Abstract
This article seeks to discuss the transformation of fatwa authority in the artificial intelligence (AI) context, specifically addressing the critical tension between AI-driven efficiency and the legitimacy of ijtihād, religious authority, and accountability. Employing normative legal article with conceptual, comparative, Maqāṣid-based, and techno-legal approaches, this study examines the opportunities and limitations of AI-assisted fatwas and formulates a Maqāṣid-driven accountability framework. The findings demonstrate that while AI enhances legal source retrieval, semantic analysis, and reasoning consistency, it fundamentally lacks legal responsibility, scholarly integrity, contextual understanding, and moral consciousness preventing it from replacing a qualified Mujtahid. To address this, the study proposes a Hybrid Maqāṣid-Based AI Fatwa Governance model that positions AI merely as a supportive tool under human supervision, collective ijtihād, and ethical oversight, ensuring that epistemic responsibility remains strictly with competent scholars.
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