Muhammadiyah Launches ChatHPT to Ease Access to Islamic Rulings
PP Muhammadiyah has launched ChatHPT, an AI assistant designed to help Muslims easily access and understand official fatwas and religious rulings.
Portal Islam 
This article was first published in Indonesian. Baca versi Bahasa Indonesia →
Pimpinan Pusat (PP) Muhammadiyah (one of Indonesia's largest Islamic organizations) has officially launched ChatHPT, an artificial intelligence (AI) assistant designed to help people easily search and understand the various scholarly works, fatwas, and religious rulings of the Majelis Tarjih and Tajdid (Muhammadiyah's council for religious research and rulings). The launch took place during the opening ceremony of the 33rd Tarjih National Congress (Munas Tarjih) at Universitas Muhammadiyah Surabaya (Universitas Muhammadiyah Surabaya) on Thursday, November 5, 2026, at 13:00 WIB (UTC+7), as reported by the official Muhammadiyah website and detikHikmah.
The launch of ChatHPT was marked by a ceremonial button press led by PP Muhammadiyah Chairman Haedar Nashir, PP Muhammadiyah Chairman Syamsul Anwar, Majelis Tarjih and Tajdid PP Muhammadiyah Chairman Ustadi Hamsah, East Java Muhammadiyah Regional Leadership Chairman Sukadiono, and Universitas Muhammadiyah Surabaya Rector Mundakir. This innovation is part of an effort to leverage digital technology developments to broaden religious access for organization members, academics, preachers, and the general public.
RAG Technology and Religious Authority Boundaries
According to reports from detikHikmah, ChatHPT was developed using Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) technology. This approach ensures that every answer is compiled based on an official, indexed corpus of Majelis Tarjih documents, rather than being freely generated by AI from unverified internet sources. Every answer provided is also equipped with references so users can trace the source behind the explanation.
The system applies a strict hierarchy of sources. Rulings from the National Congress or Muktamar that have been officially ratified (ditanfidzkan) hold the highest priority, followed by Tarjih Fatwas, and adjusted according to the standing of official religious Q&A columns. Exploring sharia guidance in this manner greatly assists Muslims, much like reviewing Islamic legal guidelines for modern investments such as stocks, crypto, and mutual funds in an orderly and accurate way.
Despite utilizing cutting-edge artificial intelligence, Muhammadiyah emphasizes that ChatHPT is not positioned as a digital mufti with the authority to establish new religious laws. The determination of fatwas and religious legal decisions remains entirely within the authority of the Majelis Tarjih and competent scholarly authorities.
The presence of ChatHPT brings an important principle: artificial intelligence can help find and explain religious references, but it has no authority to establish fatwas.
Complete Guide to ChatHPT, November 2026 Edition
As quoted from detikHikmah, if users submit new legal questions or personal cases requiring special consideration, the system will automatically direct them to consult directly with scholars at the Majelis Tarjih or authorized religious institutions.
Content Supervision and Innovation Collaboration
To maintain the accuracy and quality of information, Muhammadiyah provides a feedback feature for supervision. Users can submit ratings or report if they find questionable answers. Technical evaluations will be handled by the development team, while religious substance is left directly to the Majelis Tarjih.
This digital innovation, ChatHPT, is the result of cross-council collaboration within PP Muhammadiyah, involving the Majelis Tarjih and Tajdid as the holder of scholarly authority, the Library and Information Council (MPI) in managing digital documentation, and LabMu as the developer of the AI technology infrastructure.
Utilizing Technology to Deepen Community Knowledge
Leveraging technology like ChatHPT serves as a supportive tool for Muslims in seeking knowledge and understanding the sharia in a trusted manner. Alongside making the most of digital conveniences, believers are also encouraged to continually strengthen their daily spirituality through sunnah practices such as dhikr for health of both body and soul.
Through the presence of ChatHPT, Tarjih scholarly documents that previously required manual searches can now be accessed through more practical digital conversations, without sidelining the precision and authority of qualified scholars.
