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
On Arafat Day, I made wudhu, faced the Qibla, set my intentions, and picked up my pen to start writing the opening supplication of my next book insha’Allah.
I started this tradition with my previous book, The Barakah Effect, to fuse the Barakah of Arafat into the book and kick-start the long writing process.
While writing, I felt dual emotions: heaviness and honor.
The heaviness came from the responsibility of tackling another deep topic and trying to approach it sincerely for Allah’s sake. There’s something weighty about putting pen to paper and not knowing how the journey will unfold, what you’ll learn, how it’ll influence you and others, and if Allah will accept it or not.
The honor came from holding the pen and realizing that Allah SWT honored this tool in the Quran. He swore by the pen in Surat Al-Qalam, made it the first of His creation according to some narrations, and chose it to teach humanity “that which it knew not” (Surat Al-Alaq).
As I held my pen, I wondered: in an age where AI can write entire books in hours, what makes human writing uniquely valuable? And how do we honor the sacred act of writing while engaging with these powerful new tools?
This question isn’t just interesting for me as an author; it strikes at the heart of what it means to be human.
The AI Writing Dilemma
Creativity is a gift from Allah and a sacred trust (Amanah). We need to make the best use of it and ensure we use the best tools to honor it.
Traditional writing tools amplify our capabilities. They make our thoughts flow faster onto paper or help us edit more efficiently. But AI doesn’t just amplify; it can potentially replace core aspects of the thinking process.
When I ask Claude or ChatGPT to “write a chapter about gratitude in Islam,” and give it some pointers, it doesn’t just help me express my thoughts more clearly. It generates thoughts, structures arguments, makes up stories, and even selects which hadith or Quranic verse to include. The question becomes: whose creativity is this?
This isn’t about being anti-technology. It’s about understanding what we might lose of the divine gift of creativity if we outsource too much of our thinking to machines.
For example, neuroscientists show that writing by hand activates different brain parts than typing, leading to deeper idea processing and clear thinking. There’s something irreplaceable about the slow, deliberate practice of forming thoughts through pen-on-paper movement. Nowadays, we want to skip writing by hand and typing, to go straight to AI outputs based on voice prompts! Something will be lost along the way.
In a recent podcast interview, a well-known author mentioned that the important part of writing his books wasn’t the final manuscript but the struggle and his growth throughout that process. From an Islamic perspective, we talk about spiritual struggle (jihad al-nafs). Honestly, based on my personal experiences, I can tell you that writing is a struggle, especially when you try to write something beneficial for the Ummah. You not only need to fight your Nafs, but even Shaytaan tries to slow you down or stop you from writing. But this struggle isn’t just an obstacle. It is where real spiritual growth happens and you don’t want to lose that with AI.
What AI Can’t Replace
As I’ve wrestled with these questions, I’ve realized that there are aspects of writing that AI simply cannot replicate, no matter how sophisticated it becomes.
1. The Soul of Experience
When I wrote about my father’s passing last year, every word came from raw grief and hard-won wisdom. AI can analyze patterns in millions of texts about grief, but it cannot grieve.
Our experiences become the raw material for authentic writing.
2. The Weight of Intention (Niyyah)
Every time I sit down to write, I try to renew my intention. This niyyah isn’t just a nice ritual; it transforms the writing process.
AI cannot set sincere intentions.
3. The Gift of Spiritual Insight (Baseera)
But most importantly, AI will never access the spiritual insights Allah grants you when you sincerely seek answers from Him.
This divine insight—baseera—is about seeing connections and grasping truths that no data analysis can reveal.
AI can process millions of texts and identify patterns, but it cannot experience the moment of clarity when Allah opens your understanding to see something in a new light.
This spiritual insight transforms good writing into impactful writing.
A Framework for AI and Writing Books
How do we engage with AI tools without losing our souls as writers?
I believe the answer lies in applying the same Barakah principles we use in life: intentionality, excellence (ihsaan), and meaningful effort.
These three principles have become my compass for navigating AI in my writing, but implementing them consistently is harder than it sounds. The temptation to let AI do more thinking is real. The questions about where to draw the line keep evolving as the technology improves. I’m still learning what works and what compromises the authentic writing process.
Whether we use pen and paper, typewriters, computers, or AI-assisted tools, what matters is that we approach our writing as an amanah—a trust from Allah that we must handle responsibly, sincerely, and wisely. Our tools may evolve, but the responsibility remains the same: to use our words to benefit the Ummah and create something that will please Allah long after we’re gone.
I hope you’ll join me in this important conversation about preserving the soul of our writing in the age of AI.
