Collection Quantitative data were sourced from Malaysian governmental agencies including Lembaga Tabung Haji (TH) and the Ministry of Religious Affairs, encompassing operational statistics of pilgrimage quotas, e- Taib query volumes, and health service records during the 2023 and 2025 pilgrimage seasons. Key numeric highlights include approximately 31,600 Malaysian pilgrims in 2025 and an average of 1,000 to 4,000 weekly queries on the e-Taib platform during peak periods. Qualitative data were collected via semi-structured interviews with relevant stakeholders including certified e-Taib Pihtas facilitators, TH operational management personnel, healthcare providers involved in pilgrim medical support, and a selected group of Malaysian Hajj pilgrims. The interviews aimed to capture lived experiences, technological challenges, and ethical perspectives related to AI integration. Analytical Techniques Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics to determine trends in AI utilization and service demand. Qualitative data underwent thematic analysis to identify recurrent themes concerning user acceptance, challenges in digital literacy, data privacy concerns, and ethical considerations framed by maqasid al-shariah principles. Framework The study employs an interdisciplinary framework combining technological assessment with Islamic ethical evaluations. The maqasid al-shariah framework guides the interpretation of how AI systems align with preserving faith, life, intellect, lineage, and wealth, ensuring that technology supports rather than undermines pilgrims’ spiritual objectives. e-Taib Guidance Platform Usage The e-Taib digital guidance platform, integrated into the THujjaj mobile app, has emerged as the premier resource for Malaysian pilgrims’ ritual -related queries. Since its inception, e-Taib has handled over 8,000 questions, averaging more than 1,000 queries weekly during non-peak periods and scaling up to 4,000 queries weekly during peak Hajj rituals such as the Masyair week (Bernama, 2024; The Star, 2025). Staffed by four full-time Pihtas officers working 18-hour shifts, with 24-hour coverage during critical phases, e-Taib provides responses typically within 1 – 5 minutes, ensuring pilgrims receive prompt and accurate guidance. The system operates like an instant messaging service, allowing pilgrims to pose questions via smartphones resembling WhatsApp, facilitating ease of communication even amidst the pilgrimage’s demanding schedule (The Star, 2025). Nature of Queries and User Profile The majority of pilgrims raising queries via e-Taib are female, seeking clarity on menstruation during ihram, permissible acts, payment of dam (penalty fines for ritual infringements), intention declarations at miqat, and tawaf ritual specifics (Sinar Harian, 2025). A typical example involves pilgrims uncertain if they have completed the required seven tawaf circumambulations, with Pihtas advising caution to ensure a fulfilled ritual. E-Taib queries contribute significantly to reinforcing ritual correctness, reducing anxiety, and preventing errors that could affect the spiritual acceptance of Hajj (Bernama, 2025).