Hajj 2024: Fatwa robot ushers Islamic edicts into new era

Cairo: Cairo: Over the years, providing answers to religious queries at Islam's two holiest sites has evolved significantly. Traditionally, seated clerics offered fatwas, or religious edicts, directly to seekers. This service then transitioned to phone-based consultations before moving online.

Now, worshippers and pilgrims at the Grand Mosque in Mecca, the holiest site in Islam, can access a smart robot for immediate answers to their religious questions. This innovative robot, which offers simultaneous interpretation in multiple languages, is part of Saudi Arabia's effort to integrate advanced technology into services for Hajj pilgrims.

Equipped with artificial intelligence, the robot provides instant guidance on religious issues and operates in 11 languages: Arabic, English, French, Russian, Persian, Turkish, Malay, Urdu, Chinese, Bengali, and Hausa.

Equipped with a 21-inch touch screen, the sleekly designed robot has four wheels with a smart stop system allowing the machine to move smoothly throughout the Grand Mosque with high-fidelity front and bottom cameras and a sound system.

This guidance robot has quickly become popular among pilgrims, offering clear and accessible answers to their questions about rituals and other religious matters, as reported by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).

More than 2 million Muslims from around the world are congregating in Saudi Arabia for this year's Hajj, an obligatory Islamic duty.