Recontextualizing hadith on image prohibition to assess AI-generated images through Fazlur Rahman’s double movement

M. Yu. Pratama

M. Yu. Pratama Universitas Islam Negeri Walisongo https://orcid.org/0009-0007-9800-0584

Keywords: Islam, AI-generated images, Hadith, Islamic law, hermeneutics, visual ethics

Abstract

The rapid development of AI image generation technology has produced more than 60 % of digital visual content circulating online, yet Islamic jurisprudence has not provided contextual legal responses to this phenomenon. Traditional hadith-based prohibitions on depicting sentient beings face conceptual challenges when applied to AI-generated images, which are not created by human hands and lack intentionality, agency, or moral capacity. This article explores the legal status of AI-generated images using Fazlur Rahman’s double movement hermeneutics to re-read the hadith corpus concerning image-making. Employing a normative-qualitative method and intertextual analysis, the study finds that AI cannot be classified as a legal subject (mukallaf) in Islamic law. Thus, legal responsibility lies entirely with the human user (prompt engineer), evaluated through the lenses of intention (niyyah), content, and social implications. The study offers a conceptual framework for Islamic legal judgment that aligns with the maqāṣid al-sharī’ah and ethical integrity while addressing the ontological shifts in representational media.

Author Biography

M. Yu. Pratama , Universitas Islam Negeri Walisongo

DOI: https://doi.org/10.34680/vistheo-2026-8-1-133-146

Muhammad Yusuf Pratama
Universitas Islam Negeri Walisongo, Semarang, Indonesia
yusufutama1@gmail.com
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0007-9800-0584

Abstract
The rapid development of AI image generation technology has produced more than 60 % of digital visual content circulating online, yet Islamic jurisprudence has not provided contextual legal responses to this phenomenon. Traditional hadith-based prohibitions on depicting sentient beings face conceptual challenges when applied to AI-generated images, which are not created by human hands and lack intentionality, agency, or moral capacity. This article explores the legal status of AI-generated images using Fazlur Rahman’s double movement hermeneutics to re-read the hadith corpus concerning image-making. Employing a normative-qualitative method and intertextual analysis, the study finds that AI cannot be classified as a legal subject (mukallaf) in Islamic law. Thus, legal responsibility lies entirely with the human user (prompt engineer), evaluated through the lenses of intention (niyyah), content, and social implications. The study offers a conceptual framework for Islamic legal judgment that aligns with the maqāṣid al-sharī’ah and ethical integrity while addressing the ontological shifts in representational media.

Keywords: Islam, AI-generated images, Hadith, Islamic law, hermeneutics, visual ethics

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About author

Muhammad Yusuf Pratama
Researcher, Postgraduate Student
Universitas Islam Negeri Walisongo
3-5, Jalan Walisongo, Tambakaji, Semarang, 50185, Indonesia
e-mail: yusufutama1@gmail.com

For citation:
Pratama M. Yu. Recontextualizing hadith on image prohibition to assess AI-generated images through Fazlur Rahman’s double movement. Journal of Visual Theology. 2026. Vol. 8. 1. Pp. 133–146. https://doi.org/10.34680/vistheo-2026-8-1-133-146