Artificial Intelligence And Rabita: A Unity (tawhid)-centred Evaluation

Artificial intelligence is one of the most striking technological developments of our age. However, this technological advancement is sometimes misjudged by being exaggerated and attributed an almost superhuman power, or on the contrary, regarded as a satanic tool. Both extreme approaches lead to deviation from the truth.
Artificial intelligence consists of software systems trained on data. Its “wisdom” is not real wisdom, but merely a prediction ability derived from data. It is not a conscious, willful entity with its own intentions. It has neither the ability to evaluate the past with awareness nor to foresee the future with intuitive consciousness. Errors are inevitable because it is trained on limited and sometimes incorrect data.
For this reason, approaching artificial intelligence with an idolizing mindset and attributing limitless sanctity to technology contradicts the understanding of tawhid (divine unity).
> “And Allah created you and what you do.” (Surah As-Saffat, 96)
This verse clearly states that both artificial intelligence and the humans who develop it exist by the creation of Allah. Man is only a means, not a creator. Nothing is created and no idea is realized without the will of Allah.
Artificial intelligence may make mistakes or be manipulated. In particular, methods such as “prompt injection attacks” can intentionally feed harmful inputs into the system and cause unexpected behavior. This shows that artificial intelligence does not possess will, but only reacts to external inputs.
The Qur’an explains that human beings have no independent power over anything and that everything occurs by Allah’s will:
> “Say: I have no power to bring benefit or harm to myself except what Allah wills.” (Surah Al-A’raf, 88)
> “Say: Nothing will ever befall us except what Allah has written for us. He is our Protector. And upon Allah let the believers rely.” (Surah At-Tawbah, 51)
The fact that artificial intelligence is fed by data and can make errors is sufficient to refute views that regard it as an absolute power. Without Allah’s will, neither human beings nor any system they build possess independent power.
External interventions in artificial intelligence resemble rabita in many ways.
Rabita is a spiritual practice in which the disciple constantly visualizes his sheikh and begins to see reality through his perspective. This leads the individual to suppress his own thought and conscience and live under the shadow of another person.
In this sense, rabita resembles prompt injection attacks and jailbreak methods in artificial intelligence.
Just as prompt injection aims to externally manipulate an AI system, rabita acts as an external intervention in the disciple’s mental system.
Jailbreak is performed to bypass a system’s limitations; rabita, on the other hand, causes the individual to surrender his own boundaries of will.
Mental linkage refers to altering a system’s behavior through external commands; rabita refers to continuous mental attachment to a sheikh, erasing one’s own identity.
Loss of autonomy is when a system operates not according to its own principles but under external influence. Similarly, rabita leads the individual to transfer his conscience to his sheikh.
Such forms of surrender contradict the Qur’anic principle of tawhid, which emphasizes that a person must maintain a direct connection with Allah.
> “And indeed Allah is not unjust to the servants.” (Surah Al-Anfal, 51)
Practices like rabita can weaken the individual’s direct connection with Allah by transferring his intellect, conscience, and even faith orientation to a mortal being. This carries both a loss of personal autonomy and the risk of shirk (associating partners with Allah).
Artificial intelligence is a tool created by Allah as a means to facilitate human life. Therefore, when used correctly, it is beneficial. When misused, it can become a threat to humanity. However, even here, ultimate will does not belong to humans but to Allah’s decree.
> “And Allah created you and what you do.” (Surah As-Saffat, 96)
This truth shows that destiny encompasses everything and that both human beings and artificial intelligence are merely means. The test lies in the intention with which these means are used; however, the outcomes are determined only by Allah.
Artificial intelligence is a blessing from Allah to make human work easier. It is neither conscious, nor willful, nor divine. Due to its dependence on data, it can make mistakes, which shows that it can never be superior to human beings in an absolute sense.
Rabita, on the other hand, is a practice in which a person cuts off his direct connection with Allah and attaches himself to another human being.
Such mental surrender resembles attack types in technology, where an individual’s will, thought, and morality are disabled.
This is contrary to the spirit of tawhid as taught in the Qur’an.
When used correctly, artificial intelligence is beneficial. But practices such as rabita are always harmful because Allah does not wrong His servants.
And the believers should rely only upon Allah and seek help only from Him.