Surau Journal of Islamic Studies
Vol. 2 No. 2 (2026): Surau Journal of Islamic Studies

Who Speaks for Islam? Artificial Intelligence, Fatwa, and Religious Authority in Bangladesh

Jobeda Khanom (Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta, Indonesia)
Md. Tarequl Islam (University of Chittagong, Chittagong, Bangladesh)
Salma Nasrin (National University Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh)



Article Info

Publish Date
19 Jul 2026

Abstract

The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence has begun to exert a profound influence on religious knowledge production and dissemination within Muslim societies, raising urgent questions about authority, authenticity, and accountability. This article examines the implications of artificial intelligence for fatwa issuance and religious authority in Bangladesh, a Muslim-majority country where traditional Islamic scholarship increasingly intersects with digital technologies. As AI-powered systems generate instant responses to religious questions, the boundaries between scholarly interpretation and algorithmic output become blurred, challenging long-established epistemological foundations of Islamic jurisprudence. Drawing on a qualitative and conceptual analysis of scholarly literature published over the past decade, this study explores whether artificial intelligence can legitimately participate in the process of fatwa issuance or whether its role must remain limited to technical assistance. The analysis reveals that while artificial intelligence can enhance access to Islamic knowledge and support scholarly research, it lacks moral agency, contextual sensitivity, and accountability, which are essential for authoritative fatwa issuance. The article argues that unregulated reliance on AI risks fragmenting religious authority and misleading lay Muslims, particularly in digitally saturated environments such as Bangladesh. It concludes that Islamic religious authority must remain rooted in human scholarship, with artificial intelligence functioning strictly as a supplementary tool under institutional and ethical supervision.

Copyrights © 2026






Journal Info

Abbrev

surau

Publisher

Subject

Arts Economics, Econometrics & Finance Education Environmental Science Languange, Linguistic, Communication & Media Other

Description

Surau Journal of Islamic Studies (e-ISSN 3089-7580) is a peer-reviewed scientific journal published twice a year (in January and July) by MD Research Center. First published on January 9, 2025, this journal serves as a platform and forum for academicians and researchers interested in Islamic studies ...