The Legitimacy of Relying on Artificial Intelligence and Its Guidelines in Determining Islamic Legal Rulings: A Jurisprudential Study

This study investigates the legitimacy of relying on Artificial Intelligence (AI) in deriving Islamic legal rulings (fatwas), and outlines the necessary legal, technical, and ethical safeguards. The research poses a central question: Can AI serve as an independent agent of ijtihad (Islamic legal reasoning)? Using descriptive, analytical, and comparative methodologies, the paper examines practical cases such as fatwa chatbots, automated contract systems, and forensic image analysis in Sharia contexts. The findings confirm that AI lacks the qualifications required for legal and moral accountability—such as consciousness, intention, and jurisprudential reasoning—and therefore cannot independently issue fatwas. However, AI can be employed as an auxiliary tool under strict scholarly supervision. The paper concludes with a set of comprehensive guidelines ensuring the integration of AI into Islamic jurisprudence remains subservient to established doctrinal authority.