Islamonweb

Kuala Lumpur – Malaysia has taken a landmark step in the intersection of technology and faith with the launch of NurAI, the world’s first Sharīʿah-aligned large language model (LLM). Developed by Zetrix AI Bhd (formerly MY EG Services Bhd), the platform seeks to embed Islamic ethics into artificial intelligence applications across multiple sectors.

The launch took place at the ASEAN AI Malaysia Summit 2025, officiated by Deputy Prime Minister Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. Highlighting the project’s vision, Dr Zahid said, “This is a prime example of how we can harmonise religion and technology for the benefit of the ummah and the advancement of the nation. I call on all parties—government, private sector, financial institutions, and religious bodies—to support its development and expansion.”

A Technology Built for Muslim-Majority Societies

NurAI is built on China’s open-source DeepSeek model with input from Chinese researchers under the ASEAN–China AI Lab initiative. It currently supports Bahasa Melayu, Bahasa Indonesia, Arabic, and English, with the aim of offering culturally relevant and Sharīʿah-compliant services for Muslim-majority markets. Initial rollouts will focus on Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brunei, representing a combined population of 340 million.

Faith-Compliant Applications

Among NurAI’s standout features are its upcoming AI Avatar channels, which will simulate real-time interactions with Islamic scholars and experts. These avatars will provide faith-consistent guidance on matters such as inheritance law, Islamic finance, and bioethics. To ensure credibility, Zetrix AI has partnered with institutions like INCEIF University (affiliated with Bank Negara Malaysia), helping financial services align with Islamic standards.

A formal Sharīʿah Supervisory Board has been established to oversee the project. NurAI also collaborates with key religious bodies including Malaysia’s JAKIM, Indonesia’s Ulama Council (MUI), the International Islamic Fiqh Academy, and Egypt’s Al-Azhar University. Future updates are expected to reflect the diversity of Islamic jurisprudence across different madhhabs.

Bridging a Global AI Gap

Fadzli Shah, co-founder and head of AI development at Zetrix AI, stressed that NurAI fills an urgent need in global AI development. “Current models are shaped by Western and Chinese contexts. With two billion Muslims and a $3 trillion Islamic economy, there is clear demand for AI rooted in Islamic perspectives and Global South priorities,” he noted.

Initially available as a freemium app via the App Store, Google Play, and browsers, NurAI offers consumer-friendly tools such as inheritance calculators. In its second development phase, Zetrix AI aims to integrate the platform into financial institutions, halal certification agencies, and government services, bringing Islamic values-driven AI to both everyday users and policymakers.