Why Is Artificial Intelligence Not a Mufti?

A fatwa is not a collection of words from books or websites. It is an explanation of the Islamic ruling after understanding the texts, distinguishing authentic hadiths from weak ones, reconciling the evidence, distinguishing general texts from specific ones, unrestricted texts from restricted ones, and abrogating texts from abrogated ones, knowing the positions of scholars, and understanding the true circumstances about which a person is asking.

The application of a ruling to a particular case may change because of legally significant details. This is not because Allah's established rulings change, but because two situations that appear similar may differ in their cause, condition, impediment, ability, intention, contract, or the rights of others.

Artificial intelligence, by contrast, is software that generates answers based on patterns and information with which it was processed or to which it has access. It may be correct or mistaken. It may confuse a stronger position with a weak one, attribute words to someone who never said them, quote a hadith with wording that is not established, or answer a case whose details it has not fully understood. It is also not a scholar known for knowledge, integrity, and religious caution, and it does not bear the Islamic responsibility of a mufti.

Evidence for Asking People of Knowledge and Verifying Information

Allah Most High says:

{وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا مِنْ قَبْلِكَ إِلَّا رِجَالًا نُوحِي إِلَيْهِمْ فَاسْأَلُوا أَهْلَ الذِّكْرِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ} [al-Nahl: 43].

Meaning: {We sent before you only men to whom We revealed. Ask the people of knowledge if you do not know.}

Allah commanded those who do not know to ask the people of knowledge, those who possess knowledge of revelation. He did not command them to take their religion from every speaker or every answer that reaches them.

He also says:

{وَلَا تَقْفُ مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهِ عِلْمٌ إِنَّ السَّمْعَ وَالْبَصَرَ وَالْفُؤَادَ كُلُّ أُولَئِكَ كَانَ عَنْهُ مَسْئُولًا} [al-Isra: 36].

Meaning: {Do not pursue that of which you have no knowledge. Indeed, the hearing, sight, and heart will all be questioned.}

Allah Most High also says:

{قُلْ إِنَّمَا حَرَّمَ رَبِّيَ الْفَوَاحِشَ مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا وَمَا بَطَنَ وَالْإِثْمَ وَالْبَغْيَ بِغَيْرِ الْحَقِّ وَأَنْ تُشْرِكُوا بِاللَّهِ مَا لَمْ يُنَزِّلْ بِهِ سُلْطَانًا وَأَنْ تَقُولُوا عَلَى اللَّهِ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ} [al-Araf: 33].

Meaning: {Say: My Lord has only forbidden shameful deeds, whether open or secret, sin, unjust aggression, associating with Allah that for which He has sent down no authority, and saying about Allah what you do not know.}

He also says:

{وَلَا تَقُولُوا لِمَا تَصِفُ أَلْسِنَتُكُمُ الْكَذِبَ هَذَا حَلَالٌ وَهَذَا حَرَامٌ لِتَفْتَرُوا عَلَى اللَّهِ الْكَذِبَ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَفْتَرُونَ عَلَى اللَّهِ الْكَذِبَ لَا يُفْلِحُونَ} [al-Nahl: 116].

Meaning: {Do not falsely declare with your tongues, "This is lawful and that is unlawful," fabricating lies against Allah. Indeed, those who fabricate lies against Allah will never succeed.}

Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-As, may Allah be pleased with him and his father, said that he heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, say:

"إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَقْبِضُ العِلْمَ انْتِزَاعًا يَنْتَزِعُهُ مِنَ العِبَادِ، وَلَكِنْ يَقْبِضُ العِلْمَ بِقَبْضِ العُلَمَاءِ، حَتَّى إِذَا لَمْ يُبْقِ عَالِمًا اتَّخَذَ النَّاسُ رُؤُوسًا جُهَّالًا، فَسُئِلُوا فَأَفْتَوْا بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ، فَضَلُّوا وَأَضَلُّوا"

Meaning: "Allah does not take away knowledge by removing it from His servants. Rather, He takes away knowledge by taking the scholars, until no scholar remains and people appoint ignorant leaders. They are asked, and they issue fatwas without knowledge, so they go astray and lead others astray."

Agreed upon by al-Bukhari and Muslim.

These texts demonstrate the danger of speaking about Allah without knowledge and the obligation to refer matters to those qualified to address them. If a Muslim is commanded to verify the reliability of a person from whom he takes his religion, then verifying an automated answer whose source material and method of compilation are unknown is even more necessary.

The Method of the Companions and Early Muslims Regarding Fatwas

The companions, may Allah be pleased with them, did not compete to issue fatwas or answer every question without verification. The Tabi'i Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Layla, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

"أَدْرَكْتُ فِي هَذَا المَسْجِدِ عِشْرِينَ وَمِائَةً مِنَ الأَنْصَارِ، وَمَا مِنْهُمْ مِنْ أَحَدٍ يُحَدِّثُ بِحَدِيثٍ إِلَّا وَدَّ أَنَّ أَخَاهُ كَفَاهُ الحَدِيثَ، وَلَا يُسْأَلُ عَنْ فُتْيَا إِلَّا وَدَّ أَنَّ أَخَاهُ كَفَاهُ الفُتْيَا"

Meaning: "I met one hundred and twenty of the Ansar in this mosque. None of them would narrate a hadith without wishing that his brother would spare him from narrating it, and none would be asked for a fatwa without wishing that his brother would spare him from issuing it."

Reported by al-Darimi.

Muhammad ibn Sirin, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

"إِنَّ هَذَا العِلْمَ دِينٌ، فَانْظُرُوا عَمَّنْ تَأْخُذُونَ دِينَكُمْ"

Meaning: "This knowledge is religion, so consider carefully from whom you take your religion."

Muslim cited it in the introduction to his Sahih.

The method of the early Muslims was to treat fatwas as a grave responsibility, verify reports, and refer what they did not know to someone more knowledgeable. They were not deceived by the speed of an answer or the elegance of its language.

The Difference between General Information and a Personal Fatwa

This distinction is important when using artificial intelligence.

General Information

This means conveying a well-established ruling or explaining a general term, such as the number of obligatory prayers, the meaning of wudu, the location of a verse, or a broad definition of zakah. Artificial intelligence may be used for preliminary access to this information, provided the text and source are reviewed.

A Personal Fatwa

This means applying a ruling to the circumstances of a particular questioner, such as whether divorce occurred through specific words spoken under particular circumstances, how to divide an estate among multiple heirs, the ruling on a complex financial contract, bleeding experienced by a woman with varying characteristics and times, or the ruling concerning a person who said or did something related to creed.

A general answer is insufficient for these matters. They require clarification of details, determining what has been established, and perhaps hearing from the parties or reviewing a contract or document. They must therefore be presented to a trustworthy scholar or a recognized fatwa authority.

When Can Artificial Intelligence Be Useful?

With verification, it may be used for beneficial purposes such as:

1. Organizing a long question before sending it to a scholar.
2. Providing a preliminary explanation of a term from fiqh or hadith studies.
3. Suggesting search terms for finding a published fatwa from a trustworthy source.
4. Locating a verse or hadith source as an initial research step.
5. Summarizing a documented article or fatwa after comparing the summary with the original.
6. Translating a published fatwa for someone who does not understand its language, while reviewing sensitive terminology and rulings.
7. Collecting the issues that need to be asked of a scholar so none are forgotten.
8. Preparing an educational draft that is later checked against original sources and reviewed by scholars when necessary.

An artificial intelligence answer does not become Islamic evidence merely because it is clearly written or agrees with what the questioner wants.

Matters in Which an Automated Answer Must Not Be Relied Upon

An automated answer may not be treated as the ruling on a particular case when a serious judgment or the rights of others are at stake. Such matters must be presented to a qualified scholar. They include:

• Divorce, khul, revocation of divorce, iddah, and marriage rulings.
• Takfir, declaring someone an innovator, and judgments concerning individuals or groups.
• Inheritance, wills, debts, and financial rights.
• Loans, financing, insurance, investments, and contemporary contracts.
• Women's bleeding, pregnancy, miscarriage, and medical issues connected to worship.
• Expiations, vows, and oaths when connected to a specific event.
• Ruqyah and psychological or physical symptoms that may require medical diagnosis.
• Family or legal disputes and matters in which the parties give different accounts.
• Public issues concerning people's security, honor, or property.

In these areas, incomplete information can ruin a marriage, consume wealth unjustly, extinguish a right, falsely accuse a Muslim, or delay treatment. Saying, "Artificial intelligence said so," is not enough.

How Can Artificial Intelligence Make Mistakes?

An incorrect answer may be expressed in confident, organized language, and it may combine accurate information with an incorrect conclusion. Possible errors include:

1. Inventing a hadith, book, or page number that does not exist.
2. Quoting an authentic hadith inaccurately or omitting an important qualification.
3. Attributing a position to a scholar who never expressed it.
4. Presenting an anomalous or weaker fiqh position as though it were agreed upon.
5. Omitting a recognized disagreement or presenting an invalid disagreement as acceptable.
6. Confusing a general ruling with a personal fatwa.
7. Failing to notice differences in the true nature of a contract, legally recognized custom, regulations affecting the transaction, or the questioner's ability and circumstances.
8. Building an answer upon an incomplete question or one framed to produce a result desired by its author.
9. Relying on old, undocumented, or contextually incomplete material.

The accuracy of an answer is therefore not measured by its confident tone, but by sound evidence, correct understanding, a trustworthy source, and the applicability of the ruling to the actual case.

Steps for Verifying an Automated Answer

Identify the Nature of Your Question

Ask yourself: Am I looking for general information, or am I requesting a ruling about my own situation? If the question concerns rights, contracts, divorce, a judgment about a person in matters of creed, or a significant health issue, go to a trustworthy scholar and do not rely on the automated answer.

Ask for the Reference, but Do Not Trust It Merely Because It Is Present

Ask for the surah name and verse number, the hadith collection, hadith number and grade, and the scholar's name and book or fatwa. Remember, however, that writing a reference does not prove that it is authentic. The reference may be fabricated or may not support the stated ruling.

Compare the Quotation with the Original Source

Compare the verse with the Mushaf, the hadith with a trustworthy hadith source, and the scholar's words with the published original. Do not rely on an excerpt if what comes before or after it changes its meaning.

Verify Both the Hadith and Its Interpretation

Not every widely circulated hadith is authentic, and a hadith being authentic does not by itself mean that the user's interpretation is correct. It may be general but qualified by other evidence, may concern circumstances unlike the present case, or may be interpreted differently by scholars.

For a more detailed verification process, read How to Verify a Hadith or Islamic Information.

Consult Trustworthy Scholarly Sources

Search the websites of scholars known for knowledge and adherence to the Sunnah, or consult a recognized fatwa authority. Make sure that the published question matches your case in the details that affect the ruling. Similar titles do not mean identical rulings.

Do Not Follow the Easiest Position Merely Because It Suits Your Desire

If artificial intelligence presents several opinions, do not choose the easiest merely because it agrees with what you want. Ask a trustworthy scholar which position is supported by the evidence and which ruling applies to your case.

Present Material Details Honestly

Do not conceal a fact that changes the ruling, and do not frame the question to lead to a particular answer. State the words used, dates, amounts, contracts, ability, and circumstances honestly, while withholding people's names and anything there is no need to disclose.

Review Material Before Publishing It

Do not turn an artificial intelligence answer into a post, video, or religious graphic before reviewing its texts and sources. If an error is distributed to thousands of people, its harm becomes much wider, and deleting the post later may not remove the copies already circulating.

How Should You Choose a Scholar or Fatwa Authority?

A Muslim should ask someone known for knowledge of the Qur'an and Sunnah, sound belief, adherence to evidence, religious caution, and careful verification, and whose qualification is recognized by scholars. Fame, a large following, high-quality production, or a quick answer is not enough.

If the matter is complex, the questioner should consult someone known to have expertise in that field. Contemporary financial transactions, inheritance, judicial matters, and medicine connected to Islamic rulings each contain details that may require a specialist who also possesses a sound Islamic foundation.

The questioner should not move between muftis searching for someone who agrees with his desires. If he receives two different answers, he should seek the more knowledgeable and cautious scholar and explain the previous answers so that the scholar can help him understand the correct position.

For further foundational guidance, read Seeking Beneficial Knowledge in Islam.

Protecting Privacy When Asking Questions

Do not enter people's names, identification or account numbers, addresses, private photographs, complete medical reports, or unnecessary details of sins into an artificial intelligence tool. Platforms differ in their policies for storing and using data, so those policies should be reviewed before sensitive information is entered.

A question can usually be phrased without revealing anyone's identity. A scholar issuing a fatwa about the case should be told the details that affect the ruling, while names and anything unnecessary remain concealed.