Utilizing Artificial Intelligence for Sustainable Islamic Pedagogy: Lessons for Qur’anic Educators in Nigeria

Abstract

The importance of education was emphasized at the beginning of Prophet Muhammad’s mission of Islam, as the first assignment given to him during the commencement of revelation was focused on learning. Since then, teaching and learning have formed a significant part of the religion of Islam, which could be seen in various verses of the Qur’an and texts of Hadith. In modern times, the advancement of technology has made educational processes easier, as we have different ways and methods of teaching and learning. Since Islam is not in conflict with development, modern technologies are also being adopted to assist the religion and its adherents. One of the newest technologies is Artificial Intelligence, which is popularly known as AI. AI is unique, especially to education, because of its distinct ways of attending to its users, which is its ability to respond to queries almost in the speed of light and with up-to-date answers. This paper was therefore, written to examine how artificial intelligence could be used to assist both the teachers and learners of the Qur’an in enhancing better teaching and learning. The paper adopted qualitative method of research, relying heavily on library and online materials for data collection. The paper projected artificial intelligence as a tool that can help Qur’anic educators in the areas of evaluation, provision of audiovisual presentations for learners, monitoring and feedback. The paper concluded that although artificial intelligence is a modern tool that Qur’anic institutions must adopt if teaching and learning are to be taken to a higher standard, there is need to apply caution, especially in the areas data privacy and ethical and cultural practices. This is because modernization cannot be allowed to erode morality. The paper recommended among other things, the need for upgrading digital facilities in schools, capacity building for educators and development of AI-compliant curricula.