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Utilizing Artificial Intelligence in Issuing Fatwas
Author : Researcher AbdulRahman al-Sharif
Date Added : 26-04-2026

Utilizing Artificial Intelligence in Issuing Fatwas

 

Issuing a fatwa is among the most intricate and consequential functions in Sharia, as it involves the direct clarification of Allah’s rulings regarding the ever-evolving realities of people's lives.

With the acceleration of technological progress and the emergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a tool capable of analyzing texts and accessing data, fundamental questions have surfaced regarding the impact of this technology on the role of the Mufti. These questions explore the extent to which this technology can be utilized in the process of formulating fatwas without compromising Sharia foundations or the methodology of Ijtihad (independent legal reasoning).

The importance of this topic is heightened within the Mufti’s specialization, as they are directly responsible for governing the relationship between sacred texts, contemporary reality, and emerging technological means.

I. AI and its Importance in Scientific and Jurisprudential Research:

Artificial Intelligence is a technical system based on data processing and pattern extraction, enabling software to perform specific cognitive tasks. These technologies are described as supporting tools that assist a researcher in gaining a comprehensive grasp of scholarly material.

Currently, these systems can process vast amounts of text in a remarkably short time, offering precise indexing, comparisons between texts and opinions, and the ability to track evidence within its primary sources. Furthermore, AI helps link specific legal issues to their precedents and parallels across various schools of thought (Madhahib). It also facilitates the retrieval of legal maxims (Qawa’id) and principles (Usul) relevant to the issue at hand, providing the researcher with a broader vision and a more organized methodology [1].

II. The Unique Nature of Fatwa [2]:

A fatwa is distinguished from other scholarly activities by being the application of a Sharia ruling to a specific reality, necessitating a deep consideration of differences in circumstances, individuals, and environments, as well as an evaluation of consequences (Ma’alat), public interests (Masalih), and potential harms (Mafasid).

For this reason, scholars have stipulated several conditions for a Mufti [3], including:

1. Legal capacity (Taklif) and being a Muslim.

2. Piety (Wara’) and being free from transgressions or behaviors that undermine personal integrity (Muru’ah).

3. Profound understanding of sacred texts and their evidences.

4. Soundness of mind.

5. Understanding of contemporary reality and custom (’Urf).

6. Proficiency in the objectives of Sharia (Maqasid) and the scales of legal preference (Tarjih).

7. The ability to bear the responsibility and consequences of the religious verdict.

These characteristics make the fatwa a deeply human and intellectual endeavor that cannot be reduced to an automated response. Consequently, any machine or software is excluded from the actual domain of "issuing" a fatwa. However, this does not preclude a Mufti from benefiting from AI.

III. Areas Where a Mufti Can Benefit from AI [4]:

A Mufti can employ AI in fields that serve their work without influencing the essence of the fatwa, such as:

1. Gathering jurisprudential opinions and tracking the positions of scholars rapidly.

2. Indexing Sharia evidences and linking them to specific issues.

3. Assisting in defining the point of contention (Tahrir Mahall al-Niza’) in recurring cases.

4. Archiving previous fatwas and analyzing general trends.

5. Supporting institutional work within Fatwa Houses and Fiqh Academies.

Ultimately, it serves as a tool to aid Ijtihad, not as the Ijtihad itself.

IV. Risks of Using AI in Fatwa Issuance [5]:

Among the most serious risks facing a person seeking religious guidance (Mustafti) when using AI are:

1. Relying on automated answers without scholarly verification.

2. The absence of verification regarding the Mufti’s qualifications.

3. Misunderstanding resulting from brevity or taking texts out of context.

4. Overlooking the specific condition of the questioner and the unique context of the fatwa.

5. Confusing a formal fatwa with general education or guidance.

6. The exploitation of AI to spread extremist fatwas and ideologies.

This places a double responsibility on the Mufti to correct public awareness and clarify the difference between fatwa of Sharia and a mere technical response.

V. The Sharia Ruling from the Mufti’s Specialized Perspective:

From a foundational standpoint:

• AI is not a "Sharia Mufti," and a fatwa cannot be attributed to it.

• Its use is commendable only if it is subject to the Mufti's direct supervision.

• Religious responsibility is entirely shouldered by the Mufti, not the tool.

Consequently, it is not permissible for a Mufti to delegate the process of issuing fatwas to a machine, nor to relay a ruling without understanding its context and impact.

VI. Professional Guidelines for the Mufti in Dealing with AI [6]:

A Mufti should adhere to several guidelines, most importantly:

1. AI must serve the process of Ijtihad, not generate it.

2. All outputs must undergo a critical and scholarly review.

3. Adherence to the approved jurisprudential methodology of the Mufti’s respective institution.

4. Avoid using it in major contemporary calamities (Nawazil) except to understand the data of the case.

5. Clarifying to the questioner that the fatwa is a product of human Ijtihad and that AI was merely a tool.

In conclusion, the role of Artificial Intelligence remains within the framework of an auxiliary tool, not a substitute for the qualification of Ijtihad. The deep understanding of texts, the verification of the legal basis (Tahqiq al-Manat), the application of rulings to specific incidents, and the consideration of Sharia objectives and realistic factors are tasks that can only be undertaken by a qualified jurist who combines grounded knowledge with precise insight into reality.

AI lacks an understanding of higher objectives (Maqasid) and value-based perception; it operates within the data it is fed without distinguishing between the outweighed (Marjuh) and the preponderant (Rajih) opinions. Therefore, it is not fit for Ijtihad or fatwa. The proper jurisprudential approach to AI should be functional and critical—it should neither be rejected absolutely nor relied upon entirely. And Allah the Almighty knows best.

 

[1] Dr. Yasser Ahmed Ahmed Al-Fiqi, The Impact of Using Artificial Intelligence on the Development of the Contemporary Juridical Mind.

Available at: https://mkwn.journals.ekb.eg/article_433907.html

[2] See: Muhammad Taqi Usmani, The Principles and Etiquettes of Fatwa Issuance (Usul al-Iftaa wa Adabuhu), p. 8 and onwards.

[3] See: Imam al-Nawawi, The Etiquettes of Fatwa, the Mufti, and the Questioner (Adab al-Fatwa wa al-Mufti wa al-Mustafti).

[4] See: Hanan Mohammed bin Hussein Jastaniah, The Sharia Perspective on Using Generative Artificial Intelligence in Deriving Rulings and Sharia Fatwas (2025); and Dr. Maryam Ahmed Ali Al-Kandari, The Ruling on Using AI Programs (ChatGPT) in Fatwa, Journal of Sharia Sciences, 2025.

[5] See: Osama Abdel Alim Al-Sheikh, Rationalizing Fatwa in Light of Digital Challenges.

[6] The General Secretariat for Fatwa Authorities Worldwide, The Charter of Fatwa in Light of Digital Transformation.

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Summarized Fatawaa

A man led the people in prayer as imam, and at the end of the prayer he performed a prostration of forgetfulness (*sujūd al-sahw*) because he had omitted a short *sūrah* after al-Fātiḥah. What is the ruling on his prayer and that of those praying behind him?

 

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
According to the Shāfiʿī school, it is sunnah to recite a sūrah after al-Fātiḥah in the prayer. One who omits it has a valid prayer, and no prostration of forgetfulness (sujūd al-sahw) is prescribed for omitting it. If someone performs sujūd al-sahw for its omission while knowing the ruling and remembering it, his prayer is invalidated. But one who is ignorant of the ruling, or who did so out of forgetfulness, his prayer is not invalidated, because this is among the matters that are obscure to people, and ignorance of it is not restricted to those who recently entered Islam.
Shaykh al-Islām al-Shams al-Ramlī said in Nihāyat al-Muḥtāj ilā Sharḥ al-Minhāj (Vol.2/p.70): “The remaining sunnahs are not compensated for by prostration, such as the remembrances (adhkār) of bowing and prostration, that is, the opening supplication (duʿāʾ al-iftitāḥ) and the sūrah, in accordance with the base rule, because they are not of the same nature as what has been reported [as compensable]. If one prostrates for any of them deliberately, his prayer is invalidated, unless he is excused due to ignorance. As for the objection raised that the ignorant person does not know that sujūd al-sahw is prescribed, and whoever knows it knows its place, this is refuted by denying such a necessary connection, for the ignorant person may hear only that sujūd al-sahw is prescribed before the salām, and so assume that it applies to every sunnah and is not restricted to its prescribed place.”
This is among the matters that are obscure, in which the mukallaf is excused for ignorance, as stated by al-Shabrāmallisī in his Ḥāshiyah ʿalā Nihāyat al-Muḥtāj (Vol.2/p.70).
However, if the imam prostrates, and the follower (maʾmūm) presumes that his imam’s prostration is for a reason for which one does not prostrate, it is not permissible to follow him in it, so long as the follower knows the ruling.
Accordingly, the prayer of one who did not recite a sūrah after al-Fātiḥah is valid, and sujūd al-sahw is not prescribed for it. Whoever prostrates out of ignorance or forgetfulness, his prayer is valid, because this is among the issues hidden from the general public. But whoever prostrates while knowing the ruling and remembering it, his prayer is invalidated. And Allah Almighty knows best.

When does the time for Udhiyah begin?

 
In the Name of Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
The permissible timeframe for Udhiyah (sacrificial offering) begins on the day of Eid al-Adha—the 10th of Dhul-Hijjah—once the sun has risen and a period of time sufficient to perform two brief prayer units (Rak'ahs) and two short sermons (Khutbahs) has passed. This window remains open until the sun sets on the final day of Tashreeq, which is the 13th of Dhul-Hijjah.
 
Our Master, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), said: "Every valley of Mina is a place of sacrifice, and slaughtering may be done throughout all the days of Tashreeq." (Narrated by Al-Bayhaqi and Ibn Hibban)
 
The days of Tashreeq refer to the 11th, 12th, and 13th of Dhul-Hijjah.
 
The most virtuous time to perform the sacrifice is immediately after concluding the Eid prayer, based on the statement of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): "The first thing we do on this day of ours is to pray, then we return and offer our sacrifice. Whoever does that has acted in accordance with our Sunnah (tradition), and whoever slaughters before that, it is merely meat he has provided for his family; it has nothing to do with the ritual sacrifice." (Reported by Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
 
What is meant here is an estimation of time rather than the actual performance of the prayer itself, as our Master, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), used to offer the Eid al-Adha prayer immediately after sunrise.
 
The sacrifice is valid if performed at any time during these designated days, whether by day or by night, though slaughtering at night is considered disliked (Makruh). And Allah the Almighty Knows Best.

What is required of a traveler or a sick person if they broke their fast and then their excuse ceased?

If a traveler settles or a sick person recovers after having broken their fast, it is recommended for them to refrain from eating and drinking for the rest of the day, but it is not obligatory.

Is it permissible for one who sacrifices on behalf of another, with the latter's permission, to eat from the sacrifice?

It is permissible for someone who sacrificed on behalf of another with their permission to eat from it with their permission, and they stand in their place (act as their representative) in distributing it.
 
It is stated in Nihayat al-Muhtaj ila Sharh al-Minhaj (Vol.8/P.141): "And he—meaning the one sacrificing on his own behalf, provided he has not apostatized—has the right to eat from a voluntary sacrifice and his sacrificial gift; rather, it is recommended. As for an obligatory sacrifice, it is forbidden for him to eat from it, whether it was designated as such initially or as a liability in his dhimmah. And excluded by what has preceded is if he sacrifices on behalf of another, or if he apostatized, then it is not permissible for him to eat from it, just as it is absolutely impermissible to feed a disbeliever from it."(The text I found indicates the impermissibility of eating) ???
 
And it is stated in Hashiyat al-Jamal ‘ala Sharh al-Manhaj (Vol.5/P.262): "If a person offers a sacrifice on behalf of a living person with their permission, does he act as their representative in distributing it—on the grounds that permission to sacrifice is permission to distribute it—or does it depend on their explicit permission? This requires consideration, but the first view is not far-fetched." And Allah the Almighty knows best.

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