Qaf co-founder says the app is not a fatwa tool and AI cannot issue fatwas

On 8 August 2026, Abdullatif Abdulfattah, a co-founder of the Islamic AI assistant app Qaf, publicly clarified what the product was meant to do. His statement followed a backlash on social media over whether an AI chatbot should answer questions about Islam.

Abdulfattah said Qaf is not a fatwa tool, and that artificial intelligence cannot issue fatwas. A fatwa is a non-binding religious opinion given by a qualified Islamic scholar, and many Muslims treat it as requiring training and accountability that software does not have.

The app is presented as an assistant that helps users learn, reflect and ask questions about Islam in a chat format. The clarification mattered because it drew a line between general religious information and formal religious rulings. It also became a reference point in a wider debate about how far AI tools should go in religious guidance, and who is responsible for the answers they give.