The Muslim does not begin with technology

When something new appears, Muslims sometimes make one of two mistakes.

The first is technological panic:

“This is new, therefore it is dangerous.”

The second is technological fascination:

“This is powerful, therefore we should use it everywhere.”

Neither approach is the methodology of Ahl al-Sunnah.

The Salafi approach begins with revelation and sound principles.

Technology is a means. Its ruling depends upon its nature, its use, its consequences and the presence or absence of prohibited matters.

Ibn Taymiyyah articulated a foundational distinction concerning worldly customs and practices: the default regarding ʿādāt—ordinary worldly affairs—is permissibility unless revelation establishes a prohibition, whereas acts of worship require evidence establishing their legitimacy. Contemporary discussions of AI have likewise applied this principle to specific uses of AI, while recognizing that a permissible technology can become impermissible through its application—for example, deception, impersonation or other prohibited conduct.

So there is nothing inherently Islamic or un-Islamic about:

• machine learning,
• neural networks,
• large language models,
• databases,
• search engines,
• retrieval systems,
• robotics,
• or generative AI.

They are tools.

The question is:

What are we doing with them?

A knife can prepare food or cause harm.

A database can preserve knowledge or facilitate oppression.

A camera can document reality or facilitate indecency.

A language model can help a student understand Arabic—or manufacture a fabricated hadith.

The tool does not remove moral responsibility from the person using it.

Allah says:

“Do not pursue that of which you have no knowledge.”
Qur’an 17:36

This ayah is extraordinarily relevant to the age of generative AI.

Because AI has made it easier than ever to appear knowledgeable without actually possessing knowledge.