Artificial intelligence (AI) has become enormously prominent in various industries in recent years, completely changing the way humans accomplish their daily activities, especially the educational process. While integrating AI technologies in educational settings might present new potential, there are drawbacks and challenges as well, particularly in the Islamic religious educational context. Therefore, the purpose of this chapter is to assess the viability of incorporating AI into Islamic religious educational settings by doing a thorough SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis. The chapter explores the benefits, drawbacks, opportunities, and risks of implementing AI in the context of Islamic education. Thus, the factors, both internal and external, that may have an impact on the effective integration of AI in Islamic educational environments are evaluated. Policymakers, educators, and other educational stakeholders may make well-informed judgments on the utilization of AI technologies in Islamic religious education by recognizing these analytical aspects.
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Artificial intelligence (AI) and other digital technologies (DT) are transforming several life aspects and changing how people learn, work, and interact. AI platforms have especially impacted the way we live and operate in several aspects of humanity because of their powerful and influential approaches, and they have generated much eagerness for their potential applications in the education sector (Shafik, 2024). Within the domain of Islamic Religious Education (IRE), which is firmly grounded in spiritual and ethical aspects, the use of AI calls for critical transparency, elucidation, and unbiasedness for both improving conventional teaching approaches and tackling persistent obstacles (Kausar et al., 2024). The rapid advancement of AI technology is leading to the convergence of analyzing the acceptability and effectiveness of a chatbot based on a large language model for Arabic learners, which is opening new opportunities for innovative learning methods and the spread of information (Zaimah et al., 2024).
AI-enabled virtual assistants, armed with advanced natural language processing skills, play a critical function in facilitating students' investigation of Islamic teachings. These virtual assistants like Google Assistant, Alexa, and Apple Siri possess the ability to respond to inquiries, participate in dialogues, and imitate debates over religious topics, providing a valuable complement to conventional classroom interactions and showing the possibilities of how these AI react to humanity (Thottoli et al., 2024). Virtual assistants Duolingo, Dr. Ivy, or Winston.ai are some of the tools that are having a profound impact on how students and parents interact with education, fundamentally changing the way learning takes place (Mesiono et al., 2024). Figure 1 demonstrates some of the AI applications in educational spaces.
Figure 1. Roles of AI in educational spaces (authors’ creation)
A nuanced approach is required to navigate the junction of tradition and innovation in Islamic education. Effective collaboration among educators, legislators, and religious academics is decisive in negotiating this intersection successfully, keeping laws at play (Strzelecki & ElArabawy, 2024). It is, therefore, crucial to value the advantages of AI while also ensuring the preservation of the genuine and human connection that is inherent in the instruction of Islamic concepts. Achieving a harmonious equilibrium between conventional practices and groundbreaking advancements guarantees that AI enriches the educational journey without compromising the fundamental principles of IRE, as was demonstrated in its application in the Holy Qur’an (Muttaqin, 2023).
Amongst the significance of AI, AI-driven technologies are automating administrative operations, enabling educators to dedicate additional time to innovative and interactive teaching methodologies (Nikmatullah et al., 2023). During the recent global Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, virtual classrooms through various DT platforms were extensively used since personal-to-person interaction could spread the virus (Utunen et al., 2022; World Health Organization, 2020), and chatbots and instructional technologies that can understand and respond to human language enhance the quality of learning by making it more interesting and participatory (Alrumiah & Al-Shargabi, 2023). In addition, AI aids in the creation of adaptive educational resources, offering immediate feedback and personalized instruction to pupils, thereby promoting a more profound comprehension of intricate topics.