Malaysia's Zetrix AI Unveils "NurAI", the World’s First Shariah-Aligned LLM
Malaysia-based Zetrix AI has launched NurAI, which it bills as the world’s first Shariah-aligned large language model (LLM). Built on Islamic principles and tailored for the Global South, NurAI is designed to provide Muslims with a values-based AI alternative to Western and Chinese models.
NurAI provides guidance on diverse topics, including law, healthcare, finance, Islamic history, philosophy, and Quranic studies, while remaining aligned with Shariah rulings. Beyond consumer use, it also underpins the digital Islamic economy, enabling halal trade, Islamic finance, governance, and supply chain applications.
At the launch ceremony earlier this week, Malaysia’s Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Ahmad Zahid bin Hamidi described NurAI as a milestone in “harmonising religion and technology for the benefit of the ummah,” while urging both public and private institutions to support its adoption.
Distinctive “AI Avatar” Expertise
A standout feature of NurAI is its AI Avatar channels, which allow users to interact with avatars modelled on domain experts, such as Islamic scholars or finance specialists. These avatars, trained on exclusive datasets, simulate the teaching approaches of real experts, effectively creating a personal ustaz or Shariah finance companion that can offer context-sensitive guidance beyond generic AI outputs.
Zetrix AI has already partnered with INCEIF University, an affiliate of Bank Negara Malaysia, to develop an Islamic Finance channel, with plans to roll out further channels featuring leading global scholars.
Shariah Oversight and Market Positioning
The LLM was developed under the oversight of a formal Shariah Supervisory Board, working with respected institutions including JAKIM (Malaysia), MUI (Indonesia), the International Islamic Fiqh Academy (IIFA), and Al-Azhar University in Egypt to ensure rigorous compliance.
NurAI is currently available in Malay, Indonesian, Arabic, and English, via desktop (nur-ai.ai) and mobile interfaces. Its phased rollout begins with a freemium consumer app in Malaysia and Indonesia, followed by B2B and B2G integrations with Islamic financial service providers, halal certification bodies, fintechs, and regulatory institutions.
