A new frontier for teaching religion?

The world is in the midst of a digital revolution, and with it the way we think about value is changing. The application of non-fungible tokens (NFT) to represent and transmit religious values ​​and principles is one of the most fascinating manifestations of this new perspective.

NFT is a very new technology, but there is a lot of excitement around its potential. There is also a lot of enthusiasm for the opportunities NFT provides in various sectors, including education and religion. The NFT’s ability to help teach and pass on religious values ​​and beliefs is particularly fascinating.

Cointelegraph caught up with Deepali Shukla, founder and CEO at MetaDee, a new London-based NFT marketplace that just launched exclusive handwritten Quranic NFTs dating back to the beginning of Islam. The unique Quranic manuscript, believed to have been composed between 632 and 1100 AD, 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 Archeology and the History of Art (RLAHA) after a thorough investigation.

Shukla, a longtime collector and admirer of art, told Cointelegraph that she was compelled to connect the physical and virtual realms. She noted that in the NFT realm, a digital art token serves as the equivalent of the actual artwork. While explaining the role of NFTs in Islamic societies, she highlighted that:

“Scriptures from ancient times, for example, are often heard but rarely appreciated in their full essence. Today, technology provides access to new treasures from their exclusive realm, while manifesting their goodness to the general public.”

In the context of whether NFTs are halaal or haram, Shukla replied that Islam is usually taught with the aim of adapting to the ever-changing demands of the world. She referred to crescentwealth.com.au, which states that NFTs can be used as a high-tech financial tool against inflation. Muslims, on the other hand, must keep in mind that an NFT must follow halal principles, she noted.

The digitization of sacred art makes it easily accessible to the general public as well as Muslims who follow Islamic culture, according to Shukla. It helps in the dissemination of important messages from Islamic scholars, poets and the eternal teachings of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), she added.

“With the potential to reach non-Muslims and other institutions, NFTs can 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 universities can keep it on the cloud or network while users can access the information across platforms, adding that:

“Digital learning and project sharing are inherent features of NFT technology. Ed-Tech lowers the cost of education, and makes inclusive learning easier for the underprivileged.”

When asked about the potential benefit of using NFTs properly for the Islamic society, Shukla said that the age of NFTs seems to be good times for the Islamic society. She cited MetaDee’s NFT version of the handwritten manuscripts of the Holy Quran from 1500 years ago. She called it “the equivalent of walking into a cultural history goldmine,” noting that it wouldn’t be possible if it hadn’t been digitized and tokenized.