The Egyptian Fatwa Authority answered a question regarding reliance on AI applications for interpreting the Quran, emphasizing that full reliance on such tools is forbidden in Sharia. Meanings of the Quran should not be received independently from AI, in order to preserve the sacred text from conjecture and incorrect attribution, and to restrict interpretation to qualified scholars and jurists.

The authority highlighted that the science of tafsir has high status and requires strict conditions: ethical and spiritual conditions like correct belief, sincerity, and good character; scientific and knowledge-based conditions such as mastery of Arabic language and its sciences, jurisprudence, Hadith, Qur’anic readings, and reasons for revelation; and methodological conditions including interpreting the Quran by the Quran first, then by prophetic traditions, then the companions’ and followers’ opinions, and finally through informed scholarly reasoning.

Regarding AI, the Fatwa clarified that programs like ChatGPT process textual data mechanically without real understanding or deliberate comprehension of Quranic meanings. Therefore, any interpretations produced may be inaccurate and lack the required scholarly and religious standards.

The Fatwa concluded that relying on AI for Quranic interpretation amounts to prohibited personal opinion (tafsir bi al-ra’y), and the proper approach is to refer to established tafsir works and consult trustworthy, qualified scholars to ensure correct and faithful understanding of the Quran.