Artificial intelligence is changing our world. ChatGPT writes essays. Self-driving cars navigate streets. Facial recognition unlocks phones. Medical robots perform surgeries.
But who decides what these machines should and should not do? Who sets the moral rules for algorithms that affect millions of lives?
A Muslim scholar from the United Arab Emirates University has provided a compelling answer. A study in the journal Religions. He established a complete ethical framework for artificial intelligence based on the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad.
Eight AI Ethics from the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (Simple Explanation)
| Ethical Principle | What It Means for AI | Evidence from Prophet’s Teachings |
|---|---|---|
| Legitimacy of design and function | AI should not be used for haram purposes like spying or making forbidden products | “Allah has cursed wine, its drinker, its server, its seller…” (Hadith) |
| Neutrality and impartiality | AI algorithms must not favor any race, gender, or group over another | “All people are the descendants of Adam, and Adam was created from dust” |
| Safety, control, and accountability | Humans must stay in control; creators are liable for AI-caused harm | “Whoever practices medicine without knowledge is liable for any harm caused” |
| Respect for privacy | AI must not spy, hack, or intrude into personal lives | “Whoever looks into people’s house without permission, gouge out his eye” |
| Regulated systems and laws | Governments must create clear laws for AI use and consequences | Principle of public interest (maslaha) allows rulers to make regulations |
| Environmental sustainability | AI should not pollute or waste natural resources | “There should be neither harm nor reciprocating harm” |
| Respect for property rights | AI must not steal data, intellectual property, or bank funds | “Your blood, your wealth, and your honor are sacred” |
| Balance between humans and machines | AI should not replace human jobs or dignity | “Let not a man outbid his brother in a sale” |
Source: Adapted from Al Kubaisi (2024), Religions journal
Why AI Needs Ethics, Urgently
The researcher begins with a sobering warning. Geoffrey Hinton, known as the “Godfather of AI,” resigned from Google to speak publicly about AI dangers. He told The New York Times that these advancements carry “profound risks to society and humanity.”
“Look at how it was five years ago, and how it is now,” Hinton said. “Imagine how things will progress. It’s frightening.”
Elon Musk and over a thousand experts, including Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, called for a temporary pause on AI development in March 2023. Google CEO Sundar Pichai urged for legal regulations, specifically warning about “deepfake videos” where real faces appear in malicious content without consent.
Why all this fear? Because AI raises complex ethical issues. Freedom of expression. Privacy. Surveillance. Data ownership. Bias. Discrimination. Information manipulation. Environmental impact. And the fundamental question: who is responsible when an autonomous machine harms someone?
Modern AI Concerns and Islamic Solutions from the Sunnah
| Modern AI Concern | Islamic Solution from Prophet’s Teachings | Practical Application |
|---|---|---|
| Algorithm bias against minorities | “He who calls for fanaticism is not one of us” | Test AI systems for racial or gender bias before deployment |
| Deepfakes and misinformation | “Do not be inquisitive, do not spy” | Watermark AI-generated content; verify sources |
| Job loss due to automation | “Let not a man outbid his brother in a sale” | Create new job categories; retrain workers |
| Environmental cost of AI servers | “There should be neither harm” | Use renewable energy for data centers |
| Hackers stealing personal data | “Whoever listens to private conversation… molten lead in his ear” | Strong encryption; user consent laws |
| Unaccountable AI decisions | “Whoever practices medicine without knowledge is liable” | Keep human oversight; clear liability rules |
| AI spreading hatred or extremism | “He who fights for fanaticism is not one of us” | Content moderation algorithms |
| Surveillance overreach | “The home is inviolable in all circumstances” | Limit government AI surveillance |
Source: Adapted from Al Kubaisi (2024)
Surprise: Muslims Invented Early Robots
Most people think artificial intelligence is purely a Western invention. The researcher corrects this misconception.
He highlights Badi Al-Zaman ibn Ismail Al-Jazari, who died in 1206 AH (approximately 1791 CE). Al-Jazari wrote a book called “The Integration of Knowledge and Beneficial Work in Making Tricks.” His attempts to develop intelligent machines earned him the title “Father of the Robot.”
Al-Jazari wrote in his introduction: “I composed this book to include some of the innovations I have developed, the fundamentals I have established, and the shapes I have invented, and I did not know that I was preceded to them.”
He also showed remarkable awareness of how technology evolves. “Each time and generation has its own language,” he said, “and every group of scholars has its own known terminology and familiar agreements.”
Another pioneer was Shihab Al-Din Ahmad ibn Idris Al-Qarafi, who passed away in 684 AH (1285 CE). He made moving statues in astronomical instruments. He described a candelabrum he built for King Al-Kamil. Every hour, a door would open, and a figure would come out to serve the king. At dawn, a figure would climb to the top and announce the morning. Al-Qarafi even made a walking animal that turned its head and whistled.
These scholars were not just engineers. They were also religious authorities. They combined faith and technology centuries before Silicon Valley existed.
Ethical Principle One: Design with Legitimacy
The first principle from the Sunnah is straightforward. AI should be designed for permissible purposes only. Do not create machines that manufacture prohibited items. Do not build algorithms that promote violence or corruption.
The Prophet Muhammad said: “Allah has cursed wine, its drinker, its server, its seller, its buyer, its presser, the one for whom it is pressed, the one who conveys it, and the one to whom it is conveyed.”
From this hadith, scholars derive a crucial rule. Prohibited means share the same ruling as prohibited ends. You cannot build an AI system to sell alcohol, promote gambling, or create pornographic content. The design itself becomes haram.
The researcher recommends consulting official fatwa bodies to determine whether new AI applications align with religious principles.
Ethical Principle Two: Neutrality Without Bias
Social media algorithms have a serious problem. They create “filter bubbles” and “echo chambers.” They amplify emotionally charged content. They spread misinformation.
The Sunnah demands the opposite. The Prophet Muhammad said: “All people are the descendants of Adam, and Adam was created from dust.” He also said: “He who calls for fanaticism is not one of us.”
Therefore, AI systems must treat all users equally. No preference based on race, gender, or social status. No manipulation of opinions. No intentional polarization.
The researcher notes that AI machines should provide services to everyone who needs them. Rich or poor. Young or old. From any country or background.
Ethical Principle Three: Safety, Control, and Accountability
Who is responsible when a self-driving car crashes? Who pays when a medical robot makes a surgical error? Who goes to jail when an autonomous weapon kills civilians?
The Prophet’s Sunnah provides clear answers. He said: “Indeed, Allah loves it when one of you does a job that he does it well.” And: “Indeed, Allah has prescribed perfection in everything.”
From these hadiths, the researcher derives the duty of excellence in craftsmanship. AI manufacturers must build safe, reliable systems. No cutting corners. No releasing untested products.
Even more directly, the Prophet said: “Whoever practices medicine without having any known medical knowledge is liable for any harm caused.” This applies to anyone who engages in an activity without proper competence.
The Prophet also established the famous rule: “There should be neither harm nor reciprocation of harm.” Anyone who causes harm must compensate for it.
Thus, AI developers cannot hide behind “the algorithm did it.” They are responsible. They must build kill switches, maintain human oversight, and accept liability for damages.
Ethical Principle Four: Privacy Is Sacred
Smart speakers listen in homes. Facial recognition cameras track people in public. Chatbots record private conversations. AI systems analyze personal data without consent.
The Sunnah forbids this firmly. The Prophet Muhammad said: “Beware of suspicion, for suspicion is the most false of speech. Do not be inquisitive, do not spy.”
He also warned: “Whoever looks into the house of people without their permission, it is permissible for them to gouge out his eye.” This is not literal permission to harm. It shows how seriously Islam takes privacy violations.
The Prophet also said: “Whoever listens to the private conversation of people who dislike it… molten lead will be poured into his ear on the Day of Resurrection.”
Based on these teachings, AI systems must be designed to protect user data. No hacking. No tracking without consent. No selling personal information. The user controls what is collected and how it is used.
The researcher cites the “Human Rights in Islam” document from the Organization of the Islamic Conference (1989). Article 19 states that every person has the right to independence in personal life, home, family, property, and communications. No spying. No monitoring. No arbitrary interference.
Ethical Principle Five: Governments Must Regulate AI
The researcher does not leave everything to individual conscience. He calls for clear laws and regulations.
Islamic law gives governing authorities the power to enact rules that serve the public interest. This includes setting consequences for robot crimes. What happens when a combat robot kills civilians? What happens when an autonomous car injures a pedestrian? What happens when a healthcare robot makes a fatal error?
Countries are already developing military AI. The United States expects combat robots to outnumber human soldiers by 2025. This makes regulation urgent, not optional.
The researcher asks difficult questions. How can a machine distinguish between civilians and soldiers? How much freedom should AI have to make its own decisions? Who controls the kill switch?
Without regulations, humanity faces enormous dangers.
Ethical Principle Six: Protect the Environment
AI requires massive computing power. Data centers consume huge amounts of electricity. They produce electronic waste. They pollute during both production and disposal.
The Sunnah demands environmental responsibility. The Prophet Muhammad said: “There should be neither harm nor reciprocating harm.” This is a major jurisprudential principle. Anything that causes harm to the environment is prohibited.
Thus, AI developers must consider sustainability. Use renewable energy. Reduce electronic waste. Balance potential benefits against environmental impacts. Make AI part of the solution to climate change, not part of the problem.
Ethical Principle Seven: Respect Property Rights
Intellectual property theft is rampant in the digital age. AI systems can copy writing, art, music, and code without permission. Hackers steal bank funds and personal data.
The Prophet Muhammad protected property rights explicitly. He said: “Your blood, your wealth, and your honor are sacred to one another.” And: “The blood, wealth, and honor of every Muslim are sacred to another Muslim.”
The researcher also notes that intellectual property qualifies as “wealth” deserving protection. The Prophet said that when a person dies, their deeds end except for three: ongoing charity, beneficial knowledge, or a righteous child who prays for them. Knowledge is valuable. Its theft is prohibited.
AI systems must therefore respect copyright, patents, and trade secrets. No scraping data without permission. No reproducing protected works. No hacking into institutional databases.
Ethical Principle Eight: Balance, Not Replacement
A famous 2013 Oxford University study predicted that 50% of jobs will disappear over the next four or five decades due to automation. Foxconn, one of the world’s largest electronics companies, laid off 60,000 workers in 2016 and replaced them with robots.
The Sunnah prohibits this kind of displacement without care. The Prophet said: “Let not a man outbid his brother in a sale.” This applies to a single transaction. How much more does it apply to a person’s entire livelihood?
The researcher argues that humanity must create a balance between machines and humans. Technology should serve people, not replace them. New jobs must be created. Workers must be retrained. Human dignity and economic security come before efficiency.
This does not mean rejecting AI. It means using it wisely, with compassion and justice.
The Recommendations and a Call to Action
The study concludes with several practical recommendations.
First, schools and universities must teach AI ethics. Students need to understand both the benefits and dangers of this technology. They need to know how to interact with it safely.
Second, official fatwa bodies must engage with AI issues. They should issue rulings, conduct research, and educate the public. The technology is advancing quickly. Religious guidance must keep pace.
Third, a comprehensive code of ethics should be developed for AI applications. This code should cover all the principles outlined above: legitimate design, neutrality, safety, privacy, regulation, sustainability, property rights, and balance.
Fourth, the researcher calls for an enlightened global dialog. Muslims should enter the AI era with insight and awareness. They should contribute their values to international discussions. They should not compromise their principles.
From the Godfather of AI to the Father of Robots
This study connects two seemingly distant worlds. On one side, Geoffrey Hinton warning about existential risks. On the other side, Al-Jazari building water clocks and musical robots eight centuries ago.
The researcher shows that Islamic civilization has always engaged with intelligent machines. Muslim scholars were not afraid of technology. They invented it. They improved it. But they also surrounded it with ethics derived from revelation.
Now, as AI becomes more powerful than ever before, those ethics are urgently needed. The Prophet Muhammad did not leave detailed instructions about neural networks or large language models. But he left principles. Legitimacy. Neutrality. Safety. Privacy. Regulation. Sustainability. Property. Balance.
These eight principles can guide Muslims through the AI revolution. They can also inform global discussions about the future of technology. Because the questions are the same in every culture. Who controls the machine? Who benefits? Who is harmed? Who is responsible?
The Prophet answered these questions 1,400 years ago. His answers still work today.
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