A Dialogue with Mr Ghulam Rasool Dehlvi: Islam, AI, and the Quest for Spiritual Depth

By Ghulam Ghaus Siddiqi, New Age Islam 17 May 2025 A Dialogue with Mr Ghulam Rasool Dehlvi: Islam, AI, and the Quest for Spiritual Depth ----- Today, I had the opportunity to engage in a verbal conversation with an Islamic scholar Mr Ghulam Rasool Dehlvi Sahib. Ghulam Rasool Dehlvi ----- During our discussion, he made a profound and thought-provoking remark that truly deserves reflection. He pointed out that in the present age, a peculiar tendency has developed among certain individuals. Instead of understanding Islam by internalizing it—by allowing its teachings to penetrate their hearts and transform their inner selves—they seek to "engineer" Islam. That is, they attempt to approach and interpret it through overly technical, mechanical, or purely intellectual methods, detached from spiritual experience and heartfelt connection. We are living in an age dominated by Artificial Intelligence and advanced technologies. People today frequently employ these tools to enhance their convenience and efficiency in various domains. However, an important point to ponder here is that these machines, including AI, can only process and reproduce what has been programmed or fed into them. They operate in a mechanical, emotionless, and impersonal manner. They lack intuition, spirituality, or the ability to grasp divine subtleties. This brings us to a crucial question that we must ask ourselves: What path do we wish to take in understanding Islam? Do we want to understand this sacred religion merely through machines—by inputting data and retrieving output like a programmed system? Or would we rather understand Islam in the way it is meant to be understood: – by reading and reflecting upon its teachings with sincerity, – by letting the wisdom of the Qur’ān and Sunnah settle in our hearts, – by embracing the teachings with love and reverence, – by holding them close to our chests as one does with something precious, – by witnessing the Divine Beauty (Jamāl-e-Ilāhī) in the natural manifestations of the universe, – and by allowing Islam to become the landscape of our imagination, the source of our moral compass, and the sanctuary of our soul? True understanding of Islam is not mechanical—it is spiritual, heartfelt, and deeply personal. It is through this inward journey, not a cold algorithm, that one truly connects with the essence of the religion. This is a moment that calls for deep reflection. We must pause and consider how our noble Ṣūfiyāʾ Kirām (saints and spiritual masters) sought to understand the spiritual essence of Islam. They did not approach it merely as an academic exercise or a theoretical concept. Instead, they brought Islam down into their hearts—they internalized its teachings and allowed it to illuminate their souls. As a result, their hearts became overflowing with compassion, transformed into fountains of noble character, and emerged as radiant embodiments of moral beauty. Their hearts were purified of arrogance and pride. They were freed from the shackles of envy, malice, and base desires. Their inner selves were refined to such an extent that even the idea of being bound by these lower impulses became foreign to them. This was the outcome of approaching Islam with sincerity, love, and spiritual devotion. Now contrast this with a modern trend that is deeply troubling: Are we now trying to "understand" Islam through artificial means? Through mechanical approaches such as copy-pasting, manipulative editing, superficial alterations, and twisting of meanings? Are we leaning on deceptive practices like distortion, misrepresentation, and academic dishonesty—presenting borrowed or fabricated content as truth, and promoting unethical behaviour under the guise of scholarship? This is a serious and dangerous departure from the path of our spiritual forebears. Islam cannot be truly grasped through such dishonest, disjointed, and soulless means. It must be approached with integrity, depth, reverence, and an open heart. The way of the Ṣūfiyāʾ was not rooted in manipulation or fabrication; it was grounded in purification, love, and an unbreakable bond with the Divine. That is the legacy we must strive to uphold. The people of the heart (Ahl-e-Qalb) have always maintained a timeless truth: To truly comprehend the light (nūr) of faith (īmān), one must first illuminate one’s own chest with that very light. The heart must become a lamp—kindled with the flame of Divine love and the flame of love for the Messenger ﷺ. Only when these sacred lights are kindled within the heart does the radiance of īmān descend upon the soul and manifest in one’s being. Merely acquiring an abundance of knowledge, without inner transformation, is not enough. The very first being who became arrogant due to knowledge was none other than Iblīs. He was proud of his understanding, his worship, and his familiarity with heavenly realms—but he failed to grasp the essence of Divine etiquette (adab-e-ilāhī) and the true station of the Divine (maqām-e-ilāhī). He forgot the most fundamental truth: it was Allāh ﷻ Himself who had commanded the angels to prostrate before Ḥaḍrat Ādamؑ. But instead of submitting with humility, Iblīs became ensnared in the pride of his origin and said, “I am created from fire—how can I bow down to one made from clay?” In truth, had Iblīs possessed true knowledge (ʿilm-e-ḥaqīqī), his heart would have recognized the spiritual gravity of that Divine command. He would have realized that a command issued by Allāh ﷻ is to be accepted without resistance or argument, and that Divine instruction is not subject to personal interpretation or pride. This story is a stark reminder: knowledge that does not lead to humility, reverence, and submission is not true knowledge. Real understanding requires the heart to be alive with the love of Allāh ﷻ and His Messenger ﷺ, and the soul to be attuned to Divine will. Only then can one perceive the true light of īmān—not just with the mind, but with the heart and soul. There is no harm in learning something—provided the intention behind learning is pure and sincere. If one seeks knowledge with the aim of gaining insight, bettering oneself, or serving the truth, then that pursuit is not only permissible but praiseworthy. However, if the intention behind acquiring knowledge is to spread mischief, stir unrest, or create discord and division (fitnah), then such an intention is blameworthy and impermissible in the sight of Allāh ﷻ. Consider the example of Iblīs: When he questioned Allāh ﷻ, it was not out of reverence or a sincere desire to understand. Rather, his question was rooted in arrogance and aimed at sowing discord. He looked upon the human being—Ḥaḍrat Ādamؑ—with disdain, through the lens of his own pride. His objection was not born of love for the truth but from a corrupt desire to elevate himself by demeaning another. In contrast, when the angels asked their question to Allāh ﷻ regarding the creation of man, their inquiry was entirely different in spirit. They asked with adab (etiquette), taʿẓīm (reverence), and complete submission to Divine authority. Their question was an expression of humility, seeking to understand the deeper wisdoms (ḥikmah) behind Divine decrees—not to object or challenge, but to learn and appreciate the profound reasons behind the command of their Lord. The difference lies in intention. Where Iblīs asked with pride and defiance, the angels asked with humility and respect. This stark contrast teaches us a powerful lesson: Knowledge, when sought with sincerity and reverence, brings one closer to Allāh ﷻ. But knowledge pursued with arrogance and malice only leads to spiritual downfall. The essence of the conversation with Mr. Dehlvi can be summarized as follows: In today's world, people must strive to understand Islam not merely as an academic subject or a social identity, but as a living truth that must descend upon the heart. One must internalize the teachings of Islam, embrace them with sincerity, and press them close to the chest—not just metaphorically, but spiritually and emotionally—so that true comprehension may be attained. Without such a heartfelt connection, the understanding of Islam risks becoming shallow and mechanical. In an age dominated by Artificial Intelligence and algorithm-driven technologies, machines and software will only ever reproduce what has been fed into them. These tools lack the soul, intuition, and spiritual depth necessary to grasp the inner realities of the Divine message. If people rely solely on these tools without spiritual grounding, they risk reducing Islam to a tool for rhetorical performance, a profession, or worse—a means of satisfying their intellectual ego. Rather than submitting to the transforming power of faith, such individuals merely use religion as an instrument for self-assertion, unaware that they have missed its essence entirely. Islam Without Spirituality: The Danger of Political Exploitation and Media Manipulation After deeply reflecting on the earlier points, it is equally essential to understand the following reality: Those who strip Islam of its spiritual essence and exploit it for political gain—or worse, as a tool to justify oppression and spread violence—can never truly comprehend the message of Islam. Such individuals manipulate the sacred teachings of this noble faith to fan the flames of tyranny, shed the blood of the innocent, and muffle the cries of the oppressed. Behind these inhumane acts, they slyly cook the bread of their politics, using religion as a mere facade to advance their worldly agendas. But this path stands in complete opposition to the true spirit of Islam. Equally important is the recognition that understanding Islam does not require one to sit on television panels. Often, these media platforms are populated by individuals who are engaged in "engineering" Islam—those who approach it with cold calculations, devoid of love, reverence, or spiritual insight. The hearts that have internalized Islam—those who have allowed it to descend upon their inner being—are rarely, if ever, represented in such spaces. The objective of such televised debates is rarely sincere discussion or spiritual enrichment. More often than not, their real purpose is to sow division and provoke hatred in society. The result is noise, not guidance; spectacle, not sincerity. True understanding of Islam begins when it is felt in the heart, lived in the soul, and carried with reverence—not just when it is processed by the mind or analysed by a machine. In conclusion, I would respectfully request Mr. Dehlvi to kindly put his profound thoughts into writing—using his own words and expressions—with a bit more detail and elaboration. His insights deserve to be preserved and reflected upon. If articulated in writing, they will offer us an opportunity to engage more deeply with his reflections, to ponder over them thoughtfully, and perhaps draw further wisdom and inspiration from them. Such thoughtful contributions are of immense value in today's age, where clarity, sincerity, and heartfelt expression are needed more than ever. ----- A regular columnist with NewAgeIslam.com, Ghulam Ghaus Siddiqi Dehlvi is a classical Islamic scholar [Aalim, Faazil and Mutakhassis Fi al-Adab al-Arabi wa al-Ulum al-Shariah] with a Sufi background and an English-Arabic-Urdu Translator. 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