Chief editor writes ✍️
IN his article “Artificial Intelligence between Technological Progress and Sharia Responsibility – A Contemporary Islamic Vision,” Nuriddin Xoliqnazarov offers a thoughtful and balanced engagement with one of the most pressing questions of our digital age: How can rapid technological advancement proceed without severing its ethical and spiritual anchors?
The author approaches artificial intelligence not as a disruptive force detached from humanity, but as a product of human intellect and creativity, entrusted to mankind within the broader framework of divine stewardship. From this perspective, technological progress is situated within the Qur’anic logic of utilization and discovery, rather than confrontation with faith or moral absolutes.
What gives the article its real depth, however, is not its recognition of innovation, but its insistence on ethical governance. Xoliqnazarov avoids technological romanticism, warning instead of the risks that emerge when algorithms operate without moral oversight—particularly in sensitive domains that shape collective conscience, most notably religion and legal-religious opinion (fatwa).
This awareness is most clearly articulated in his firm stance on religious verdicts. The author unequivocally asserts that artificial intelligence can never function as a mufti, regardless of its analytical sophistication. Fatwa is not a mechanical process of data retrieval; it is a deeply human act that requires contextual judgment, awareness of social realities, and moral accountability—qualities that no machine, by its very nature, can assume.
At the same time, the article does not exclude artificial intelligence from the religious sphere. Instead, it redefines its role as a supportive instrument rather than a substitute: a tool for organizing knowledge, facilitating access to Islamic sources, structuring inquiries, and assisting qualified scholars—without encroaching upon their authority or responsibility. This middle-ground approach rescues the discussion from the false binary of blind acceptance versus outright rejection.
Notably, the article moves beyond theory into practice, citing institutional experiences that demonstrate how artificial intelligence can be deployed to serve society—whether through organizing fatwa archives, enhancing transparency, reducing corruption, safeguarding humans in hazardous environments, or disseminating religious knowledge through modern platforms. These examples underscore a central conclusion: the real challenge lies not in the technology itself, but in the value system that directs its use.
In sum, Nuriddin Xoliqnazarov presents a mature and composed vision that reorders the relationship between human beings and machines, between modernity and religious authority. He argues convincingly that artificial intelligence, when governed by clear ethical and Sharia-based principles, can evolve from a source of anxiety into a civilizational asset—one that serves humanity rather than diminishes it.
The significance of this perspective is rooted in the author’s solid scholarly and religious background. Nuriddin Xoliqnazarov belongs to a contemporary intellectual current that seeks to harmonize Islamic tradition with modern transformations, engaging technological realities with confidence rather than fear, and with responsibility rather than surrender.
