Artificial Intelligence and Islamic Jurisprudence: Ethical Challenges and Fiqhi Responses

Abstract

This article examines the ethical and jurisprudential implications of artificial intelligence within the framework of Islamic law. It argues that AI is not merely a technical innovation but a moral, legal, and social phenomenon that affects religious authority, finance, medicine, privacy, family life, governance, and human accountability. Drawing upon the principles of usul al-fiqh, ijtihad, qiyas, maslahah, sadd al-dhara’i, legal maxims, and maqasid al-Shariah, the study highlights the capacity of Islamic jurisprudence to respond to emerging technologies without abandoning its revelatory foundations. The article shows that AI can serve beneficial purposes, such as improving healthcare, supporting Islamic finance, organizing religious knowledge, enhancing education, and strengthening governance. However, it also creates serious risks, including algorithmic bias, surveillance, misinformation, deepfakes, unreliable AI-generated fatwas, financial uncertainty, medical liability, and erosion of human moral agency. The study emphasizes that machines cannot possess taklif, niyyah, or moral responsibility; therefore, accountability must remain with developers, users, institutions, regulators, and qualified human experts. It further proposes that AI governance in Muslim societies should be grounded in transparency, human oversight, Shariah review, privacy protection, fairness, harm prevention, and public welfare. By comparing global AI ethics with Islamic jurisprudence, the article demonstrates both convergence and distinction: while both frameworks value justice and accountability, 'Islamic law grounds these values in divine guidance and maqasid. The article concludes that AI should remain a servant of ethical human responsibility, not a replacement for moral judgment. Future research should develop practical fiqhi models for AI liability, fatwa assistance, bioethics, and digital family ethics.