Dr. Heba Salah

Senior Researcher & Interpreter

         As the 10th International Fatwa Conference of Egypt’s Dar al-Ifta approaches, the role of Artificial Intelligence in the realm of fatwa demands serious and thoughtful exploration. This year's conference, held under the theme “The Making of the Competent Mufti in the Age of Artificial Intelligence,” brings to the forefront the implications of AI’s accelerating integration into religious, social, and legal domains. It compels us to examine one of the most significant challenges of our time: How to maintain the adaptability and integrity of fatwa in an age of unprecedented technological transformation?

One critical area where this convergence becomes particularly relevant is in the realm of women’s issues—an area often shaped by deep-rooted traditions but now undergoing rapid change due to evolving societal roles and global developments. The question arises: Will AI help reshape how we understand and issue fatwas concerning women's roles, responsibilities, and rights?

Fatwa, by its very nature, is dynamic. Rooted in the principles of maqāṣid al-sharīʿah (the objectives of Islamic law), its formulation is meant to consider time, place, custom (ʿurf), and changing human conditions. This allows legal opinions to remain relevant across eras and cultures. In the age of AI, this adaptability faces both opportunities and challenges.

Today, many Muslim women no longer see their primary concerns as whether shaping eyebrows or removing hair is permissible, or whether they can work outside the home. Rather, they are asking deeper and more urgent questions: How can women contribute meaningfully to society while remaining faithful to Islamic values? What does financial independence mean in the context of family and social responsibility? How should Muslim women navigate digital spaces and technologies ethically and authentically?

To answer these questions, it is crucial to revive the spirit of inquiry and engagement that early Muslim women embodied. Fourteen centuries ago, the women of Madinah—especially the women of the Anṣār—were active participants in the religious and intellectual life of the community. They attended the gatherings of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), asked questions without hesitation, and contributed to shaping the moral and legal landscape of their time.

One striking example is Asmāʾ bint ʿUmays (may Allah be pleased with her), a woman of great wisdom, eloquence, and courage. She was married to Jaʿfar ibn Abī Ṭālib and emigrated with him to Abyssinia, returning later to Madinah. Asmāʾ was known for directly engaging the Prophet (PBUH) on complex and socially relevant issues. One of the most notable moments was her question about the spiritual status of women who migrated for the sake of Islam and whether their actions held the same value as those of men. She asked the Prophet (PBUH): “Are women included in this verse: ‘Indeed, the Muslim men and Muslim women, the believing men and believing women...’” [Qur’an 33:35] In response, the Prophet (PBUH) affirmed her concern, and Allah revealed the full verse explicitly mentioning believing women side by side with men—offering one of the most powerful Qur’anic affirmations of gender spiritual equality.

Asmāʾ and women like her exemplified the Qur’anic ethos of “So ask the people of knowledge if you do not know” (Qur’an 16:43). Their example demonstrates that seeking knowledge, challenging norms, and engaging in theological discourse was not only permitted for women, but encouraged.

Renowned scholars such as Imam al-Nawawī and Ibn Ḥajar have commented on the boldness of women during the Prophet’s time in seeking knowledge, and how their contributions enriched the Islamic tradition. Imam al-Dhahabī in Siyar Aʿlām al-Nubalāʾ recorded numerous instances of female Companions’ roles in ḥadīth transmission, legal discussions, and even issuing informal legal judgments within their households and communities.

In contrast, contemporary fatwas concerning women’s issues often remain narrowly confined to surface-level matters, while broader and more pressing concerns—such as public leadership, intellectual contribution, and ethical challenges in technology—are overlooked. Here, AI offers a promising tool. It can help scholars detect patterns, understand shifts in public sentiment, and assess the evolving priorities of Muslim women globally. It also holds potential to support competent muftis in providing well-contextualized, relevant fatwas that honor both tradition and the lived realities of today’s Muslim women.

Will AI replace the human element in fatwa issuance?

Certainly not. The role of AI is not to replace the mufti, but to support the process of ijtihād—a process that remains deeply human, ethical, and rooted in scholarship. AI can offer data-driven insight, but discernment, empathy, and spiritual wisdom remain irreplaceable.

Today, Muslim women are scientists, professors, entrepreneurs, content creators, and thought leaders. Their concerns have expanded from personal grooming to matters of leadership, climate justice, reproductive ethics, and digital integrity. The challenge for fatwa institutions is to respond to this expanded scope with depth and relevance, while remaining faithful to the principles of Shari’ah.

It is time to move beyond simply preserving tradition, and instead, to revive the Prophetic spirit that empowered women to ask, engage, learn, and lead. With AI as a tool—not a replacement—for human-guided fatwa, we can open new possibilities for dialogue, creativity, and justice in addressing women’s issues.

In this light, the 10th International Fatwa Conference holds the potential to chart a new path forward—one where religious institutions embrace technological advancement not as a threat, but as an opportunity to reconnect with the foundational principles of Islamic scholarship: relevance, compassion, and a deep understanding of human conditions.