A blessing is any kind of goodness and beauty that God bestows upon people, which provides direct or indirect benefit, facilitates human life, beautifies it, and offers material and spiritual values such as peace, health, sustenance, knowledge, and love. Every blessing is a favor, mercy, and grace from God. In the Qur'an, it is revealed:
"He has given you everything for which you have asked Him. If you tried to number God's blessings, you could never count them..." (Surah Ibrahim, 34)
This verse informs us that blessings are countless and comprehensive, and that man would be unable to even count them.
Most of the time, when blessings are mentioned, fruits in nature, animals, or man's own organs come to mind. However, human-made products are also among the blessings granted by God. This is because man did not acquire his intellect, knowledge, inspiration, and abilities on his own; all of these are the grace of God. Everything produced by man comes into being through the raw materials created by God and the intellect He has given. From this perspective, artificial intelligence, which has entered our lives today, should also be evaluated as a blessing from God. Like every blessing, the accurate and productive use of artificial intelligence is possible through the consciousness of gratitude and responsibility. Muslims must make the utmost effort to use this blessing in the way of God.
Does the Absence or Loss of Something Make One Realize the Value of a Blessing?
In the Qur'an, the importance of contemplation is emphasized as revealed in a verse, "Those who remember God standing, sitting and lying on their sides, and reflect on the creation of the heavens and the earth..." (Surah Al 'Imran, 191). In order to realize a blessing, one needs to question how and by whom that thing was created, and with what means it came into being, and to think about the benefit, convenience, and beauty it provides to the individual or society. On the other hand, contemplating what kind of difficulties would be experienced in the absence of the blessing, and how a life without it would be, also helps us understand the value of the blessing. Consequently, knowing that all of these are the grace of God leads us to thank Him and serves as a means for us to use this blessing in the right way.
The difficulties that man encounters are also, in fact, blessings. This is because they mature man, and teach him patience and gratitude. In the Qur'an, it is revealed:
"…‘If you are grateful, I will certainly give you increase...’" (Surah Ibrahim, 7)
Everything That Causes Man to Draw Closer to God Is a Blessing
When blessings are mentioned, mostly products growing in nature, animals, or rain come to mind. However, there are many other blessings besides these. Man produces things with the intellect, knowledge, ability, and means given by God; but their source is still God. For example, a house, a car, a telephone, a medicine, a technological product, or a work of art comes into being from elements directly created by God, through the knowledge and inspiration He has given. In the Qur'an, it is revealed:
"Say: ‘What do you think? If God made it permanent night for you until the Day of Rising, what god is there other than God to bring you light?’..." (Surat al-Qasas, 71)
This verse reminds us that every kind of opportunity used by man is, directly or indirectly, a blessing from God.
The technological or cultural products produced by man are also a result of the intellect, knowledge, and opportunities given to man by God. Therefore, these are also blessings. Man is responsible for giving thanks for these blessings.
Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Blessing
Every kind of technological development produced by man is, in fact, a result of the intellect, knowledge, and creativity bestowed upon him by God. Innovations emerging in the modern age, such as advanced technologies, computers, the internet, and artificial intelligence, are also among the blessings bestowed on man by God. Just as the wheel, writing, electricity, or the printing press were great blessings for humanity in the past, today artificial intelligence and similar technologies should also be evaluated as new conveniences and opportunities offered to people by God.
Artificial intelligence offers conveniences and provides new opportunities to humanity in many fields, from communication to health, and from science to art. While using these blessings, man must thank his Lord and put into use the blessings He has given in accordance with His approval. In the Qur'an, with the verse, "It is He Who conveys you on both land and sea..." (Surah Yunus, 22), it is reminded that the conveniences possessed by man are granted through the mercy of God.
Reflections of Artificial Intelligence in Daily Life
Artificial intelligence, which is one of the most remarkable developments of technology today, offers great conveniences and innovations in almost every area of our lives. Artificial intelligence means computer systems that have the ability to analyze complex data, learn, solve problems, and assist people in various fields. These systems, as a reflection of the intellect and knowledge bestowed upon people by God, provide important usefulness for Muslims in both their individual and social lives.
For example, by means of the artificial intelligence-supported Qur'an applications, people can learn to read the Holy Qur'an in Arabic with correct pronunciation, quickly access the commentaries of the verses, and obtain instant information on subjects they do not understand. Likewise, for those who wish to deepen their knowledge in Islamic sciences, accessing sources of hadith (sayings of the Prophet Mohammad (saas)), fiqh (Muslim jurisprudence), and siyar (particular manner of conduct of an exemplary person) has become much easier and faster with artificial intelligence. Artificial intelligence-based translation programs enable Islamic works in different languages to reach large masses, thereby allowing the universal message of Islam to reach more people.
In addition, many digital services developed for Muslim communities, such as prayer time reminders, prayer and Qur'an research applications, help in performing daily worship regularly and correctly. In the field of health, artificial intelligence-supported diagnosis and treatment systems offer faster and more effective solutions to patients, while strengthening the solidarity and cooperation of societies by providing rapid information flow during times of disaster and crisis.
All these examples clearly show that artificial intelligence, as a blessing from God, is a means of convenience and mercy for people. Muslims must be grateful for these blessings and seek ways to benefit from them to earn rewards both in this world and the hereafter in accordance with God's good pleasure.
God's Knowledge Encompasses All Things
No matter how much human intellect and scientific developments progress, at the basis of everything lies the infinite knowledge and power of God. From the functioning of the universe to the smallest thought in the human mind, everything is encompassed by the knowledge of God. This is revealed in the Qur'an:
"The keys of the Unseen are in His possession. No one knows them but Him. He knows everything in the land and sea. No leaf falls without His knowing it. There is no seed in the darkness of the earth, and nothing moist or dry which is not in a Clear Book." (Surat al-An'am, 59)
This verse shows that God knows everything down to the finest detail, and that every movement and every system in the universe is encompassed by His knowledge. Man also acquires all the knowledge and technology he possesses through the grace of God. Although complex systems like artificial intelligence seem to be the product of the human mind, in reality, they are a result of the knowledge and ability given to people by God.
Artificial Intelligence and Human Intellect: The Inspiration of God
It is God Who gives man the ability to think, analyze, and produce. In the Qur'an, it is revealed:
"Say: ‘It is He who brought you into being and gave you hearing, sight and hearts. What little thanks you show!’" (Surat al-Mulk, 23)
Artificial intelligence is a reflection of the human mind's ability to think deeply, learn, and make decisions. However, man should see these abilities not as his own, but as a grace from God. The ability of a computer, a software, or an algorithm to process billions of data is actually a result of the intellect and knowledge given to man by God. When man assumes his own power and knowledge to be absolute, he falls into a great deception. Whereas, unless God wills, no human being can acquire even the smallest piece of knowledge.
The Complexity of Artificial Intelligence and God's Infinite Art
Artificial intelligence systems work with millions of lines of code, complex algorithms, and massive datasets. In order to establish these systems, many branches of science such as mathematics, algorithms, logic, statistics, and psychology must come together. Each of these is a reflection of the order in the universe that God created. In the Qur'an, the perfection in God's creation is described as follows:
"He Who created the seven heavens in layers. You will not find any flaw in the creation of the All-Merciful. Look again — do you see any gaps?" (Surat al-Mulk, 3)
Artificial intelligence is, in fact, a very simple imitation of the human brain and the system of thinking created by God. The human brain is a magnificent structure consisting of trillions of connections, capable of performing billions of operations per second, self-repairing, learning, and possessing emotions. Artificial intelligence, on the other hand, is only a very small reflection of this magnificent creation. Man's admiration for a machine he has made himself should be a means for him to contemplate this miracle in God's creation.
Conclusion: Everything Happens by God's Power
Great technological developments like artificial intelligence, which seem to come from the hands of software developers and engineers, should lead man to think more deeply about the power and knowledge of God. When man realizes his own weakness and the infinite power of God, he attains faith and submission in the true sense. It must not be forgotten that the Creator of everything and the Provider of all knowledge is God. Unless He wills, man can achieve nothing and attain no knowledge. In the Qur'an, it is revealed:
"God is the Creator of everything and He is Guardian over everything." (Surat az-Zumar, 62)
