Khazanah Journal of Religion and Technology

Optimizing Qur'an Recitation Monitoring with Random Forest Algorithm

Ivan Wijayana — 2024-06-20

Every Muslim should improve their worship, including reciting the Al-Qur'an. Reciting the Al-Qur'an is a deep spiritual practice that provides spiritual benefits and blessings daily. To maximize the benefits of reciting Al-Qur'an during this holy month, implementing Machine Learning can make a significant contribution. This research explores the application of Machine Learning using the Random Forest algorithm to improve the practice of reciting the Al-Qur'an. By collecting data through surveys using questionnaires, this research identifies important factors that influence an individual's success in completing reading the Al-Qur'an. The research results show that the Random Forest algorithm can be used to predict the number of individuals who have the potential to complete reciting Al-Qur'an with an accuracy value of 80%.

Digital Transformation: Digitising Witness Statements in South African Policing in Alignment with Religious Principles

Nomsa Ingrid Zikalala — 2024-07-10

The utilisation of new technologies towards supporting effective and accountable policing is increasingly dependent on e-government development and other technological advancements. England and Wales have long moved from paper witness statements to digitally recorded statements, known as Digital Witness Statements (DWS). DWS refers to the digital capture, representation, and storage of the information needed for its use as an evidential witness statement in courts in England and Wales. This paper presents a prototype system that could be employed in the South African policing context, aligning with religious principles to ensure cultural sensitivity and ethical considerations. The aim of this study was to create awareness that digitisation has been an efficient method of capturing witness statements in the European policing context. Additionally, this study aimed to highlight the status quo of taking indigenous witness statements in South Africa. The objective was to explore the phenomenon of taking indigenous witness statements and to establish the South African Police Service (SAPS) members’ perceptions of the current methods. The study also examined how incorporating religious principles can enhance the acceptance and effectiveness of these digital methods within diverse communities. Thematic content analysis was conducted using Atlas.ti, and measures of trustworthiness were applied. Three dominant themes—“skills,” “resources,” and “duration”—emerged. The Theory of Performance (ToP) was used, and results indicated that SAPS members identified resources as a barrier to their performance. Integrating religious principles into the digitisation process may address some cultural barriers, fostering a more inclusive and respectful approach to modernising witness statement collection.

Classifying Hijaiyah Letters Handwritten Detection of Children Using CNN Algorithm

Ahmad Maulidi Roofiad — 2024-08-07

Learning the Hijaiyah letters is an important basis because in learning the Qur'an, these abilities must be mastered before they can be introduced and taught to children. However, the recognition of Hijaiyah letters in children's handwriting is still a challenge due to the variations and inconsistencies that are often found. Deep learning technology, particularly Convolutional Neural Network (CNN), has demonstrated its ability to classify letters with a high degree of accuracy. Therefore, this research aims to develop a CNN-based Hijaiyah letter classification model to help children learn to write and read Hijaiyah letters properly. This research uses a CNN model that is optimized with data augmentation techniques and hyperparameter tuning. The model was trained using a standard dataset totaling 1,740 samples of Hijaiyah letters. Model evaluation is done by calculating accuracy, precision, recall, and F1-Score on the validation dataset. The results showed that the proposed CNN model achieved almost 94.35% accuracy on the validation dataset. This research is expected to improve children's ability to learn Hijaiyah letters.

SoulScripture: Chatbot using Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers as a Medium of Spiritual Guidance

Andhika Malik — 2024-08-15

Mental health is an important aspect of human life. Many people face stress, anxiety, and distress daily without adequate support to manage these conditions. Islamic teachings from the Quran and Hadith provide wisdom as a source of inspiration and inner peace. However, accessing and understanding these teachings requires specialized knowledge and often the help of experts. With the advancement of machine learning, these teachings can be made more accessible and accurate. The SoulScripture app offers an innovative solution to support mental health by combining the wisdom of the Quran and Hadith through AI technology. Using the Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers (BERT) model and Transformer architecture, the app can understand and provide relevant advice that anyone can access anytime. This research is significant because it offers a new approach to leveraging technology to support mental well-being, especially for communities underserved by conventional mental health services. The app was developed using self-supervised learning to understand the text of the Hadith without external annotation. This process involves several stages, such as user input, data preprocessing, and text analysis, to generate relevant answers. It is hoped that the SoulScripture application can serve as a source of inspiration and support for individuals in controlling stress and maintaining peace of mind, as well as supporting the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related to mental health.

The Cultural Relationship between Christianity and Technology for the Practice of Christian Mission

Min Hyoung Lee — 2024-08-16

The involvement of all members of society in the advancement of technology is becoming a crucial aspect since the pace of technological advancement has accelerated markedly. Christianity, as a constituent of society, is also being called upon to reflect on technology and to apply it in tangible ways within the social context. This study examines how Christianity can contribute to the formation of social norms reflected in the development and operation of technology. The methods that this study uses include an initial investigation undertaken into the concept of technology based on the theory of the philosopher of technology, Langdon Winner. Subsequently, the study elucidates the interrelationship between Christianity and technology by demonstrating that technology and Christianity are human cultural systems on an equal footing. Finally, this study endeavors to facilitate an interdisciplinary dialogue between the philosophy of technology and public theology to postulate the potential for technology and Christianity to exert reciprocal influence on one another. Throughout these methods, this research defines the cultural relationship between technology and Christianity and finds influencing the trajectory of technological advancement from a Christian perspective constitutes a missional practice.