His Eminence Professor Dr. Nazir Mohammad Ayyad, Grand Mufti of Egypt and President of the General Secretariat for Fatwa Authorities Worldwide, inaugurated the 10th International Fatwa Conference, currently held under the theme “The Making of  the Competent Mufti in the Age of Artificial Intelligence” and under the esteemed patronage of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.

Dr. Ayyad emphasized that the digital revolution and the rise of AI require religious institutions to prepare a new generation of muftis capable of engaging with these technologies in a thoughtful and principled manner. The Grand Mufti stressed that issuing fatwas remains a profoundly human task, grounded in the fear of God, insight of the heart, and wisdom of purpose — qualities no machine can replicate. He called for the development of Shari’ah-based AI models subject to rigorous scholarly and maqāṣid-driven oversight, alongside the establishment of a global ethical charter to govern the interaction between sacred texts and technology.

Turning to the ongoing crisis in Gaza, the Grand Mufti described it as both a jurisprudential and humanitarian test, exposing the silence of the global conscience. He affirmed that supporting Gaza is not a political choice but a binding Shari’ah obligation and moral imperative. Highlighting the Israeli occupation’s use of AI to track and target civilians with deadly precision, he warned of the grave consequences when technology is divorced from ethical values. His Eminence appealed to people of conscience worldwide to stand with Gaza’s people, commending Egypt’s unwavering stance in rejecting all attempts to displace Palestinians or undermine their cause, and its steadfast commitment to defending their legitimate rights with honor and resolve.