Call for papers 2024
Call for Papers: Journal of Islamic Studies, Special Issue 2024: AI in Muslim and Islamic Contexts
Editor: Dr Cherry Muslim (muslim@ukzn.ac.za)
Co-Editors: Prof. Auwais Rafudeen & Dr Tahir Sitoto
The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into various facets of human life is rapidly transforming the way we interact with technology, offering unique opportunities for innovative and enriching ideas and formats. Across the world, AI is being leveraged to deepen our understanding of faith, to enhance religious education, and to facilitate religious rituals, creating a profound intersection between technology and religion. Within the broader context of religion and as an extension of Digital Religion, AI has become a catalyst for change, opening new avenues for religious engagement and adaptation. This special issue seeks to engage these transformative developments, with a focus on Muslim and Islamic communities, and aims to understand how AI is redefining religious traditions, knowledge and experiences.
This special edition specifically aims to explore the evolving role of AI in various aspects of Islamic and Muslim life, from religious knowledge dissemination to educational settings, and from the issuance of fatwas to the enhancement of religious rituals. The adoption of AI in Islamic settings presents both challenges and opportunities, raising questions about the ethical and theological dimensions of these advancements. By examining the contemporary relationship between AI and Islam, the aim is to foster an understanding of the transformative potential of technology on Muslim/Islamic communities.
Scholars and researchers are especially invited to contribute to the scholarship of the multifaceted role of AI within the broader Muslim and Islamic contexts, with an emphasis on the African experience. However, contributions from the experiences of the global south and global north are welcome. We would especially welcome female voices in such scholarship- particularly as such voices, from diverse backgrounds and faiths, have already contributed considerably to enunciating ethical issues, amongst others, around religion and AI.
Some suggestions of themes/areas of scholarship:
- AI enabled religious education
- AI and Fatwa issuance
- AI in religious rituals
- AI and gender(edness)
- AI for Qur’anic studies
- AI and community empowerment
- Ethical and theological considerations
Important dates:
- Submission deadline: 30 May 2024
- Review feedback: 31 July 2024
- Publication: September/October 2024
Link for submission: https://unisapressjournals.co.za/index.php/JIS/about/submissions
