Rapid digitalization has marked a new stage in the development of human civilization in the XXI century, including religion. In its turn, Islam has always placed great emphasis on learning and progress. Muslims, likewise representatives of other religions, actively use modern devices, join virtual communities and produce a growing number of digital and media products. A vivid example of the active engagement of Muslim community in the field of information technology can be the Halal Guide application, which provides a wide range of services from finding a mosque to ordering halal food. The project by Russian IT specialist Ayrat Kasimov serves as a guide for Muslims around the world.
The Russian Spiritual Administration of Muslims is eager to support such projects designed to make life easier not only for coreligionists, but also for people in general. However, while simplifying human life, technologies themselves are becoming more complex and sophisticated. The official website of the Council of Muftis of Russia proudly presents an intellectual achievement of young biophysicist Ansar Zhalyalov, a parishioner of the Historical Mosque. The scholar is one of the founders of the Cell.Al Company, which trains a neural network to analyze the image of blood cells obtained with a microscope. The innovation can be used on modern smartphones and can diagnose a number of diseases.
Neural networks, which are penetrating diverse spheres of social life, are a method of artificial intelligence (AI) training in which computers learn to process data in a manner similar to the human brain. The Islamic community, as an integral part of modern civilization, is excited by the prospects of rapid development of intellectual technologies. At the XIV International Muslim Forum, “Islam and Problems of Globalization”, Chairman of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of the Russian Federation Mufti Sheikh Ravil Gaynutdin noted the growing anxiety of the average person before the results of technological progress.
Some scholars from the Muslim world are also concerned about the negative influence of AI on religion. Ahmet Dah, a professor of sociology at Uludag University in Türkiye, shared the main challenges of machine training in an interview with Milliet newspaper. Among others, he named the secular nature of research, which may lead to artificial intelligence’s misunderstanding of religion, ethics and traditions. In the professor’s opinion, the possible risks require us to fix the problems rather than abandon the technology, and gave the example of a knife – people continue using it despite the fact that it is a cold weapon.
Two Pakistani scholars, Junaid Qadir and Amana Raqib, have been working together to explore machine training from the perspective of Islamic ethical tradition. One of the results of their collaboration explores the topic of combating misinformation generated by neural networks. Junaid Qadir is currently a professor of computer engineering at Qatar University. Professor Amana Raqib, who teaches philosophy and ethics at the Karachi Institute, sees liberal regulation of AI technologies as an accelerator of a moral crisis in the Islamic world, where colonial values are displacing traditional worldviews.
In Islam, anything new, as long as it does not concern doctrine, is permissible in the absence of evidence of prohibition. The Holy Quran describes man-made objects and inventions, such as ships, as blessings and signs of the favor of Almighty Allah. There is no evidence that prohibits or discourages artificial intelligence. However, the technology should be used in a way that is beneficial and does not contradict the human essence of the religion. AI should be trained and improved, gradually approaching the issues of the relevance of its work to the legal, cultural, religious and social aspects of people.
The wave of global interest in the potential of AI has even reached Iran’s clerics and preachers, who have begun to explore how the technology can help in the field of issuing fatwas. Mohammad Qutbi, who heads Iran’s official clergy training organization, said it would be impossible to replace theologians with robots, but they could prove to be reliable aides, reducing the time it takes to issue rulings.
Neural networks represent a mathematical algorithm. Notably, the word “algorithm” is derived from the name of Al-Khwarizmi, the IX century Central Asian or Persian mathematical scientist who first introduced the concept. In the XXI century, the United Arab Emirates is home to the world’s first Mohammed Zayed University for Artificial Intelligence, a new model of research community, with access to advanced AI systems and state-of-the-art laboratories. Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan is the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, who has long championed the development of the UAE through knowledge and scientific thinking.
Recently, the Arab Emirates has become synonymous with progress and advanced development. The country is positioned as the first in the Arab world to implement AI in all spheres of life. Education using artificial intelligence is another global project of the UAE. Personalized and adapted learning, automation of routine learning processes, and many other factors undoubtedly form the strengths of using AI in education. But the technology lurks challenges and threats – there is the possibility of unemployment for teachers, financial problems, and decreased student thinking. Besides, the lack of emotional engagement of learning systems is clearly a weakness of this kind of education system.
Russian regions with predominantly Muslim population are also discussing the introduction of AI into important spheres of human life. In 2022, the Maikop State technological University, located in the Republic of Adygea, hosted a roundtable dedicated to the topic of intellectual technologies in medicine. At the Federal Educational Marathon “Knowledge. First” in spring 2023, a lecture on “Integration of Neural Networks in the Educational Environment” was given by Islam Baliyev, chairman of the Council of Young Scientists and Specialists of Chechen State University. It is worth noting that in 2022, the market volume of AI products in Russia reached 650 billion rubles. The introduction of smart technologies into large Russian organizations is taken place with the support of the Government.
In Saudi Arabia, the Grand Mosque of Mecca has launched robots whose job is to help pilgrims perform rituals. The robots, equipped with AI, know 11 languages. Artificial intelligence can help people from all over the world understand each other better, But no technology is inherently constructive and destructive, and depends on the intentions of people who use it. Islam teaches its followers to strive for new knowledge, to constantly learn from both Muslims and representatives of other faiths, without losing sight of possible threats and risks – the inevitable companions of technological progress.
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