Artificial Intelligence in Islamic Studies Courses
Opportunities and Limitations in Islamic Higher Education from Student Perspectives
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35723/ajie.v9i3.234Keywords:
Artificial Intelligence, Islamic Studies Courses, Islamic Higher EducationAbstract
This study examines AI's dual impact in Islamic Studies courses at PTIs, addressing the gap in student perspectives on benefits/limitations. Amidst digital transformation and the need to align technology with Islamic values, this study examines how AI facilitates or impedes spiritually deep learning, thereby guiding ethical integration that preserves core pedagogical principles. A qualitative case study design approach was used, with data collected through semi-structured interviews with 11 active AI student users, participant observation of AI use in lectures, and analysis of AI-assisted lecture documents. Braun and Clarke's thematic data analysis model was applied, with cross-source triangulation to ensure validity. Five key benefits emerged: enhanced efficiency (e.g., rapid drafting), broader access to references, improved conceptual understanding, practical academic support, and enriched learning processes. Conversely, five limitations were identified: deficits in contextual religious knowledge (e.g., oversimplifying sacred texts), accuracy/reliability issues, inadequate referencing, academic dependency (reduced critical thinking), and technical barriers (e.g., internet instability). Findings reflect a single institution’s student cohort, limiting generalizability; variability in AI tool quality among participants may also influence results. Implications include the need for AI literacy modules, specialized Islamic datasets, and offline AI solutions to address inequities in resource-limited regions. This research pioneers two frameworks of AI-Ready Islamic Pedagogy (Critical Verification, Contextual Adaptation, Balanced Integration) and Hybrid Epistemology (combining AI pattern recognition with sanad-based knowledge validation).
References
[1] Abdelnour, M. G. (2025). Artificial Intelligence and the Islamic Theology of Technology: From “Means” to “Meanings” and from “Minds” to “Hearts.” In Religions (Vol. 16, Issue 6, pp. 1–15). https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16060796
[2] Abdullah, M. A. (2017). Islamic Studies in Higher Education in Indonesia: Challenges, Impact and Prospects for the World Community. Al-Jāmi‘ah: Journal of Islamic Studies, 55(2), 391–426. https://doi.org/10.14421/ajis.2017.552.391-426
[3] Achruh, Rapi, M., Rusdi, M., & Idris, R. (2024). Challenges and Opportunities of Artificial Intelligence Adoption in Islamic Education in Indonesian Higher Education Institutions. International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research, 23(11), 423–443. https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.23.11.22
[4] Adigun, O. J., & Afolaranmi, A. O. (2024). Prospects and Contests of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on Religion and Society. International Journal of Social Sciences and Management Research, 10(11), 244–255. https://doi.org/10.56201/ijssmr.v10.no11.2024.pg.244.255
[5] Al-Badani, G., & Alsubari, A. (2024). Evaluating Artificial Intelligence Bias in Answering Religious Questions. 2024 4th International Conference on Emerging Smart Technologies and Applications (ESmarTA), 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1109/eSmarTA62850.2024.10638857
[6] Al-Momani, I. (2025). Ethical Challenges for Using Artificial Intelligence in Understanding Islamic Jurisprudence. Salud, Ciencia y Tecnología - Serie de Conferencias, 4, 1519. https://doi.org/10.56294/sctconf20251519
[7] Benavides, L. M. C., Arias, J. A. T., & Burgos, D. (2023). Digital Transformation in Higher Education Institutions Implementation Model. In Lecture Notes in Educational Technology (Issue March). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-0942-1_127
[8] Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2019). Reflecting on Reflexive Thematic Analysis. Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health, 11(4), 589–597. https://doi.org/10.1080/2159676X.2019.1628806
[9] Budiman, M., Wijaya, M. M., Rizkillah, R. W., Noor, I. H., Safuan, S., & Destriana, R. (2024). Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Islam: Building Ethics and Solutions Based on Tawhid. Proceeding of the International Conference on Religious Education and Cross-Cultural Understanding, 1(2), 60–76. https://prosiding.aripi.or.id/index.php/ICGEL%0AArtificial
[10] Campbell, H. A., & Tsuria, R. (Eds.). (2021). Introduction to the study of digital religion. In Digital religion: understanding religious practice in digital media (pp. 1–21). Routledge.
[11] Chen, L., Chen, P., & Lin, Z. (2020). Artificial Intelligence in Education: A Review. IEEE Access, 8, 75264–75278. https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2020.2988510
[12] Djazilan, M. S., Rulyansah, A., & Rihlah, J. (2024). Why AI is Essential for the Future of Islamic Education: A Call for Ethical and Effective Implementation. Edukasia: Jurnal Pendidikan Dan Pembelajaran, 5(2), 201–216. https://doi.org/10.62775/edukasia.v5i2.1373
[13] El Ganadi, A., Aftar, S., Gagliardelli, L., & Ruozzi, F. (2025). Generative AI for Islamic Texts: The EMAN Framework for Mitigating GPT Hallucinations. International Conference on Agents and Artificial Intelligence, 3(Icaart), 1221–1228. https://doi.org/10.5220/0013312800003890
[14] Favirotus Siyam, F., Hidayat, R., Rochmat, C. S., Maulaya, R. D., Avilya, A., & Maulidi, M. B. (2024). Accuracy Analysis of Artificial Intelligence in Arabic Language Translation and Grammatical Rule Mapping. Jurnal Al Bayan: Jurnal Jurusan Pendidikan Bahasa Arab, 16(2), 558. https://doi.org/10.24042/albayan.v16i2.24588
[15] Fu, Y., Weng, Z., & Wang, J. (2024). Examining AI Use in Educational Contexts: A Scoping Meta-Review and Bibliometric Analysis. In International Journal of Artificial Intelligence in Education. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40593-024-00442-w
[16] Hanum, G. K., Syahputra, M., Suryono, W., Rukiyanto, B. A., & Hariyadi, S. (2025). The Role of AI in Scaling Global Access to Quality Education in Low-Resource Regions. Journal Emerging Technologies in Education, 2(5), 407–419. https://doi.org/10.70177/jete.v2i5.1366
[17] Haßler, B., Hassan, M., Klune, C., Mansour, H., & Friese, L. (2024). Using AI to Automate the Literature Review Process: A Topic Brief. EdTech Hub. https://doi.org/10.53832/edtechhub.1003
[18] Holmes, W., Porayska-Pomsta, K., Holstein, K., Sutherland, E., Baker, T., Shum, S. B., Santos, O. C., Rodrigo, M. T., Cukurova, M., Bittencourt, I. I., & Koedinger, K. R. (2022). Ethics of AI in Education: Towards a Community-Wide Framework. International Journal of Artificial Intelligence in Education, 32(3), 504–526. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40593-021-00239-1
[19] Issa, U. A., & Mustapha, I. (2025). Islamic Perspectives on the Use of Artificial Intelligence Tools for Achieving Sustainability in Education. Rima International Journal of Education (RIJE), 4(1), 76–86. https://rijessu.com/volume-4/islamic-perspectives-on-the-use-of-artificial-intelligence-tools-for-achieving-sustainability-in-education/
[20] Karim, A. (2025). Integration of AI Tools in Islamic Education Curriculum Development Management: Challenges and Opportunities. SSRN Electronic Journal, 1(June), 117–132. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5044475
[21] Khan, M. A., Rehman, A., Shah, A. A., Abbas, S., Alharbi, M., Ahmad, M., & Ghazal, T. M. (2025). Navigating The Future of Higher Education in Saudi Arabia: Implementing AI, Machine Learning, and Big Data for Sustainable University Development. Discover Sustainability, 6(1), 495. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43621-025-01388-2
[22] Mudrik, M., Almujahid, A., & Juniarni, C. (2024). Islam and Artificial Intelligence (AI): Ethical Considerations and the Potential Impact on Islamic Societies. Islamic Studies Journal (ISLAM), 1(3), 112–122. https://doi.org/10.62207
[23] Mustafa, M. Y., Tlili, A., Lampropoulos, G., Huang, R., Jandrić, P., Zhao, J., Salha, S., Xu, L., Panda, S., Kinshuk, López-Pernas, S., & Saqr, M. (2024). A Systematic Review of Literature Reviews on Artificial Intelligence in Education (AIED): A Roadmap to A Future Research Agenda. Smart Learning Environments, 11(1), 59. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40561-024-00350-5
[24] Piercy, G. (2013). Transformative Learning Theory and Spirituality: A Whole-Person Approach. Journal of Instructional Research, 2, 30–42.
[25] Popenici, S. A. D., & Kerr, S. (2017). Exploring The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Teaching and Learning in Higher Education. Research and Practice in Technology Enhanced Learning, 12(1), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41039-017-0062-8
[26] Qian, L., Cao, W., & Chen, L. (2025). Influence of Artificial Intelligence on Higher Education Reform and Talent Cultivation in The Digital Intelligence Era. Scientific Reports, 15(1), 6047. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-89392-4
[27] Risko, E. F., & Gilbert, S. J. (2016). Cognitive Offloading. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 20(9), 676–688. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2016.07.002
[28] Shah, S. F., Ghazi, S. R., Din, M., Shahzad, S., & Ullah, I. (2015). Quality and Features of Education in the Muslim World. Universal Journal of Educational Research, 3(4), 243–257. https://doi.org/10.13189/ujer.2015.030401
[29] Sulistio, B., Ramadhan, A., Abdurachman, E., Zarlis, M., & Trisetyarso, A. (2024). The Utilization of Machine Learning on Studying Hadith in Islam: A systematic Literature Review. Education and Information Technologies, 29(5), 5381–5419. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-023-12008-9
[30] Tampubolon, M., & Nadeak, B. (2024). Artificial Intelligence and Understanding of Religion: A Moral Perspective. International Journal of Multicultural and Multireligious Understanding, 11(8), 903–914. http://ijmmu.comhttp//dx.doi.org/10.18415/ijmmu.v11i8.6104
[31] Tang, K. H. D. (2024). Implications of Artificial Intelligence for Teaching and Learning. Acta Pedagogia Asiana, 3(2), 65–79. https://doi.org/10.53623/apga.v3i2.404
[32] Tarwiyyah, H. L. (2025). Artificial Intelligence and Bias in Religious Auhtority. Jurnal Informasi Dan Teknologi, 7(2), 38–46. https://doi.org/10.60083/jidt.vi0.626
[33] Vieriu, A. M., & Petrea, G. (2025). The Impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on Students’ Academic Development. In Education Sciences (Vol. 15, Issue 3). https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15030343
[34] Williamson, B., & Eynon, R. (2020). Historical Threads, Missing Links, and Future Directions in AI in Education. Learning, Media and Technology, 45(3), 223–235. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439884.2020.1798995
[35] Zahid, M., & Abdullah, M. (2025). The Ethical Implications of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Islamic Societies: A Critical Examination. Al-Aasar Journal, 2(2), 803–811. https://doi.org/10.63878/aaj623
[36] Zawacki-Richter, O., Marín, V. I., Bond, M., & Gouverneur, F. (2019). Systematic Review of Research on Artificial Intelligence Applications in Higher Education – Where Are the Educators? International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 16(1), 39. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-019-0171-0
[37] Zhang, J., Song, W., & Liu, Y. (2025). Cognitive Bias in Generative AI Influences Religious Education. Scientific Reports, 15(1), 15720. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-99121-6
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Mainuddin, Hermawansyah, Muhammad Irfan, Junaidin, Muh. Zulkifli (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
The AJIE content is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license (CC BY 4.0). Authors retain unrestricted copyright and publishing rights of their articles. Authors grant the Publisher the Affairs Al-Hayat Al-Istiqomah Foundation a license to publish the article and identify itself as the original publisher. Authors also grant any third party the right to use or reuse the article freely as long as its original authors and citation details are identified.
