The Role of Ustadz in the AI Era

I belong to a generation that truly experienced how difficult it was to seek knowledge before the internet and Artificial Intelligence (AI) developed as they have today. In the early 2000s, finding information was not a task that could be completed in seconds. We had to go to the library, browse shelf after shelf of books, and read encyclopaedias, dictionaries, journals, or thick tomes. It was not uncommon to spend hours in a bookshop just to read a few chapters of a book we could not yet afford. Sometimes we would stop by a newsstand, read various columns from cover to cover, and then go home having only bought the cheapest pocketbook. If we wanted to understand the interpretation of a verse, verify the authenticity of a hadith, or find out the strongest opinion among jurists, we had to visit a kyai, an ustadz, or an expert lecturer. Travelling for hours was not unusual, because knowledge had to be sought out. The same applied to general sciences. When debates arose about the shape of the earth, we sought out a physics or astronomy teacher. When a simple question like, ‘Which came first, the chicken or the egg?’ popped up, we asked a biology teacher. Every field had its experts, and every answer was obtained through a lengthy learning process. The experience I felt most acutely was when I began writing my dissertation around 2013. To understand various models of Islamic education management, I had to travel to several educational institutions in Bandung, Subang, Jakarta, and other cities. I conducted observations, interviewed managers, distributed questionnaires to students, and often had to provide meals or treat respondents just to get them to fill out the surveys. All of this was done simply to obtain valid data before drawing a scientific conclusion. Today, almost all of that process can be done from behind a laptop screen. Even while waiting for a train, sitting in an airport lounge, or riding a motorcycle taxi, a person can search for Qur’anic exegesis, compare scholarly opinions, read international journals, translate Arabic texts, and summarise hundreds of pages of a book in just minutes. This is one of the greatest blessings God has bestowed upon our generation through the development of science and technology. AI has changed the way humans acquire information. Something that once took days, or even months, can now be completed in seconds. However, behind this convenience, a question is increasingly heard: ‘If AI can answer almost any question, is the role of the ustadz still necessary?’ In my view, this is precisely where a misunderstanding needs to be corrected. AI is indeed capable of accelerating human access to information. However, the task of an ustadz has never been limited to conveying information. The more sophisticated AI becomes, the greater the community’s need for a figure who can guide them to understand, verify, and practice knowledge correctly. In essence, an ustadz has at least three major tasks. First, gathering knowledge and broadening horizons. At this stage, AI is a very helpful partner. Various books of exegesis, hadith, scholarly opinions, and academic references can be found much faster. Time that was once spent searching for references can now be used to deepen understanding, critique various opinions, and prepare higher quality teaching materials. Second, verifying the information obtained. AI is not a mufti, not a hadith expert, and not an exegete. AI can quote a weak opinion alongside a strong one, or provide an answer without understanding the condition of the person asking. This is where the ustadz’s knowledge becomes decisive. He filters, tests, compares evidence, and ensures that the knowledge conveyed is truly in accordance with the Qur’an, the Sunnah, and the explanations of trusted scholars. Third, guiding people so that knowledge transforms into practice. This is the area that technology cannot replace. AI can explain that the articulation point of the letter ذ (dza) is at the tip of the tongue touching the edge of the upper incisors to produce a specific sound. The explanation can be very detailed. However, it is the Qur’an teacher who demonstrates the tongue’s position and mouth movement, corrects the students’ recitation errors one by one, and guides them until they are fluent in reading the Qur’an. AI can explain the deeds that Satan fears, but it is the ustadz who convinces and sets an example of those deeds. Similarly, in matters of monotheism and Islamic law, AI can explain the meaning of shirk, the pillars of prayer, the rulings on zakat, or the differences of opinion among jurists. However, it is the ustadz, who understands the Qur’an and Sunnah, who will explain which opinion is stronger, relate it to the community’s conditions, correct various misunderstandings, and guide people to practice it correctly and with wisdom. Therefore, AI and the ustadz do not replace each other; they reinforce one another. AI is like a catalogue containing thousands of instructions, information, and references. Meanwhile, the ustadz is the person who explains the contents of that catalogue, shows how to use it, demonstrates it in real life, and ensures that others truly understand it. A catalogue never replaces an instructor. Rather, the instructor utilises the catalogue to make the learning process faster and more effective. Indeed, if likened to the human body, AI is the physical form that possesses strength and the ability to work very quickly. However, the ustadz is the spirit that animates it all. A body without a spirit is merely a form without direction. Conversely, a spirit without a body cannot carry out deeds in the physical world.