Is it acceptable to use AI Voiceovers?
The question, as received
My question is about ai voice. I want to make educational video by ai voiceover. Is it imitation of Allah’s creation? There is famous text-to-speech website such as speechify and dupdub. Can I use these website to create human like voice [Question published as received]
The answer
It is permissible for one to use an AI voiceover for an educational video.
Fiqh basis
Imam ʿAlā’ al-Dīn ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz al-Bukhārī (d.730 AH) mentions an in-depth discussion regarding speech. He states, that in order for a communication to be considered speech, it must encompass both a Ṣūrah (form) and a Mʿanā (meaning). The Ṣūrah involves the specific sounds and letters used to construct a particular word, while the Mʿanā represents the indication or reference to the object or concept being conveyed. For instance, when someone utters the word “pen,” the sounds and letters constituting the word serve as the Ṣūrah, while the implied object is the Mʿanā. This is because speech is inherently designed to articulate inner thoughts and feelings, and the conveyance of these sentiments requires both form and meaning.
Importantly, the Mʿanā can only be derived from something possessing intellect (ʿAql). For instance, Fuq̣ahā’assert that if a bird is trained to produce sounds resembling human speech, these utterances do not qualify as speech but are considered mere sounds. Consequently, if a bird were to recite a verse that requires prostration (Sajdah) in the Quran, such prostration would not be obligatory for the person who hears the bird’s recitation.
Regarding AI voiceovers, in their current state, they are not considered true speech. This is primarily because the current form of AI voiceovers does not emanate from an intelligence with consciousness that has the ability to take liability and responsibility; instead, they simply reproduce the text that has been input into them. True speech involves the expression of personal thoughts, emotions, or intentions, from an intelligence with consciousness that has the ability to have legal performances and legal liability. AI voiceovers, lacking this essential characteristic, are regarded as a form of automated reproduction rather than genuine speech.
And Allah knows best.
Maulana Inaamul Hasan Chothia
Reviewed and approved by Mufti Faraz Adam
References
)بَابُ بَيَانِ شَرَائِطِ الرَّاوِي الَّتِي هِيَ مِنْ صِفَاتِ الرَّاوِي) مَا ذُكِرَ فِي الْبَابِ الْمُتَقَدِّمِ مِنْ كَوْنِ الرَّاوِي مَعْرُوفًا أَوْ مَجْهُولًا لَيْسَ بِصِفَةٍ لَهُ حَقِيقَةً، وَإِنْ كَانَ لَهُ تَعَلُّقٌ بِهِ؛ لِأَنَّ الْمَعْرِفَةَ أَوْ الْجَهْلَ لَيْسَ بِقَائِمٍ بِهِ بَلْ يَقُومُ بِغَيْرِهِ كَالْعِلْمِ لَا يَقُومُ بِالْمَعْلُومِ بَلْ بِالْعَالِمِ فَأَمَّا الْمَذْكُورُ فِي هَذَا الْبَابِ مِنْ الْعَقْلِ وَالضَّبْطِ وَالْإِسْلَامِ وَالْعَدَالَةِ فَقَائِمٌ بِالرَّاوِي وَصِفَةٌ لَهُ فَلِهَذَا قَيَّدَ بِقَوْلِهِ مِنْ صِفَاتِ الرَّاوِي، قَوْلُهُ (لِأَنَّ الْمُرَادَ بِالْكَلَامِ) كَذَا يَعْنِي الْخَبَرُ الَّذِي يَرْوِيهِ كَلَامٌ لَا مَحَالَةَ وَالْكَلَامُ فِي الْعُرْفِ مَالَهُ صُورَةٌ وَهِيَ أَنْ يُنَظَّمَ مِنْ حُرُوفٍ مُهَجَّاةٍ وَمَعْنًى وَهُوَ أَنْ يَدُلَّ عَلَى مَدْلُولِهِ وَالدَّلَالَةُ عَلَى مَعْنًى لَا تُوجَدُ بِدُونِ الْعَقْلِ؛ لِأَنَّهُ أَيْ الْكَلَامُ وُضِعَ لِلْبَيَانِ أَيْ لِإِظْهَارِ الْمَعْنَى الَّذِي وَقَعَ فِي الْقَلْبِ، وَلَا يَحْصُلُ الْبَيَانُ بِمُجَرَّدِ الصَّوْتِ وَالْحُرُوفِ بِلَا مَعْنًى، وَلَا يُوجَدُ الْمَعْنَى بِدُونِ الْعَقْلِ أَلَا تَرَى أَنَّهُ قَدْ يُسْمَعُ مِنْ الطُّيُورِ حُرُوفٌ مَنْظُومَةٌ وَيُسَمَّى ذَلِكَ لَحْنًا لَا كَلَامًا لِعَدَمِ صُدُورِهَا عَنْ عَقْلٍ وَتَمْيِيزٍ؛ وَلِهَذَا لَا يَجِبُ سُجُودُ التِّلَاوَةِ بِقِرَاءَةِ الْبَبَّغَاءِ عِنْدَ أَكْثَرِ الْمُحَقِّقِينَ لِعَدَمِ صُدُورِهَا عَنْ عَقْلٍ وَتَمْيِيزٍ وَكَذَلِكَ لَوْ سُمِعَ مِنْ إنْسَانٍ حُرُوفٌ مَنْظُومَةٌ لَا تَدُلُّ عَلَى مَعْنًى مَعْلُومٍ لَا تُسَمَّى كَلَامًا فَعَرَفْنَا أَنَّ مَعْنَى الْكَلَامِ فِي الشَّاهِدِ مَا يَكُونُ مُمَيِّزًا بَيْنَ أَسْمَاءِ الْأَعْلَامِ فَمَا لَا يَكُونُ بِهَذِهِ الصِّفَةِ يَكُونُ كَلَامًا صُورَةً لَا مَعْنًى بِمَنْزِلَةِ مَا لَوْ صُنِعَ مِنْ خَشَبٍ صُورَةُ آدَمِيٍّ لَا يَكُونُ آدَمِيًّا لِعَدَمِ مَعْنَاهُ فِيهَا، ثُمَّ التَّمْيِيزُ الَّذِي يَتِمُّ بِهِ الْكَلَامُ بِصُورَتِهِ وَمَعْنَاهُ لَا يَكُونُ إلَّا بَعْدَ وُجُودِ الْعَقْلِ فَلِذَلِكَ شَرَطْنَاهُ فِي الْمُخْبِرِ لِيَصِيرَ خَبَرُهُ كَلَامًا بِمَنْزِلَةِ الْمَعْرِفَةِ وَالتَّمْيِيزِ لِأَصْلِ الْكَلَامِ يَعْنِي لَا بُدَّ لِأَصْلِ الْكَلَامِ عَنْ أَنْ يَصْدُرَ عَنْ مَعْرِفَةٍ أَيْ عَنْ عَقْلٍ وَتَمْيِيزٍ لِيَقَعَ صَحِيحًا هَكَذَا لَا بُدَّ لِهَذَا النَّوْعِ مِنْهُ وَهُوَ الْخَبَرُ عَنْ أَنْ يَصْدُرَ عَنْ ضَبْطٍ لِيَكُونَ مُحْتَمَلًا لِلصِّدْقِ؛ لِأَنَّ الْمَرْءَ بِدُونِ الضَّبْطِ لَا يَتَمَكَّنُ مِنْ التَّكَلُّمِ صَادِقًا وَبِالضَّبْطِ يَتَمَكَّنُ مِنْهُ (كشف الأسرار عن أصول فخر الإسلام
Based on the Hanafi school and on the question as it was asked. Another mufti may reach a different conclusion. Read the disclaimer.