Language and the Methodology of Dialogue in Islamic Thought: A Reading in Light of Artificial Intelligence

Abstract

In Islamic thought, language plays a vital and formative role in constructing the meaning that leads to guidance. It is closely bound to revelation and has long served as an instrument for developing debate and ideas about creed. Through this language the scene of dialogue also emerges, and Islam is understood as a path founded on respecting others with wisdom and on perseverance in uncovering the truth, without excluding anyone and without pursuing arbitrary ideologies. The Islamic conception affirms that dialogue is an ethical and epistemic practice governed by the values of justice, truthfulness and balance, rather than a mere exchange of ideas. With the emergence of artificial intelligence, language has undergone a qualitative transformation: it has become amenable to digital processing and to algorithms that generate (or analyse) texts, which has ultimately changed the nature of discourse itself and the ways in which people communicate with one another. This reality has posed a set of challenges to contemporary Islamic thought, namely how religious ideas can be conveyed accurately and whether the depth inherent in language can truly endure within an environment built on a mathematical structure. It therefore becomes important to read the methodology of dialogue in contemporary Islamic thought in light of these new developments, so that current technologies and methodologies are used only with awareness, while preserving the original characteristics of discourse from within Islam. The dialogical values of Islam constitute a standard by which the outputs of artificial intelligence can be measured and directed towards adding to understanding rather than distorting it or rendering it superficial. Accordingly, the study links language, dialogue and technology in order to open new horizons for both: deepening Islamic discourse while preserving its constants in a rapidly changing world.