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The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Drafting Religious Edicts (Fatwas)
Author : Dr. Mousa Za`atreh
Date Added : 09-01-2024

The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Drafting Religious Edicts (Fatwas)

 

 

 

Introduction:

 

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is considered one of the modern technologies characterized by rapid advancement and significant impact in various fields[1]. Among these fields are religious edicts (fatwas) and legal rulings, as they hold a crucial place in the lives of Muslims who seek religious consultations and guidance in various aspects of their life. The influence of artificial intelligence has affected the dissemination and formulation of religious edicts by providing reputable and specialized references in Islamic jurisprudence. Therefore, in this article, we will explore the impact of artificial intelligence on the spread and formulation of religious edicts.

 

Definition of Artificial Intelligence:

 

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a branch of computer science and a fundamental pillar that underlies current technological advancements. It involves computers simulating intelligent processes that occur within the human mind. The term Artificial Intelligence, often abbreviated as (AI), can be defined as the capability of machines and digital computers to perform specific tasks that mimic and resemble those carried out by intelligent beings[2].

 

Artificial Intelligence refers to the ability of computer devices and programs to execute tasks resembling activities performed by humans. It involves deducing conclusions from data and making intelligent decisions based on algorithms [3] and machine learning. Artificial Intelligence technologies include machine learning, deep learning [4], natural language processing [5], data analysis, and pattern recognition.

 

The impact of artificial intelligence on the dissemination of religious edicts (fatwas):

Artificial intelligence facilitates access to Sharia-related information and answers by analyzing and processing the vast amount of available religious information in books, articles, and previous fatwas. Using machine learning techniques, artificial intelligence can provide quick and accurate religious answers to users and inquirers.

 

However, artificial intelligence has both advantages and disadvantages:

 

Among the advantages of artificial intelligence on religious edicts (fatwas) are:

 

1-Artificial intelligence enables the categorization and organization of religious edicts (fatwas) and legal rulings based on topics, scholars, and references. This allows individuals searching for specific fatwas or legal rulings to easily find information, efficiently navigate reputable sources, and engage directly with religious authorities and respected scholars. This interaction can occur through chat platforms or smart bots, allowing individuals to pose questions and receive direct and immediate answers.

 

2-Another advantage is the capability of artificial intelligence to translate and localize religious edicts and legal rulings from various languages into the user's language. This feature provides a broader and more comprehensive understanding of religious information and offers religious guidance in different languages [6].

 

3-AI enables the spread of religious edicts by allowing individuals easy access to numerous sources of fatwas, whether through online platforms or available applications. It enables effective data browsing and searching, making fatwas and religious information more widely and rapidly accessible to everyone.

4-In the era of modern technology, individuals face the challenge of verifying the accuracy of information received from various sources. AI provides Muslims with the means to verify the authenticity of information, enhancing their ability to distinguish between reliable and unreliable sources.

 

Among the disadvantages of artificial intelligence on religious edicts (fatwas) are:

 

1-Artificial intelligence has some negative impacts, especially when it comes to issuing religious edicts and dealing with religious texts. Its deficiency in human-like comprehension makes it challenging to understand the nuances of context and intricate details in religious queries. The skill of comprehending the context and conducting a deep analysis of religious texts, essential for issuing accurate fatwas, is considered a distinctive capability of scholars and religious authorities. For instance, in cases of divorce rulings, these require dialogue with the involved parties and a deep understanding of the wording used, including gauging emotional states. Divorce having taken place may be a reality, but the results from artificial intelligence may not reflect it accurately.

 

2-The use of artificial intelligence may lead to the abandonment of the human aspect, with questions and answers being handled automatically. This could result in the loss of the intellectual and interpretive dimension that distinguishes scholars and experts, especially in financial disputes. Such disputes often require hearing from the opposing party, expressing opinions that may lead to entirely different fatwas compared to those generated by artificial intelligence.

 

3-There are some biased and suspicious platforms for issuing religious edicts that may contradict the consensus of different Islamic schools of thought. Artificial intelligence is not capable of discerning the abnormal or the least preponderant opinion (fatwa) within a particular school of thought. This can lead to confusion in religious edicts, as providing fatwas and offering religious guidance requires deep knowledge in Islamic sciences, understanding the cultural and social context of the inquirers. AI may lack the human aspect and personal experience, thus unable to apply personal considerations that involve direct human interaction.

 

4-Disregard for Jurisprudential Principles: This type of artificial intelligence may not consider the foundational principles in religious edicts. It might mix the principles of different schools of thought, leading to confusion in fatwa issuance. The AI lacks the capability for independent reasoning (ijtihad) and deduction in issuing rulings on specific issues. Instead, it merely compiles the principles of the issue from multiple sources and forms an answer to the question posed to it, irrespective of the correctness or incorrectness of the answer from a religious perspective.

 

5-Despite these potential effects, artificial intelligence is a human effort that has supplied it with information, making the human role limited to providing references. It offers users a perspective on a specific topic and should not be considered an absolute judgment excusable before Allah. It is essential to verify the information produced by artificial intelligence by referring to scholars. It is crucial to emphasize that artificial intelligence can be a tool for disseminating both correct and incorrect religious edicts. Caution is advised, especially in issuing religious edicts, to preserve the human dimension and the necessary cultural and ethical considerations for providing comprehensive and balanced religious edicts.

 

 

 

[1] Artificial Intelligence: Principles and Applications, by Dr. Sami Al-Harbi, p. 16.

[2] Artificial Intelligence Methods, by Ahmed Hani Hammad, p. 1.

[3] An algorithm is a set of mathematical and logical steps needed to solve a specific problem. The term "algorithm" is named after the scientist Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi, who invented it in the ninth century AD.

[4] Deep learning is a method in artificial intelligence that teaches computer systems to process data in a way inspired by the human brain. Deep learning models recognize complex patterns in images, texts, sounds, and other data to produce accurate insights and predictions.

[5] Natural Language Processing: It is a machine learning technique that enables computer systems to interpret, process, and understand human language.

[6] Applications of Artificial Intelligence in Education, by Mariam Shoukry Abdel Rahman, p. 5 (approximate translation).

 

 

 

 

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How should I deal with the whispers of the devil with regard to ablution and purity?

Whispers in ablution are from the devil, and so you should take refuge in Allah from the devil`s evil suggestions that aim to distort the religion. Thus, once an organ is completely pure, don`t question its purity since having whispers doesn`t mean that the purity is invalid as it has already been established.

Is it incumbent on a husband to pay the alimony of his wife if she had left him and stayed at her parent`s without his permission?

When a wife leaves her house, and stays at her parent`s without asking her husband, she is considered a Nashiz (wife who refuses to abide by her husband’s orders), and so she doesn`t deserve an alimony.

What is the ruling on performing the night prayer (*qiyām al-layl*) between the first and second adhān of Fajr? And which is better: delaying the prayer until shortly before the Fajr adhān, or performing it earlier than that?

 

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
The time for night prayer (qiyām al-layl) begins after the Maghrib prayer and lasts until the second adhān of Fajr. The best time for it is the last third of the night, and best of all are the fourth and fifth sixths of the night. If the night is divided into two halves, the latter half is better.
Whoever intends to pray at night is encouraged to delay the Witr until he has prayed the night prayer. If he knows that he will not wake up, it is better for him to pray and perform Witr before sleeping, so that he does not miss both the night prayer and the Witr.
It is stated in Mughnī al-Muḥtāj (Vpl.1/p.462): “I say: The voluntary prayer of the night, that is, the absolute voluntary prayer (al-nafl al-muṭlaq), is better than the absolute voluntary prayer of the day, because of the report in Muslim: ‘The best prayer after the obligatory prayer is the night prayer.’ In another narration of his: ‘In the night there is an hour that no Muslim man meets while asking Allah for any good of this world and the next except that He gives it to him, and that is every night.’ It is also because the night is a time of heedlessness. I restricted the voluntary prayer to the absolute kind following the commentator, although what the ḥadīth and the underlying meaning require is that the night rawātib be preferred over the day rawātib, since the jurists preferred the two rakʿahs of Fajr over everything except Witr. The middle of the night is better than its two ends if it is divided into thirds, because heedlessness is greatest then and worship is hardest. If he wishes to pray during some third, the best is the fourth and fifth sixths, based on the ḥadīth in the two Ṣaḥīḥs: ‘The most beloved prayer to Allah the Exalted is the prayer of Dāwūd: he would sleep half the night, stand for a third of it, and sleep for a sixth.’ Then the latter part is better than the first if he divides it into two halves, because of the saying of Allah the Exalted: ‘And in the hours before dawn they would ask forgiveness’ [al-Dhāriyāt: 18], and the report of the two Shaykhs: ‘Our Lord, Blessed and Exalted, descends,’ meaning His command descends, ‘to the lowest heaven when the last third of the night remains, and says: Who calls upon Me, that I may answer him? Who asks of Me, that I may give him? Who seeks My forgiveness, that I may forgive him?’”
It is also stated in ʿUmdat al-Sālik (p. 60): “It is better to perform it [the Witr] immediately after the sunnah of ʿIshāʾ, unless he has tahajjud, in which case it is better to delay it so that he performs Witr after it. If he performs Witr and then wishes to pray tahajjud, he prays two rakʿahs at a time and does not repeat the Witr, nor does he need to cancel it with a single rakʿah before the tahajjud. It is recommended that he not deliberately pray after it.”
Qiyām al-layl is a term applied to any prayer performed at night. Tahajjud, on the other hand, refers to the night prayer that follows sleep, whether it is prayed after Maghrib or after ʿIshāʾ, or the prayer performed after ʿIshāʾ without sleep. On this basis, the Witr is also called tahajjud, since it is only prayed after ʿIshāʾ.
It is stated in al-Majmūʿ (Vol.4/p.84): “The sound position, as stated in al-Umm and al-Mukhtaṣar, is that the Witr is called tahajjud.”
It is stated in Nihāyat al-Zayn (Vol.1/p.114): “Among the absolute voluntary prayers is qiyām al-layl. If it is performed after sleep, even during the time of Maghrib and after having prayed ʿIshāʾ early (taqdīman), it is called tahajjud.”
And it is stated in Ḥāshiyat al-Bujayrimī ʿalā al-Khaṭīb (Vol.1/p.418): “His statement: ‘(the night prayer)’: the genitive construction (iḍāfah) carries the sense of fī, meaning a prayer in the night. His statement: ‘(it would be more fitting)’: the reason it is more fitting is that the night prayer includes both tahajjud and other prayers.” And Allah Almighty knows best.

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