With the rapid advancements in science and technology, the world is facing an increasing number of modern challenges. These issues affect nearly every aspect of life, including beliefs, worship, financial dealings, social interactions, and ethics. Among them are brain death, cryptocurrency, NFTs, the metaverse, network marketing, DNA testing and lineage verification, dropshipping, halal and haram ingredients in food, lab-grown meat, machine slaughter, medical insurance, human milk banks, credit cards, artificial respirators, test-tube babies, digital commerce, and organ transplantation.
Addressing such complex matters — particularly in medicine, commerce, and modern science — requires specialized knowledge that only experts in the relevant fields can provide. When questions about these issues are presented to Islamic jurists, reputable Dar al-Ifta and qualified Muftis first consult experts in the relevant fields. Only after carefully understanding the nature of these issues, and relying on authentic expert opinions, do they issue fatwas with great caution.
However, observations suggest that some students of advanced Islamic jurisprudence (Takhassus) now turn to artificial intelligence tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, DeepSeek, and similar software to understand the nature of modern scientific issues. This practice raises several concerns:
- Lack of authentic sources: Students fail to access original scientific research and rely instead on incomplete or biased summaries.
- Shallow understanding: They often cannot grasp the true nature of scientific phenomena.
- Hidden influence: Since AI models may reflect external biases, students risk adopting views shaped by “outside forces.”
- Fabricated references: AI sometimes generates non-existent sources or misquotes real ones, undermining the credibility of fatwas.
- Damage to credibility: If such flawed research underpins a fatwa, it tarnishes the reputation of Muftis and Dar al-Ifta in the scientific world.
- Increased disagreements: Poorly grounded fatwas may fuel unnecessary scholarly disputes and spread unreliable opinions.
- Weak scholarly development: Students become overly dependent on AI, losing the habit of consulting genuine experts and engaging in deep research.
- Ripple effect: Such students, when later teaching or issuing fatwas, may pass on this flawed approach to others, causing long-term harm.
- Erosion of trust: Scientists, noticing the weak engagement of scholars, may distance themselves, leaving the Muslim community disadvantaged.
- Justifications instead of reform: Instead of correcting their reliance on AI, some students continue to defend its use, worsening the problem.
- Misplaced trust: AI software is mistakenly treated as if it were an actual scientific authority, leading to fatwas permitting matters that traditional scholars would never have allowed.
As a result, when some young Muftis fully rely on AI in issuing fatwas, they bypass engagement with real experts and authentic scientific research. Some even argue that Muftis should themselves master scientific disciplines without consulting specialists — a notion contrary to Islamic scholarly tradition.
The correct approach, as emphasized by leading scholars, is that religious jurists and scientists each remain within their domains. Muftis must seek expert input to determine the reality of new issues, while scientists and researchers must provide accurate knowledge. This division of responsibility protects society from imbalance and confusion.
Classical and contemporary jurists, including senior scholars like Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani, have clearly established the principle that in determining the reality of an issue, the opinions of experts are valid and even necessary. The Qur’anic verse “Ask the people of knowledge if you do not know” (al-Nahl: 43) has been cited as evidence, with “people of knowledge” referring to experts in their respective fields, whether Muslim or non-Muslim.
Numerous examples in classical fiqh show jurists relying on technical experts before issuing rulings. The recently published book “Ilm al-Fiqh aur Science” (Knowledge of Fiqh and Science) by Maulana Fidaullah Sahib, under the supervision of Mufti Taqi Usmani, provides extensive evidence of this.
Conclusion
Jurists throughout history have recognized the importance of consulting experts when addressing scientific and technical matters. While exceptions exist, the general rule is clear: fatwas on modern scientific issues must be based on expert knowledge, not surface-level information or AI-generated content. Students and Muftis who ignore this principle risk issuing invalid rulings, causing confusion, and damaging the credibility of Islamic scholarship.
