Preparing Muslim Health Professionals for Ibaadah-Friendly AI-Driven Healthcare: A Narrative Critical Review of Islamic Ethico-Legal, Technological and Nigerian Health System Perspectives

Abstract

Introduction: Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly entering healthcare through diagnostic support, predictive analytics, administrative automation, patient engagement and population-health planning. For Muslim health professionals, these innovations raise a practical question: how can digital medicine support safe clinical care while preserving worship, dignity, privacy and moral accountability? This review reframes Ibaadah-friendly AI-driven healthcare as a Nigerian health-system concern rather than a narrow religious add-on. Methodology: A narrative critical review was conducted using the source presentation on Ibaadah-friendly AI-driven healthcare as the primary conceptual stimulus. Peer-reviewed and official literature on AI ethics, Islamic bioethics, Ibaadah-friendly hospitals, Nigerian digital health policy, data protection, health financing and AI evaluation standards was purposively reviewed. Results: Four themes emerged. First, AI adoption in Muslim health settings requires more than technical competence; it requires ethical judgement and human accountability. Second, Islamic ethico-legal principles can be translated into practical AI requirements, including protection of life, privacy, fairness, harm prevention, human oversight and public benefit. Third, Nigerian implementation must address informal-sector realities, high out-of-pocket payment, state-level variation, digital literacy, language diversity, data governance and provider incentives. Fourth, current faith-and-AI discussions often underdevelop actuarial design, lifecycle regulation, clinical validation, plural religious settings and measurable implementation indicators. The review proposes the MIZAN-AI Ibaadah-Friendly Health Architecture as a practical model for integrating Islamic ethics, AI governance and Nigeria’s digital health agenda. Conclusion: Ibaadah-friendly AI should be governed as a rights-respecting, evidence-informed and plural health-system intervention. It should enable worship where clinically appropriate, protect non-Muslim patients and staff from exclusion, and hold clinicians, institutions, regulators and vendors accountable. Nigeria needs locally validated AI tools, strong data protection, ethical procurement, patient appeal mechanisms, interfaith-sensitive implementation and research that measures health outcomes alongside spiritual-care quality.