Operationalizing Ushuliyah Principlesfor Ethical AI and Digital Legal Decision-Makingin Contemporary Islamic Law
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19360223Keywords:
Islamic digital law, Artificial Intelligence, Fatwa, Maqāṣid al-Sharī‘ah, Ethical AIAbstract
Background: The rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital platforms poses challenges for Islamic law in finance, fatwa formulation, and dispute resolution. Ushuliyah principles—al-Am, al-Khas, al-Amru, and an-Nahyu—offer a classical framework to guide Sharia-compliant AI implementation.
Methods: A systematic library review was conducted on 17 sources (peer-reviewed journals, classical fiqh texts, MUI and IIFA fatwas, 2022–2025), selected for relevance to AI, digital law, and Maqāṣid al-Sharī‘ah compliance.
Results: Al-Am and al-Khas provide general and context-specific rules for AI, ensuring Sharia-compliant outputs. Al-Amru and an-Nahyu guide commands and prohibitions. Illustrative applications include AI-assisted halal investment screening, predictive zakat distribution, and preliminary fatwa generation. Human oversight is essential to address ethical dilemmas and algorithmic bias.
Discussion: Applying Ushuliyah principles in AI governance demonstrates the operational relevance of classical jurisprudence. A hybrid model—AI efficiency plus scholarly discretion—supports ethical, Sharia-compliant digital decision-making.
Conclusion: Ushuliyah methodology offers a practical framework for ethical AI in Islamic digital law, balancing automation with human oversight and Maqāṣid-aligned outcomes.
Novelty: This study bridges classical jurisprudence and AI, providing actionable guidance for scholars, developers, and policymakers in contemporary Islamic legal contexts
Downloads
References
Abdullah, J. S., Jailani, M., & Nashihin, H. (2025). Contemporary fiqh framework in the era of digital transformation: New challenges and opportunities. At Turots: Jurnal Pendidikan Islam, 979–987. https://doi.org/10.51468/jpi.v7i2.1292
Abdullah, M. M., Awang, A. B., & Muhamad, N. H. N. (2022). The Analysis of Trust Instruments in Malaysia as Islamic Estate Planning: The Challenges and Effects. UUM Journal of Legal Studies, 13(1), 107–129.
Abdulrahman, M. M., & Walusimbi, A. H. M. (2024). Artificial Intelligence Use in the Issuance of Inheritance Fatwas: Evaluating GPT-3.5 Compliance with Islamic Legal Principles. Asy-Syari’ah, 26(2), 137–166. https://doi.org/10.15575/as.v26i2.37666
Ahmed, H. (2024). Security tokens, ecosystems and financial inclusion: Islamic perspectives. International Journal of Islamic and Middle Eastern Finance and Management, 17(4), 730–745. https://doi.org/10.1108/IMEFM-04-2024-0195
Ahyani, H., Parhan, P., Muhtolib, M., Berizi, A., Nurhasana, N., & Ahmad, M. Y. (2025). Fraud in the Digital Space: A Comparative Study of Jinayah Fiqh and Indonesian Criminal Law. Jurnal Hukum Islam, 23(1), Article 1. https://doi.org/10.28918/jhi.v23i1.02
Akmal, Z., & Usmani, S. A. A. (2024). Digital Rights and Women’s Empowerment in Pakistan: An Analysis of Contemporary Islamic Legal Perspectives in the Age of Social Media. MILRev: Metro Islamic Law Review, 3(1), Article 1. https://doi.org/10.32332/milrev.v3i1.8642
Albalawee, N., & Fahoum, A. S. A. (2023). Islamic legal perspectives on digital currencies and how they apply to Jordanian legislation (12:97). F1000Research. https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.128767.2
Alghifari, M., Safitri, N., Oktaviana, L., & Kurniati, K. (2024). Memahami Kaidah Ushuliyah Al-Am, Al-Khas, Al-Amru dan An-Nahyu Sebagai Metodologi Penetapan Hukum Islam. Aladalah: Jurnal Politik, Sosial, Hukum Dan Humaniora, 2(4), 199–221. https://doi.org/10.59246/aladalah.v2i4.992
Ali, H., & Aysan, A. F. (2025). Decoding digital signals: AI sentiment and financial performance at İslamic banks. Borsa Istanbul Review, 25(5), 953–971. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bir.2025.05.011
Alsaghir, M. (2023). Digital risks and Islamic FinTech: A road map to social justice and financial inclusion. Journal of Islamic Accounting and Business Research, 16(7), 1265–1282. https://doi.org/10.1108/JIABR-10-2022-0262
Azwarfajri, A., Sa’dan, S., Zakaria, S., & Yusuf, M. (2025). The Construction of Contemporary Maqasid: A Paradigm Shift from Textual to Contextual Approaches. Jurnal Pemikiran Islam, 5(2), 197–218. https://doi.org/10.22373/jpi.v5i2.32960
Chen, X., Miraz, M. H., Gazi, Md. A. I., Rahaman, Md. A., Habib, Md. M., & Hossain, A. I. (2022). Factors affecting cryptocurrency adoption in digital business transactions: The mediating role of customer satisfaction. Technology in Society, 70, 102059. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techsoc.2022.102059
Cromwell, J., Turkson, C., Dora, M., & Yamoah, F. A. (2025). Digital technologies for traceability and transparency in the global fish supply chains: A systematic review and future directions. Marine Policy, 178, 106700. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2025.106700
Dzuhriyan, A. R., Permana, S. I., & Gufron, M. K. A. (2024). Consumer Legal Protection in Online Transactions: Challenges and Opportunities in Indonesia’s Digital Economy. Justice Voice, 3(1), Article 1. https://doi.org/10.37893/jv.v3i1.1017
Habib, Z. (2025). Ethics of Artificial Intelligence in Maqāṣid Al-Sharīa’s Perspective. KARSA Journal of Social and Islamic Culture, 33(1), 105–134.
Harefa, S. (2025). The fundamental principles of Islamic law in the digital era: An ushul fiqh and maqashid Sharia approach. Journal of Islamic Law on Digital Economy and Business, 84–99. https://doi.org/10.20885/JILDEB.vol1.iss1.art6
Hidayatullah, M. S., & Fadillah, R. (2025). Integration of Artificial Intelligence and Islamic Financial Institutions in The Era of Society 5.0: Viewing from The Lens of Islamic Legal Maxims: Integrasi Kecerdasan Buatan dan Lembaga Keuangan Islam di Era Masyarakat 5.0: Tinjauan dari Perspektif Kaidah Hukum Islam. Jurnal Transformatif (Islamic Studies), 9(2), 110–124. https://doi.org/10.23971/tf.v9i2.10456
Kosadi, F., Ginting, W., & Merliana, V. (2021). Digital Receipts of Online Transactions in the Reconciliation Process and the Preparation of Financial Reports. Journal of Indonesian Economy and Business (JIEB), 36(1), Article 1. https://doi.org/10.22146/jieb.59884
Kutan, A. M. (2024). Digital revolution, blockchain technologies and central bank digital currencies: Implications for Asian economic cooperation. Asia and the Global Economy, 4(1), 100080. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aglobe.2024.100080
Mulyono, E., & Edris, M. M. A. M. (2025). From Jurisprudence to Algorithms: The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Contemporary Sharia Financial Decision-Making. Nusantara: Journal of Law Studies, 4(2), 129–142. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17341980
Nur, M., Nisa, S. M., Arhamzah, T. U. A., Sidqi, I., & Witro, D. (2025). From Text to Context: The Role of Kyai in Shaping Modern Islamic Inheritance Law. Al-Manahij: Jurnal Kajian Hukum Islam, 31–50. https://doi.org/10.24090/mnh.v19i1.9762
Prayogi, A., Nasrullah, R., & Setiawan, S. (2025). The evolution of fiqh in the digital era: Challenges and adaptations in islamic jurisprudence. The Journal of Religion and Communication Studies, 2(1), 15–25. https://doi.org/10.61511/jorcs.v2i1.2025.1751
Priantina, A., Uula, M. M., Aufa, & Herindar, E. (2025). AI in Fatwa Formulation: Transforming Sharia-Compliant Finance. Journal of Central Banking Law and Institutions, 4(3), 595–634. https://doi.org/10.21098/jcli.v4i3.446
Purkon, A., Buang, A. H., & Jamaludin, M. H. (2022). The Role of Supreme Court Jurisprudence in Development of Islamic Family Law in Indonesia. Al-Qadha : Jurnal Hukum Islam Dan Perundang-Undangan, 9(2), 362–376. https://doi.org/10.32505/qadha.v9i2.4111
Purkon, A., Hulliyah, K., & Rambe, M. S. (2025). Integration of Artificial Intelligence in Contemporary Ijtihad Process in Digital Era: Opportunities and Challenges from Maslahat Perspective. International Journal of Islamic Thought, 28, 11–23. https://doi.org/10.24035/ijit.28.2025.331
Qolbi, Y., R, M. I. A., Diana, & Sidqi, I. (2024). Geopolitics and Muslim Countries: Navigating Challenges and Opportunities in Contemporary International Political Dynamics. MILRev: Metro Islamic Law Review, 3(2), 217–235. https://doi.org/10.32332/milrev.v3i2.9910
Rahman, A., Irawanda, M., & Syukri. (2024). Islamic Ethical Guidance in the Digital Age: A Study of MUI Fatwas on Social Media Use in Indonesia. Parewa Saraq: Journal of Islamic Law and Fatwa Review, 3(1), 45–53. https://doi.org/10.64016/parewasaraq.v3i1.38
Rahman, M. E., Syahriani, F., & Jampa, W. (2024). Islamic Law in the Digital Era: Artificial Intelligence as A Revolutionary Legal Tool in The 21st Century. Al-Hurriyah: Jurnal Hukum Islam, 9(2), 102–115. https://doi.org/10.30983/al-hurriyah.v9i2.8545
ResearchFora. (2025). International conference on Law and Society (ICLS - 2025). https://researchfora.com/Conference/11784/ICLS/
Sidqi, I., Nisa, S. M., & Daini, H. S. (2023). Development of Artificial Intelligence in the Dispute Resolution of Religious Courts. Jurnal Hukum Islam, 21(1), Article 1. https://doi.org/10.28918/jhi_v21i1_04
Sudirman, S., Sutiah, S., & Supriyono, S. (2025). Islamic Law in the Era of Artificial Intelligence: A Systematic Literature Review. International Journal of Engineering, Science and Information Technology, 5(4), 321–328. https://doi.org/10.52088/ijesty.v5i4.1072
Sudirman, W. F. R., Alif, M. I., & Pratiwi, A. (2023). Does Heuristic Bias Matter for Long and Short-Term Investment Decision-Making During the COVID-19 Pandemic? Journal of Indonesian Economy and Business, 38(3), Article 3. https://doi.org/10.22146/jieb.v38i3.3666
Tege, S., Jangeed, D., & Soni, B. (2025). Exploring the role of digital technologies in promoting circular economy practices in the Indian agriculture sector. In M. Kumar, V. Agarwal, R. L. Gomes, & D. P. Panday (Eds.), Water Sustainability and Hydrological Extremes (pp. 333–357). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-443-21499-8.00017-9
Vagadia, B. (2020). Other Disruptive Technologies. In B. Vagadia (Ed.), Digital Disruption: Implications and opportunities for Economies, Society, Policy Makers and Business Leaders (pp. 263–270). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-54494-2_8
Yusuf, M. (2025). Reimagining Islamic Civilization in the Age of AI: Digital Humanities, Ethical Challenges, and Knowledge Production in the Muslim World. Islamic Civilization and History, 2(2), 145–169. https://doi.org/10.59784/n3vs2393
