Artificial Intelligence and the future of islamic thought: Navigating Epistemology and Ethics in the digital age

The world is currently experiencing an Artificial Intelligence (AI) revolution, a wave of innovation that presents profound ethical and philosophical challenges—ranging from issues of algorithmic autonomy and data bias to the shifting concept of scholarly authority. Given this, how should the rich Islamic intellectual tradition, which is grounded in the principles of justice and public interest (maslahat), respond to this transformative phenomenon? We must bridge the gap between rapid technological leaps and timeless religious wisdom. This abstract aims to analyze the crucial intersection between the advancement of AI and the foundations of Islamic Thought. The research focuses on three domains: (1) Islamic Epistemology (how AI redefines religious knowledge and authority), (2) Islamic Ethics (specifically the role of Maqasid Sharia as a normative framework for assessing the morality of AI development), and (3) Contemporary Fiqh (the potential and risks of AI in supporting the Ijtihad process and the formulation of digital fatwas). Our findings indicate that AI holds significant potential as a transformative tool to enrich Islamic studies, such as in the analysis of ancient texts and the personalization of da'wah (proselytizing). However, it also poses serious risks, including the marginalization of the role of traditional scholars (ulama) and the emergence of spiritual complacency among the Muslim community (ummah). Therefore, we must urge the necessity of a proactive Islamic ethical framework that does not merely react to technology, but actively guides and shapes the digital future based on fundamental Islamic values for the common good of humanity