The Growing Trend of Curiosity in the Context of Artificial Intelligence(An Applied Study of Islamic Rulings)

Abstract

In the contemporary digital era, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has significantly expanded the scope of surveillance and intrusive curiosity, transforming it into an automated, systematic, and often invisible phenomenon. Through technologies such as data mining, algorithmic monitoring, facial recognition, and predictive analytics, AI has enabled unprecedented access to individuals’ private lives, raising serious ethical, legal, and religious concerns. This study critically examines the growing culture of AI-driven surveillance in light of Islamic teachings, with particular reference to the Qur’an, Prophetic traditions (Sunnah), classical juristic principles, and the framework of Maqāṣid al-Sharīʿah (Objectives of Islamic Law). The research argues that Islamic jurisprudence places a strong emphasis on the protection of human dignity, privacy (ḥurmah), and moral integrity, categorically prohibiting unwarranted curiosity and intrusion into personal affairs. By analyzing contemporary applications of AI-based surveillance, this paper demonstrates that such practices are fundamentally impermissible when conducted without necessity, consent, or legitimate legal-ethical justification. However, the study also acknowledges that under the principles of public interest (maṣlaḥah ʿāmmah) and genuine necessity (ḍarūrah), limited and regulated forms of surveillance may be conditionally permissible, provided they adhere to strict ethical boundaries and accountability mechanisms. The study concludes by emphasizing the urgent need for an Islamic ethical framework for Artificial Intelligence that harmonizes technological advancement with the core values of justice, human dignity, and moral responsibility