An assignment is due tomorrow, and you have one evening left. A chatbot can produce a finished text in seconds. Finishing an assignment and understanding the subject are two different things. How can you use AI and stay honest with your teacher and yourself?

At a glance

First, check the rules for the assignment. Ask for explanations and hints. Do the work you hand in yourself. Check the information you receive. After chatting with AI, try a similar exercise on your own. If you get stuck, spend a little more time on the topic.

Where to draw the line

One teacher might let you discuss an essay outline with AI. Another might be assessing your ability to plan an essay on your own. The same question can be acceptable in one assignment and break the rules in another. Permission to use the internet does not automatically mean you can hand in a chatbot’s answer.

For a Muslim, honesty matters here. If an assistant did a substantial part of the work against the rules, you cannot claim you did it independently. A good grade does not justify deception. If the rules are unclear, ask before you hand in your work.

Section 2.1.3 of the Islamic Code on the Use of AI affirms personal responsibility. In your studies, this means you are responsible for the answer you submit. Saying “that’s what the AI wrote” cannot take the place of checking it.
Source: https://islamicaicode.com/code-ru/

UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) recommends assessing AI in education by considering how it benefits people and serves learning goals. As a student, you can ask yourself a simple question. Does this tool help me understand the topic?
Source: https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/guidance-generative-ai-education-and-research

What you can do, where to take care and what to avoid

If the assignment allows it, you can ask AI to explain an unfamiliar term, suggest a practice problem or quiz you on material you have studied. For example, “Please leave the solution to me. Which rule should I review?”

Take care when asking AI to edit your own writing. It may change your meaning as well as your wording. Compare the versions. Keep only changes you can explain. If the assignment tests your writing, ask in advance whether this kind of help is allowed.

Never pass off work you did not do as your own, invent sources or hide your use of AI when disclosure is required. Changing a few words does not make an AI-generated assignment your own work.

Five practical steps

  1. Read the instructions. Find out what help is allowed and how to acknowledge it.
  2. Make a first attempt on your own. Write down exactly where you got stuck.
  3. Ask a focused question. Instead of “write my essay,” ask which argument in your outline still needs an explanation.
  4. Check the answer against a textbook or a primary source. Open the suggested link. Does the material exist, and does it support the point you need to make?
  5. Close the chat and explain the solution in your own words. If you can only repeat the wording you were given, ask your teacher to go over the difficult part.

If you need to describe the help you received, be specific. “I used AI to generate practice questions. I wrote the answers myself.” Use that wording only if it reflects what you actually did. Acknowledging AI use does not override a ban on using it for a particular assignment.

Common mistakes

The first mistake is assuming that a polished answer is correct. A text can read well even if its claims are wrong. The second is spending a long time refining a prompt before trying the task yourself. The third is asking AI to “make sure the teacher won’t notice.” At that point you are trying to hide how the work was done.

Do not share other people’s assignments in a chat without permission. A short passage with identifying details removed is usually enough to discuss a mistake in your own work.

When to ask someone with expertise

Ask your teacher about the assignment rules and the subject itself. If AI explains an Arabic text or a religious concept, or cites a hadith, check its explanation with a qualified teacher. A program’s confident tone is no proof of expertise. For a religious ruling on a particular situation, consult a knowledgeable scholar.

A word of advice

Use an assistant in ways that leave you able to do more on your own. Stay honest even when it would be easy to hide the help you received.

This article is for information and does not constitute a fatwa.