Written and collected by Zia H Shah MD

Abstract

As artificial intelligence systems like ChatGPT increasingly master diverse domains – from theology and philosophy to science, psychology, and sociology – the landscape of Quranic commentary is undergoing a profound transformation. This article examines the emerging role of Quranic commentators in an era where AI can rapidly synthesize cross-disciplinary knowledge to illuminate the Quran’s guidance “in all facets of life” thequran.love thequran.love. We draw on insights from a collection of comprehensive articles and commentaries that Dr. Zia H Shah MD has generated with the help of ChatGPT on his blog The Glorious Quran and Science. These AI-assisted writings demonstrate how modern Quranic exegesis can integrate classical scholarship with contemporary findings across fields – from analyzing age-old theological debates to reconciling scripture with cutting-edge science, and from exploring religious philosophy to understanding social trends and human psychology. Through these examples, we explore how AI augments the commentator’s toolkit: compiling vast textual sources, providing interdisciplinary context, and offering fresh analytical lenses. We also discuss the limits of AI and the irreplaceable role of human scholars in providing spiritual insight, ethical guidance, and interpretive judgment. In essence, as AI becomes an ever more powerful ally in Quranic interpretation, the human commentator’s role evolves into that of a learned guide and editor – one who harnesses AI’s breadth of knowledge while ensuring fidelity to Islamic tradition and the nuanced wisdom that only human experience can bring.

Introduction: AI and the Expanding Scope of Quranic Commentary

Quranic commentators have traditionally been learned scholars (mufassirūn) who draw upon a wide range of knowledge – Arabic linguistics, Prophetic traditions, earlier exegetical works, and even the scientific or historical understandings of their times – to explain the meanings of the Quranic text. The Quran itself has long been regarded as offering guidance “for all things” and addressing every domain of human concern thequran.love. Classical commentators like Ibn Kathīr and al-Shāṭibī acknowledged that while the Quran is not a science textbook or encyclopedia of detail, it provides guiding principles relevant to every field of life thequran.love thequran.love. Modern scholarship continues this comprehensive approach, often incorporating new disciplines into tafsīr (exegesis). In the 21st century, artificial intelligence has emerged as a powerful tool to assist in this endeavor.

Advanced AI models such as ChatGPT can instantly draw on vast corpora of religious texts, scientific research, historical data, and philosophical literature. They are capable of producing coherent, well-researched narratives that span multiple disciplines. This raises a pivotal question: What is the role of the human Quranic commentator when an AI can ostensibly generate insights on scripture using the accumulated knowledge of theology, philosophy, science, psychology, and sociology? Will AI replace the traditional scholar, or rather empower commentators to reach new heights of understanding? To address these questions, we turn to a series of detailed articles and commentaries that were co-created by ChatGPT for Dr. Zia H Shah MD’s blog, The Glorious Quran and Science. These writings – presented as scholarly explorations on topics ranging from Islamic eschatology to evolutionary biology – offer a window into how AI can contribute to Quranic commentary across numerous domains of inquiry.

In the sections that follow, we survey key examples from these AI-assisted works to illustrate the breadth of AI’s capabilities. We see how ChatGPT compiled and organized classical Islamic sources on complex theological questions, how it integrated scientific concepts and Quranic verses to address modern curiosities, how it brought in philosophical and epistemological discussions to clarify faith and reason, and how it helped document sociological and psychological dimensions of religious life. Each example highlights not only what AI can do, but also what unique interpretive value a human scholar contributes. Finally, we reflect on the evolving role of the Quranic commentator: rather than being made obsolete, the expert scholar becomes an essential director and filter – guiding the AI’s research, ensuring doctrinal soundness, providing nuanced understanding of context, and imparting the spiritual and ethical wisdom that algorithms alone cannot furnish.

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