September 17, 2025
Did Islam predict the algorithmic age?
If there’s one religion that feels aligned with the lived reality of 2025’s tech-saturated life, it might just be Islam. Not because of cultural politics, not because of “the clash of civilizations” hype — but because structurally, Islam already thinks in protocols, in surveillance, in systems. Exactly the way we now live with smartphones, algorithms, and AI.
“As the two recording-angels—one sitting to the right, and the other to the left—note everything…” — Qur’an, 50:17
Take the Kiraman Katibin — the two angels on your shoulders logging every good deed and every bad one. That’s basically proto-social scoring. They’re like the original iCloud backup for morality: every move is saved, every tab stays open, and no amount of clearing your browser history will help. Foucault would call this panopticism: the sense of constant self-surveillance you develop just by knowing you could be observed. It doesn’t matter if the guard in the tower (or the mic in your iPhone) is actually watching (recording) at that moment. The mere possibility that it could changes your behavior. With the Kiraman Katibin, Muslims have been living with this spiritually for centuries; now we all live it technologically.
Then there’s Allah’s foreknowledge: you feel free in your choices, but He already knows the outcome. That’s just predictive AI, except running at 100% accuracy. Palantir wishes it could hit those numbers. The existential paranoia is the same: are my choices really free, or has the algorithm (God) already calculated where I’ll end up?
“The example of those who spend their wealth in the cause of Allah is that of a grain that sprouts into seven ears, each bearing one hundred grains. And Allah multiplies the reward even more to whoever He wills.” — Qur’an, 2:261
Exponential rewards? Islam has that baked in. One good deed might multiply tenfold, seven hundredfold, even “beyond measure”. The logic isn’t linear grind, it’s loyalty: align yourself with the Qur’anic protocol and the system rewards you exponentially. Social platforms work the same. Post in accordance with the algorithm’s hidden rules, keep showing up, and eventually the multiplier effect (virality) hits. TikTok or Allah, the underlying psychology is: stay true to the protocol, and the exponential reward comes.
“So turn your face towards the Sacred Mosque [in Mecca]—wherever you are, turn your faces towards it.” — Qur’an, 2:144
The Qibla — fixed orientation toward Mecca — is basically the algorithm, silently structuring collective behavior. And if you want a physical parallel: we literally bow our heads to our devices. Neck bent, eyes down, posture of submission. The micro-sujud of modern life. Turn your faces towards the screen.
Sharia? A total framework that governs all aspects of existence: not just prayer and worship, but eating, drinking, dating, finance, hygiene, inheritance, marriage. It’s all-encompassing. In 2025, tech plays the same role. Dating apps decide who you meet, banking apps decide what you can buy, Uber Eats structures how you eat, Shein or Temu set fashion cycles, PayPal or Klarna define your debts. Like Sharia, the digital system covers every move — a comprehensive life-law you didn’t necessarily vote for, but still submit to.
“We have bound every human’s destiny to their neck. And on the Day of Judgment We will bring forth to each person a record which they will find laid open.” — Qur’an, 17:13
Day of Judgment in Islam means every deed, big or small, is weighed, and nothing escapes the record. Translate it to tech: every DM, every search, every GPS ping is logged. There is no forgetting, only archives waiting to be summoned — whether by courts, employers, or your personal AI assistant.
“We said to the angels, ‘Prostrate before Adam,’ so they all did—but not Iblis, who was one of the jinn, but he rebelled against the command of his Lord.” — Qur’an, 18:50
Even Iblis fits here. He is the Qur’anic counterpart to Christianity’s Lucifer, who defied God’s command to bow before Adam and was cast out, later becoming Shaitan (Satan). He embodies the archetype of prideful refusal. In the Qur’an, God creates Adam from clay and commands the angels to bow before him. All obey except Iblis, who refuses out of pride — he thinks fire (his origin) is superior to mud. That refusal leads to his fall. Translate it: people who say “I’m above technology, I don’t bow to AI, I’m better than machines” risk being left behind. Cast out not for sin, but for pride. Iblis 2.0 is the guy still bragging that he never once used ChatGPT.
“Alms-tax is only for the poor and the needy, for those employed to administer it, for those whose hearts are attracted [to the faith], for freeing slaves, for those in debt, for Allah’s cause, and for needy travelers. This is an obligation from Allah.” — Qur’an, 9:60
Zakat (obligatory charity) also has its late-capitalist doppelgänger. Not Netflix subscriptions — but checkout add-ons: “plant a tree for 80 cents” on Temu, “offset your flight for 1,20€” on Ryanair, “give 1€ to fight hunger” on PayPal. Micro-charity woven into micro-transactions. It’s ritualized almsgiving embedded in digital consumer interfaces.
Hadith culture makes another strong parallel. Oral reports about the Prophet are authenticated through isnād, chains of transmission — credibility is secured by the network of narrators. In crypto or blockchain, trust works the same: the record is valid because the chain is intact. Even memes and AI training bodies function like hadith: their strength depends on how traceable their origins are.
And then there’s the general Islamic idea that life itself is a test: every temptation, every hardship, every distraction is part of a grand cosmic exam. Isn’t that the psychological condition of algorithmic life? Everything is A/B testing, nudging, baiting: click this, swipe that, resist the dopamine slot machine. It’s a test of discipline, of resisting temptation — whether framed spiritually or coded into interface design.
So, if Christianity feels cinematic, parable-driven, fuzzy at the edges — Islam feels coded, protocolized, algorithmic. Which is why it may be the closest religious mirror to the technological age: both are totalizing systems that shape behavior with rules, feedback, and an inescapable sense of surveillance. We live in a kind of techno-Islamic reality already — whether you believe (IT) or not.
