Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Islamic Education: Reimagining Pedagogy, Ethics, and Learning Practices

Abstract

Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly transforming educational practices, including Islamic Religious Education (IRE), by enabling personalized learning, instructional assistance, content generation, assessment support, and broader access to knowledge. However, its integration into Islamic education raises distinctive pedagogical, ethical, and epistemological challenges concerning source authenticity, religious authority, academic integrity, teacher mediation, and responsible use. This study aims to examine how AI is reshaping Islamic education and to identify the pedagogical, ethical, epistemological, and learning-practice implications of its integration. A qualitative systematic literature review was conducted using relevant peer-reviewed literature published primarily between 2020 and 2026 and identified through major academic databases. The literature was analyzed thematically around AI-enhanced pedagogy, AI literacy, religious knowledge and epistemic authority, Islamic ethics, teacher and learner agency, assessment, and institutional governance. The findings indicate that AI has considerable potential to support personalized learning, instructional design, feedback, independent learning, and access to educational resources. Nevertheless, AI should function primarily as an assistive technology rather than a replacement for teachers or religious authorities. The study further demonstrates that effective AI integration requires critical AI literacy encompassing technical, ethical, critical, and epistemic competencies. Human verification remains particularly important when AI is used to access or generate religious knowledge. The study proposes a human-centred approach that integrates AI-enhanced pedagogy, critical AI literacy, Islamic ethical-epistemological guidance, human agency, and institutional governance. The study concludes that the future of Islamic education depends not merely on technological adoption but on the ability to align AI innovation with the intellectual, moral, spiritual, and human purposes of education.