The Queen and the Machine: A Tale of a Probable Succession in the Domain of Ijtihad, in Light of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Consciousness

This article explores the conceptual intersection between ijtihad as a traditional epistemic authority in Islamic jurisprudence and the emergence of machine intelligence capable of autonomous reasoning. Islamic jurists often describe ijtihad as a "faculty" (malaka)—a cognitive capacity cultivated through rigorous training and the ability to derive rulings independently. Drawing from this premise, we examine whether advanced artificial intelligence systems, particularly those based on deep learning and natural language processing, could in principle be considered as possessing a form of ijtihadic capacity. The study integrates philosophical reflections on consciousness, agency, and epistemology with contemporary developments in machine learning, and questions whether a future algorithmic entity might challenge human monopoly over interpretive authority. We also examine theological implications and responses from within modern Islamic theology (kalām jadīd), and raise the provocative possibility of a "post-human mujtahid". Using a comparative-analytical method, this article does not merely ask whether a machine can issue fatwas, but more fundamentally whether the structure of ijtihad can survive the epistemic transformations introduced by artificial minds. The article concludes by proposing a framework for reevaluating religious authority in an age where machines may begin to rival humans in both reasoning and self-representation.

کلیدواژه ها:

Ijtihad ، Artificial Intelligence ، Machine Consciousness ، Algorithmic Agency ، Islamic Epistemology ، Kalām Jadīd