Egypt’s Dar al-Ifta bans AI for Quran interpretation
Islamic authority rules ChatGPT unsuitable for religious guidance
#Egypt #Islam – Cairo-based Dar al-Ifta al-Misriyyah, Egypt’s governmental Islamic advisory and justiciary body, has issued a fatwa banning the use of artificial intelligence applications, including ChatGPT, for interpreting the Holy Quran. The ruling, published on the organisation’s website last month, states that relying independently or entirely on AI-generated interpretations is not permissable in Islam as it risks subjecting the Quran to conjecture, inaccuracies and misrepresentation. Established in 1895 as Egypt’s premier institute representing Islam and centre for Islamic legal research, Dar al-Ifta emphasised that Muslims seeking Quranic understanding should consult authentic tafsir works, qualified exegetes and credible religious institutions rather than AI systems.
SO WHAT? – The fatwa concerning AI fatwas is a significant ruling from a significant religious authority, and one that is sure to influence Islamic institutions globally. The ruling addresses fundamental theological concerns about maintaining interpretive authority and preventing unqualified AI systems from issuing potentially misleading religious guidance. On the other hand, many Islamic institutions including Dar al-Ifta have embraced digital communications, so the fatwa shouldn’t be interpreted as against the use of digital systems. The decision highlights tensions between technological accessibility and religious authenticity, but also the lack of knowledge and experience in the AI ecosystem regarding the training, testing and benchmarking of AI models on Islam and Islamic texts.
Here are some key points about the Dar al-Ifta AI ruling:
Dar al-Ifta al-Misriyyah, Egypt’s governmental Islamic advisory and justiciary body, has issued a fatwa declaring use of AI applications including ChatGPT for interpreting the Holy Quran as legally impermissible in Islam.
According to the ruling, AI models lack true comprehension of Quranic text, resulting in outputs that may contain factual errors, unverified material or content inconsistent with Islamic teachings.
The ruling, published on the institution’s website, states that relying independently or entirely on AI-generated interpretations is not permissable as it risks subjecting the Quran to conjecture, inaccuracies and misrepresentation. The ban is intended to preserve the Quran from assumption and unverified attribution.
Dar al-Ifta cited severe legal and methodological flaws in AI-based interpretation, including ignorance of source materials, inability to verify accuracy, lack of specialist oversight and absence of scientifically established interpretation methodology.
AI models generate answers based on automatic processing of materials collected from multiple sources in different languages and differing methodologies with contradictory references, some of which may be distorted, misrepresented or issued by unqualified entities.
The AI fatwa emphasised that proper Quranic understanding must be rooted in recognised books of tafsir and guidance from trusted scholars and established religious institutions, warning that abandoning authentic sources could result in confusion, doctrinal errors and unreliable explanations.
The ban limits followers from delving into Quranic meanings to those verified with interpretation tools and established rules used by interpreters and jurists, ensuring interpretations adhere to traditional scholarly standards and methodologies.
Established in 1895 (1313 AH), Dar al-Ifta al-Misriyyah operates as a governmental, non-profit organisation functioning independently at regional level, serving as Egypt’s premier institute representing Islam and offering Muslims religious guidance through issuing fatwas on everyday and contemporary issues.
ZOOM OUT – Despite concerns about the use of AI, Islamic institutions are embracing digital transformation, in particular to provide Islamic services to wider audiences. Dar al-Ifta launched a FatwaPro in June 2022, a smart mobile application designed to respond to religious inquiries from Muslims worldwide, particularly those in Western societies. The app handled 6,740 fatwas with 3,470 issued in 2024 alone. Platform inquiries are predominantly in English and French, with most users from the United States, Southeast Asia, the United Kingdom and the GCC. Meanwhile in Saudi Arabia, religious authorities introduced the Manara Robot at Mecca’s Grand Mosque during Ramadan last year. The AI-powered mobile robot is programmed to answer religious queries in multiple languages with access to an integrated database and direct video call connections to senior clerics enabling it to help with complex questions not previously stored.
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Using AI applications to obtain fatwas (Dar al-Ifta)