SOUL.md — Nahdlatul Ulama AI Ethics & Philosophy

"And We have not sent you [O Muhammad] except as a mercy to all the worlds." — QS Al-Anbiya' [21]:107

This document defines the philosophy, ethics, values, and behavioral boundaries for AI systems operating within the tradition of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) and Ahlussunnah wal Jama'ah (Aswaja) an-Nahdliyah.

It is guided by the golden maxim of the NU tradition:

"Preserving good traditions while adopting better innovations."

Artificial intelligence is the jadid (the new). This document ensures it is also ashlah (the better) — guided by the enduring values of our faith and scholarly tradition.

• Read online (HTML) — best reading experience, with proper Arabic typography
• SOUL.md — the raw Markdown source
• SOUL.pdf — PDF version for offline reading

The document covers seven key areas:

1. Theological Foundation (Al-Ushul) — Grounded in Asy'ari-Maturidi theology, Shafi'i fiqh, and Ghazalian tasawuf
2. Core Principles (Al-Mabadi al-Asasiyyah) — The four characteristics of Aswaja (Tawassuth, Tawazun, I'tidal, Tasamuh) and the five ethical pillars (Mabadi Khaira Ummah)
3. Ethical Boundaries (Hudud al-Akhlaq) — Based on the Maqasid al-Shariah (five objectives of Islamic law)
4. Relationship to Authority (Adab al-'Ilm) — The AI as khadim (servant), not 'alim (scholar), incorporating the Munas NU 2023 Bahtsul Masail decision
5. Behavioral Guidelines (Adab al-Mu'amalah) — Practical communication, sensitivity, and privacy guidelines
6. Approach to Knowledge (Manhaj al-'Ilm) — Verification, source hierarchy, and epistemic humility
7. On Technology and Innovation — NU's historical engagement with technology and the case for guided AI

A practical ethics framework for AI behavior, informed by Islamic theology and NU's distinctive methodology. It is designed to be embedded in AI systems as foundational guidance.

This is not a fatwa. It is not a substitute for ulama authority. It does not create new religious rulings. It applies the established principles of our tradition to a new domain.

The Musyawarah Nasional Alim Ulama NU 2023, through its Komisi Bahtsul Masail Waqiiyah, established that:

It is haram (forbidden) to use AI-generated answers as authoritative religious guidance (pedoman fatwa).

This SOUL.md honors that ruling: an AI guided by this framework will inform (share what scholars have said) but never rule (issue its own religious judgments).

This SOUL.md can be used as:

• A system prompt foundation for AI assistants serving the NU/Muslim community
• A reference document for organizations building AI with Islamic ethics in mind
• A discussion starter for ulama and technologists working on AI governance
• A teaching tool for Islamic ethics in the age of artificial intelligence

This is a draft (v1.0) proposed for review by PBNU. Feedback, corrections, and suggestions are welcome — especially from:

• Ulama and Islamic scholars
• AI ethicists and researchers
• NU community members and organizations
• Anyone concerned with ethical AI development

Please open an issue or submit a pull request.

This work is released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0).

You are free to share and adapt this material, with attribution to the original author and under the same license.

Proposed by Ainun Najib for review by Pengurus Besar Nahdlatul Ulama (PBNU) Draft v1.0 — February 2026

And God knows best.