Dear Hadi,
Dear Reader,
Thank you for your question. AI is fast becoming a ubiquitous part of our everyday lives, and as such, it is a good idea to give some thoughtful consideration to how to best use it.
In an earlier column, we noted the importance of needing to be very careful when using the word “haram.” Our approach to questions of halal and haram is guided by the general principle of Islamic jurisprudence that the basic nature of things is that they are halal (allowed) unless explicitly prohibited. In response to a previous reader’s question, we noted that this general principle was nicely summarized by Islamic scholar Yusuf Al-Qaradawi at the beginning of his book Al Halal wal Haram fil Islam (The Lawful and Prohibited in Islam). His first chapter heading is titled: “The Basic Asl’ (Principle) Refers to the Permissibility of Things.” In that chapter, he states: The first asl, or principle, established by Islam is that the things which Allah (SWT) has created and the benefits derived from them ae essentially for man’s use, and hence are permissible. Nothing is haram except what is prohibited by a sound and explicit nas (either a verse of the Quran or a clear, authentic and explicit sunnah) from the Law-Giver. If the nas is not sound, as for example in the case of a weak hadith, or if it is not explicit in stating the prohibition, the original principle of permissibility applies.”
While we don’t give fatwas in response to readers’ questions, we will give you our best opinion regarding your question. AI, as a computer system and technology, is neither inherently halal or haram. Rather, we believe what one does with AI is what determines whether the activity is permissible or should be avoided.
Your question is about using AI to pass the time, chatting with it and role-playing with it. If you are spending a modest amount of time using AI as entertainment, such as someone might watch a television program, and so long as the content and substance of your AI usage does not involve prohibited conduct or lead towards engaging in prohibited conduct, then we don’t see any problem with using AI in this way.
That being said, we do want to remind our readers and ourselves of the Prophet’s (pbuh) hadith in which he said that on the Day of Judgment, humans would be asked about five things: their lives and how they lived it, their youth and how they spent it, their wealth and how they earned it and spent it, and how they acted upon their knowledge. Many scholars, and we agree with them, find in this hadith a very important lesson about the need to use one’s time wisely, and purposefully. This does not mean that every minute of our day needs to be productive. We need relaxation and recreation as part of having a full and rich life. But we need to be on our guard about letting these things take up too much of our time in a way that is not productive, either for ourselves or in service to others. So, if someone were to spend several hours a day watching television, playing games on their phone, or using AI for recreational purposes, this, in our opinion, could become problematic, and should be avoided.
In peace.