Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy

AFKAR: Journal of ʿAqidah and Islamic Thought recognizes the increasing use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)–based tools in academic research and writing. The journal permits the responsible use of AI technologies only as supportive tools and not as substitutes for human scholarly judgment, intellectual contribution, or ethical responsibility.

Authors may use AI-assisted tools for limited purposes such as language editing, grammar checking, formatting assistance, or improving clarity and readability of manuscripts. However, AI tools must not be used to generate core scholarly content, including theoretical arguments, original interpretations, critical analyses, religious judgments, or conclusions. The use of AI to fabricate data, references, citations, or sources is strictly prohibited.

Any use of AI tools that materially assists the preparation of a manuscript must be clearly disclosed by the authors in a dedicated statement within the submission (e.g., in the acknowledgements or a separate disclosure section), specifying the nature and extent of AI assistance used. Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, and integrity of the content submitted.

AI tools must not be listed as authors or co-authors under any circumstances. Authorship implies accountability, intellectual agency, and ethical responsibility, which can only be assumed by human contributors. The Editors and reviewers may employ appropriate methods, including AI-detection tools where necessary, to assess compliance with this policy.

AFKAR upholds the principles of academic integrity, transparency, and ethical scholarship. Any misuse of AI that undermines these principles may result in editorial action, including manuscript rejection or retraction, in accordance with the journal’s publication ethics policies.