Scholar Highlights AI's Potential to Advance Islamic Fiqh
Professor Abdolmajid Moballeghi of the Institute for Humanities and Cultural Studies made the statements in a local seminar on Sunday.
"AI can be analyzed from multiple angles," Moballeghi explained, "including whether it might eventually serve as a colleague to scholars or even act independently within Fiqh." He underscored the necessity for scholars to examine AI's ethical implications and potential rulings around its permissible uses.
Viewing Fiqh as a "knowledge system" and AI as a "technology," Moballeghi emphasized the unique alignment of AI’s capabilities with the structure of Fiqh.
“No other knowledge system in religious sciences directly addresses life’s practical concerns as Fiqh does,” he noted, emphasizing the parallels between the two fields.
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The professor elaborated on AI's capacity to mimic human processes such as learning and situational adaptability. AI, he said, is currently in its developmental "infancy," using a small fraction of global energy resources. However, Moballeghi predicted rapid advancements, noting that if AI’s energy demand were to increase, it would significantly shape the future.
He further differentiated between two types of AI advancement: "evolutionary," involving the development of more sophisticated algorithms, and "developmental," which generates new knowledge.
AI, according to Moballeghi, combines these with a third type—networked intelligence—creating a web of insights that goes beyond human capabilities.
"AI is conservatively innovative," he said, adding that it provides a vast scope of information quickly, surpassing human ability in data access and analysis.
On the potential AI holds for Fiqh, Moballeghi argued that existing jurisprudential methods align well with AI’s cautious, methodical approach, yet a philosophical methodology could enhance this further.
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Moballeghi encouraged a proactive approach in integrating AI with Fiqh, suggesting that AI's "methodological insights" could promote diversity of thought within jurisprudence, where scholars traditionally seek clear definitions on concepts like justice.
He highlighted the importance of custom-built AI tools in this context: “Creating an AI tailored to our intellectual heritage—an AI with neo-traditional insights—can help transcend the limits of old methodologies.”
"AI offers us a historic opportunity to elevate the methodology of Fiqh and legal studies," Moballeghi said. He stressed the need for a critical approach to AI’s potential impact on the "historical knowledge framework" within Islamic scholarship, framing it as a unique chance for intellectual growth.
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