Format: Interactive, hands-on participants must bring a laptop.

Note 1: This is an updated version of the workshop that was presented at the AMJA Conference in 2025. You can find the recordings of that previous session at cluesmith.com/ai-for-imams.

Note 2: AI is moving extremely rapidly with changes on a weekly basis. This syllabus will be adapted as new approaches and technologies develop between now and the workshop date.

This hands-on workshop empowers Imams to integrate cutting-edge AI tools into their daily work—from khutbah preparation and community outreach to research, translation, and content creation. Participants will explore trusted tools, learn to spot misinformation, and develop a customized plan to responsibly use AI in Islamic settings. Laptop required; practical activities throughout.

By the end of this workshop, participants will:

1. Understand the major developments in AI over the last 4 years and why they are unprecedented.
2. Explore practical AI tools for research, education, and community engagement.
3. Learn how to use AI to enhance content creation, translation, and accessibility.
4. Identify and verify AI-generated Islamic content to avoid misinformation.
5. Develop a personalized plan to integrate AI tools into daily responsibilities.

The session will be structured in two phases: an overview pass to provide a quick scan of everything, followed by deep dives into how to solve particular problems.

Session 1: Introduction + Overview. 

Workshop overview, structure, and ground rules, followed by an Interactive session introducing the framework: 4 ways to use AI, 4 things to watch for. For each capability, we discuss examples, then participants brainstorm how they can use it to serve the Ummah.

• Why AI literacy matters for Islamic leadership and community resilience
• AI is dual-use; use it intentionally and ethically
• What models do (and don’t do): pattern-based generation, not guaranteed truth
• Ground rules: hands-on participation; ask questions anytime

The 4 ways to use AI:

• Creativity: brainstorm ideas, analogies, illustrations; optionally generate media (where available)
• Productivity: draft, summarize, extract from documents, tailor messages for audiences
• Multilingual/multimodal: translate, transcribe, and repurpose lectures (e.g., to audio)
• Knowledge/research: fast synthesis—powerful but highest risk, so require sources

The 4 things to watch for:

• Bias: be specific, and prefer Islamic-grounded tools for sensitive topics
• Hallucination: demand citations and cross-check with trusted references
• Non-compliance/randomness: review carefully; restate constraints when needed
• Emotional pull: it can feel human; set boundaries and don’t outsource judgment

Session 2: Deep Dive – Khutbahs & Khatirahs

Complete workflow for sermon preparation using AI, from ideation through delivery. Key principle: AI is not your replacement, it is a tool to elevate your khutbah.

• End-to-end khutbah workflow: topic selection → outline → drafting → revision
• Context beats prompts: audience, local realities, and desired call-to-action
• Style + structure: feed samples of your writing and specify your khutbah format
• Verification checklist: confirm āyāt/ḥadīth, grading, translations, and references before the minbar

Session 3: Deep Dive – Research & Community Questions

Using AI to assist with personal research and answering community questions. Introduces the three main Islamic AI research tools and the concept of Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG).

• Tooling overview: ansari.chat, usul.ai, tanyalahustaz.com—when to use each
• RAG in one line: retrieve trusted text first, then generate—reduces hallucinations
• Build a repeatable verification workflow (sources, cross-checking, disclaimers)
• Hands-on: answer a real fiqh/community question using specialized tools + verification

Session 4: Deep Dive – Education & Classes

How AI transforms preparation, delivery, and assessment of Islamic education. Running example throughout: creating material for a class on Surat al-Kahf.

• Use AI as a co-teacher: broaden research, critique drafts, suggest examples
• Curriculum workflow: define audience → outline → critique → lesson plans → activities
• Tailor by age and background; keep Islamic goals explicit in prompts
• Key takeaway: you are the expert-in-the-loop—review and own all outputs

Session 5: Deep Dive – Community Work & Outreach

Using AI to enhance community communication, outreach, and administrative work.

• Multilingual outreach: translate and adapt newsletters/announcements responsibly
• Segment messaging for teens, converts, elders, donors, and volunteers
• One event, many channels: generate consistent copy for email/WhatsApp/social
• Reduce admin load: drafts, reminders, outlines, and simple automations (reviewed)

Session 6: Helping Communities Navigate AI

AI will lead to major societal upheaval. Our communities will not be exempt. This session prepares Imams to guide their communities through the coming changes.

• Work and livelihood: prepare for job shifts, retraining, and family impacts
• AI companions: boundaries, addiction risks, and pastoral responses
• Education: cheating, assessment changes, and healthier learning norms
• Deepfakes/misinformation: verification habits and community “forwarding etiquette”
• Akhlāq + privacy: don’t outsource character; minimize data leakage and use safer defaults

Session 7: Advanced Techniques

A look at what’s coming next in AI and how Islamic leaders can prepare.

• AI-assisted app building for simple community tools (quizzes, forms, helpers)
• Connected assistants (“daily driver AI”): linking models to trusted sources
• Agentic AI: automated workflows that plan/act—use carefully with guardrails

• Comprehensive guide to AI tools (overview of leading AI assistants, specialized Islamic tools, multimedia creation tools)
• Templates for content transformation workflows
• Verification checklists for Islamic content
• Sample prompts optimized for Islamic contexts
• Resource list for continued learning and updates

• Access to workshop materials and recordings
• Online community for continuing discussions and sharing best practices
• Access to domain experts to answer questions about implementation and specific use cases

• Participant Requirements:
  Laptop required (tablets/phones not sufficient for full participation)
• Basic comfort with using a web browser and typing
• Optional: Set up free accounts for recommended AI tools in advance (list will be provided)