Pilgrims’ Acceptance of National Hajj Muzakarah (MHPK) Resolutions: The Role of Language, Accessibility, Social Media and Instructor Guidance

Abstract

National Hajj Muzakarah (Muzakarah Haji Peringkat Kebangsaan) (MHPK) is an annual Muzakarah organised by Lembaga Tabung Haji (TH) that serves as an avenue to formulate Islamic rulings to guide Malaysian pilgrims and resolve practical issues concerning Hajj. The MHPK resolutions seek to standardise Hajj guidelines and practices for Malaysian pilgrims by addressing contemporary challenges and offering solutions related to Hajj. Although MHPK resolutions are important in ensuring compliance with Syariah principles, their effectiveness depends heavily on the level of comprehension and acceptance among the pilgrims. By adopting a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design, this research investigates the role of language, accessibility, social media and instructor guidance in influencing pilgrims’ understanding and acceptance of the MHPK resolutions. The quantitative data were gathered from an online survey involving 380 Hajj pilgrims and then analysed using SPSS (version 28). Meanwhile, qualitative data were obtained from a focus group discussion (FGD) with 19 Hajj instructors and were analysed using thematic analysis. The survey findings indicate that “language” was the only significant predictor of pilgrims’ acceptance behaviour (β = 0.535, p = 0.000). Statistical analysis demonstrates that “accessibility” had near-zero predictive value for pilgrims’ acceptance (p = 0.994). Due to the complex nature of the MHPK resolution documents, a significant subset of respondents actively used “social media and unregulated sources” to find information on Hajj (mean if item deleted = 43.61, against the scale average = 42.7). The data also shows a near-collinear relationship between individual acceptance and “external social factors” (r = 0.907), with 93.4% of respondents who rely primarily on official Hajj instructors for information about Hajj rather than directly reading the MHPK documents. Qualitative findings from the FGD corroborated the qualitative data, where it was highlighted that the formal structure of the resolutions and the use of Arabic terms are major cognitive barriers for  pilgrims, especially the elderly. The FGD also underscored that many younger pilgrims prefer to use social media and digital tools to seek information instead of formal documents from Hajj authorities. Besides, Local Hajj Instructors (PEKTA) and Holy Land Hajj Guides (PIHTAS) instructors play a critical role as primary conduits to simplify complex MHPK resolutions for pilgrims’ understanding. The study suggests that future MHPK resolutions should target direct pilgrim understanding and reduce reliance on unregulated sources in order to lead to greater behavioural acceptance of authoritative Hajj guidance.