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The integration of artificial intelligence in the field of IFTA ‘, either the processes of emission of a fatwa, or the legal interpretation of Islamic law, opens up unprecedented perspectives but imposes, more than ever, rigor, prudence and anchoring in the foundations of Sharia law. This was said, this Tuesday, Youcef Belmehdi, Minister of Religious Affairs and Wakfs said during the 10ᵉ World Congress of Fatwa in Cairo.
Belmehdi said that “the technological transformations we are experiencing, in particular the emergence of artificial intelligence in the field of religious orientation and fatwa, place us in the face of new responsibilities that we cannot ignore”, at the opening of the congress organized under the theme “The manufacture of the wise mufti in the era of artificial intelligence” by Dar Al Ifta ‘of Egypt and the General Secretariat Fatwa instances in the world.
Faced with representatives of more than seventy countries, including ministers, muftis, leading ambassadors and religious figures, Mr. Belmehdi thus delivered a plea in favor of a 12th century mufti, rooted in Sharia law but fully aware of technological changes in a world governed by data and algorithm.
The Minister also defended a demanding vision of the role of Mufti in the digital age, believing that it is no longer “a simple custodian of texts” or “a mechanical transmitter of opinion”, but a scholar of sharia, aware of reality, endowed with intellectual and technical tools of his time. He would also be able to produce a founded, rational and reliable fatwa, which serves interest and dismisses the damage. He noted that “the integration of AI into the Fatwa process represents a pivotal step”, thanks to the availability of colossal databases bringing together millions of fatwas and jurisprudential reviews, allowing unprecedented access to the Muslim legal inheritance.
For Mr. Belmehdi, current changes impose on religious and Ifta ‘institutions to rethink the face of the Mufti, by revising his training, his skills and his responsibilities. He recommended the imperative to combine legal rigor and technical control in order to arm the MUFTI in the face of digital challenges, the objective being to provide it with AI tools while preserving Sharia laws, and to use technology to modernize the management, archiving and documentation of Fatwa data. It is, according to him, by reconciling traditional knowledge and modern tools that institutional performance can be improved and the sustainability of the services guaranteed.
If he recognizes the contributions of AI, Mr. Belmehdi also points out the limits. He argued that “the machine is not aware of human contexts and that it does not perceive the psychological and social realities of the applicants, the spirit of the texts, the finality of the laws”. He also stressed that AI cannot reproduce the interpretation effort, anchored in the higher objectives of Sharia law, nor adapt the responses to developments in time and space. In addition, its massive use risks breaking the educational and spiritual relationship between the Mufti and the faithful.
Essential safeguards
In this context, the Minister described the new MUFTI’s new missions in the digital environment. This must systematically check the sources before issuing an opinion, control the reliability of the applications on which it is based and proactively correcting errors before their diffusion. It must also expand the scope of authentic fatwas by disseminating them in several languages and dialects in order to prevent drifts and reach various audiences.
Belmehdi pleaded for the establishment of a real “cognitive shield” against manipulations of religious content. This involves awareness programs, rigorous monitoring of false fatwas circulating online, close cooperation with the authorities responsible for the fight against digital disinformation, as well as by creating organized and analyzed databases to better understand the needs of the public and respond precisely to their concerns.
On the other hand, he highlighted the fact that “contemporary reality does not allow to turn his back on technology. On the contrary, it is to integrate it intelligently, to master it and to put it at the service of the common good ”. Among the tracks he evokes are the use of automated fatwas generation systems placed under human supervision, the creation of international cooperation platforms between Fatwa bodies and the sharing of experiences, especially in the digital field.
However, the minister warned against “non -supervised automated fatwas”, often produced from unreliable or disconnected sources from recognized legal methodologies. He called to impose safeguards to guard against these risks of slippage, in particular through compulsory human rereading, the exclusive use of credible legal schools, the prohibition of scientifically supervised software, the preservation of the confidentiality of the applicants, the use of AI models specifically trained in a reliable Islamic framework and the integration of automatic verification and revision mechanisms.
Youcef Belmehdi concluded his speech by declaring that “the wise mufti is no longer a luxury, but a religious and societal necessity in the era of digital globalization”. He assured that forming a mufti capable of integrating AI with discernment is to invest in social peace, intellectual security and the transmission of enlightened religious knowledge, capable of adapting to modernity without ever submitting to its drifts.