NFT and Islamic education: A new frontier to teach religion?

In terms of whether NFTs are halaal or haram, Islam is usually taught with the intention of fitting into the world's ever-changing demands, said Shukla.

The world is so digitalized and the way we think about values is shifting. The application of nonfungible tokens (NFTs) to represent and transmit religious values and principles is one of the most fascinating manifestations of this new perspective.

Cointelegraph caught up with Deepali Shukla, the founder and managing director at MetaDee, a new London-based NFT marketplace that just launched exclusive handwritten Quran NFTs dating back to the beginning of Islam. The unique Holy Quran manuscript, believed to have been composed between 632 and 1100 A.D., is now kept by the Custodian Family in Saudi Arabia. The copies have been authenticated and verified by the University of Oxford's Research Laboratory for Archaeology and the History of Art (RLAHA) after a thorough investigation.

Shukla, a long-time collector and admirer of art, told that she was compelled to connect the physical and virtual realms. She highlighted that:

“Scriptures from ancient times, for example, are often heard but seldom appreciated in their fuller essence. Today, technology allows access to novel treasures from their exclusive realm, while at the same time, manifesting their goodness to the general public.”

In the context of whether NFTs are halaal or haram, Shukla responded that Islam is usually taught with the goal of adjusting to the world's ever-changing demands. She referred to crescentwealth.com.au, which states that NFTs might be used as a high-tech financial remedy against inflation. Muslims, on the other hand, must keep in mind that an NFT must adhere to halal principles, she noted.

“With potential to reach non-Muslims and other institutions, NFTs could be easily accessed using mobile, laptop, and a variety of gadgets.”

Shukla is a believer in blockchain's potential to provide value and distribute Islamic knowledge. She said that institutes  may keep it on their cloud or network while users may access the information across the platform.