Press Release
The Making of the "Righteous Mufti" in the Age of Artificial Intelligence
Creating Jurisprudence Tailored to the West and its Agent Rulers
(Translated)

Amid the political and intellectual collapse of the Islamic Ummah, and at a time when conspiracies against its religion and its rulings are escalating, the ruling regimes and their tools — the official religious institutions — are launching conferences bearing dazzling slogans and provocative technological terminology, lending their project to falsify religion a tinge of "modernization" and "development." This includes the conference "Creating the Right Mufti in the Age of Artificial Intelligence," organized by the Egyptian Dar al-Ifta under the direct patronage of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.

The title might suggest that the term "righteous mufti" refers to someone characterized by profound religious knowledge, piety, and adherence to religious texts, and that artificial intelligence is merely a tool to serve him. However, the word "righteous" here refers only to someone who is obedient to the ruler, controlled by his agenda, and programmed to issue fatwas that align with his policies and serve the interests of his masters in the West.

The era of artificial intelligence does not aim to employ technology to support Islam, but rather to harness it to regulate fatwas within a prescribed framework, thereby controlling fatwas and eliminating any legitimate opinion that opposes the regime's will or exposes its treason.

The conference comes at a time of rising popular anger over the policies of regimes in Muslim countries, and growing awareness among the Ummah of the rulers' betrayal of its fundamental principles, such as the Palestinian cause, alliances with the enemies of Islam, and the implementation of Kufr (disbelieving systems.

These regimes realize that a sincere fatwa that speaks the truth poses a threat to their survival, as it exposes the illegitimacy of their rule and makes them subject to the democracy of the kafir (infidel) West. Therefore, they are working to redefine the role of the mufti, from being a spokesman for Allah's rule based on religious evidence derived from revelation, to being a government employee who justifies decisions and adapts texts to align with state policies. In other words, his fatwa becomes based on whims, not revelation.

Artificial intelligence, in the context of this conference, is merely a tool for centralizing and controlling fatwas. Instead of Muslims asking a sincere scholar in their home or mosque, they are redirected to a "digital platform" under state supervision, where algorithms are designed according to political and security criteria, producing only authorized answers.

This means that the fatwa will be subject to dual oversight: first, human oversight by the official institution subordinate to the ruler; and second, technical oversight is programmed to filter out any content that violates the political line, condemns injustice, calls for jihad against the occupier, or demands the application of Sharia law to people's daily lives.

In their view, the "wise mufti" is the one who links fatwas to man-made laws and makes them a higher authority than Allah's judgment in practical application. He is the one who avoids anything that disturbs the ruler or threatens his interests, even if it is explicitly stated in Islamic law. He is the one who approves normalization with the kuffar and occupiers under the pretext of interests and balances. He is the one who justifies international treaties that contravene Islamic law by claiming them as "necessities" or "international obligations."

These conferences, in their very essence, fall under the category of changing and distorting religion, because their primary purpose is not to seek Allah's rule, but rather to dilute and domesticate this religion and create alternative rulings that are disguised as Islamic law, but which are, in essence, a submission to whims and a departure from Allah's (swt) path. Allah Almighty says:

[وَأَنِ احْكُم بَيْنَهُم بِمَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ وَلَا تَتَّبِعْ أَهْوَاءهُمْ] “And judge between them ˹O Prophet˺ by what Allah has revealed, and do not follow their desires.” [Al-Ma'idah: 49]. Ruling and issuing fatwas other than what Allah has revealed is a continuation of one's own whims and desires, pleasing rulers and their masters. This is something Allah has categorically forbidden. The Prophet (saw) also warned against evil scholars who sell their religion for worldly gain, saying:

«أَخْوَفُ مَا أَخَافُ عَلَى أُمَّتِي الْأَئِمَّةَ الْمُضِلُّونَ» “I fear for my people only the leaders who lead men astray.”

In principle, artificial intelligence can be a powerful tool for Islamic jurisprudence, by collecting texts, sorting opinions, and providing information to researchers. However, when regimes place it in the hands of their subordinate institutions, it becomes a dangerous tool for restricting fatwas and obscuring correct Islamic opinions. In this context, artificial intelligence becomes an extension of the security services, but with a scientific and technological face, such that the questioner thinks they are dealing with a neutral machine, when in reality they are being programmed with a political agenda.

The true purpose of this conference is not to develop fatwas, but rather to:

1. Tighten the grip on fatwas globally through the General Secretariat of Fatwa Authorities and Institutions Worldwide, making it a center that coordinates religious positions in a manner that serves the rulers.

2. Promote a tamed Islam that accepts artificial political borders, adherence to man-made laws, and normalization with enemies.

3. Neutralize fatwas from legitimate politics and distance them from the Ummah's crucial issues, such as the liberation of Palestine, the overthrow of oppressive regimes, and the rejection of Western hegemony.

4. Legitimize rulers' decisions, so that fatwas are readily available to justify every deal, agreement, or alliance, even with an occupying enemy.

These conferences pose a double threat:

First, they confuse concepts, as truth and falsehood are mixed under the banner of "moderation" and "righteousness."

Second, they produce a generation of muftis who dare not speak the truth and instead see their mission as justifying whatever the authorities want.

Third, they kill the spirit of ijtihad, because the digital platform will shorten the path by providing a unified answer that is not open to debate.

It is the duty of the Ummah, its scholars, preachers, and youth, to expose these conferences, clarify their true nature, and warn against adopting religion from official institutions that distort the meaning of the word. The issue of ijtihad and fatwa must also be restored to its natural place: speaking the truth to the oppressive ruler, not submitting to him. The Prophet (saw) said:

«أَفْضَلُ الْجِهَادِ كَلِمَةُ حَقٍّ عِنْدَ سُلْطَانٍ جَائِرٍ» “The most excellent jihad is when one speaks a true word in the presence of a tyrannical ruler.” The Ummah needs pious scholars, not employees or a “platform” driven by the threads of politics.

We warn Muslims against being deceived by the glitter of technology or flowery terms. The standard of truth is the Book of Allah (swt) and the Sunnah of His Messenger (saw), not what regime platforms or conferences produce. Let everyone know that artificial intelligence, no matter how powerful, cannot replace a faithful heart that fears Allah (swt) and a truthful tongue that speaks the truth. And that a fatwa is only valid if it is based solely on the rule of Allah's (swt) law, not on the dictates of the ruler or his software.

[إِذْ أَخَذَ اللَّهُ مِيثَاقَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ لَتُبَيِّنُنَّهُ لِلنَّاسِ وَلَا تَكْتُمُونَهُ فَنَبَذُوهُ وَرَاءَ ظُهُورِهِمْ وَاشْتَرَوْا بِهِ ثَمَناً قَلِيلاً ۖ فَبِئْسَ مَا يَشْتَرُونَ]

“˹Remember, O Prophet,˺ when Allah took the covenant of those who were given the Scripture to make it known to people and not hide it, yet they cast it behind their backs and traded it for a fleeting gain. What a miserable profit!” [Ali-i 'Imran: 187]

Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir
in Wilayah Egypt