TLDR: Zetrix AI Berhad has launched NurAI, the world’s first large language model designed to align with Shariah principles and Islamic values. Unveiled in Kuala Lumpur, NurAI aims to serve the global Muslim community by providing guidance on a wide range of topics, from contemporary finance and healthcare to classical Islamic studies, offering an alternative to existing AI models that may not reflect Islamic perspectives.
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – Zetrix AI Berhad, formerly known as MY E.G. Services Berhad, officially launched ‘NurAI’ on August 12, 2025, marking a significant milestone as the world’s first Shariah-aligned, Islamic values-based large language model (LLM). The unveiling took place at the Four Seasons Hotel Kuala Lumpur, coinciding with the ASEAN AI Malaysia Summit 2025, and was officiated by YAB Dato’ Seri Dr. Ahmad Zahid bin Hamidi, the Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia.
NurAI is meticulously developed to adhere to Islamic principles and reflect the worldview of the Global South. Its core function is to offer guidance consistent with Shariah rulings across a comprehensive spectrum of subjects. This includes contemporary areas such as law, healthcare, and finance, as well as classical Islamic themes like history, Islamic philosophy, and Quranic studies. The model is positioned as a crucial alternative for Muslim-majority nations and communities, addressing the perceived lack of alignment with Islamic values in prevalent Western and Chinese AI models.
Deputy Prime Minister YAB Dato’ Seri Dr. Ahmad Zahid bin Hamidi lauded the initiative, stating, “This is a prime example of how we can harmonise religion and technology for the benefit of the ummah and the advancement of the nation. I would like to call on all parties, including the government, private sectors, financial institutions, and religious bodies, to give full support to the development and expansion of technologies like NurAI.”
Zetrix AI aims for NurAI to cater to the needs of two billion Muslims globally and unlock opportunities within the estimated US$3 trillion Islamic economy. Beyond individual consumer adoption, NurAI is envisioned to lay the foundational digital infrastructure for the broader Islamic economy, encompassing halal trade, supply chain management, Islamic finance, and governance, thereby fostering AI sovereignty in emerging markets.
Dato’ Fadzli Shah, Co-Founder of Zetrix and head of AI development, highlighted that NurAI is specifically designed to provide Muslim communities with an alternative to existing AI models. He expressed the company’s ambition to expand the model’s reach to other Muslim-majority countries and integrate it with Shariah court systems to automate administrative functions.
A distinctive feature of NurAI is its AI Avatar channels, which are trained with exclusive datasets to reflect the unique knowledge and teaching philosophy of experts. These avatars can serve as a ‘personal ustaz’ or Islamic finance expert, engaging users in personalized conversations. NurAI is currently available in Malay, Indonesian, Arabic, and English, accessible on both desktop and mobile platforms, ensuring a clear and conversational user experience while maintaining strict Shariah alignment.
Datuk Mohd Jimmy Wong Abdullah, Zetrix AI director, outlined a phased rollout strategy for NurAI. The initial phase involves a freemium business-to-consumer (B2C) app in Malaysia and Indonesia, offering general Shariah guidance alongside premium features such as inheritance calculators and medical bioethics advice. The subsequent phase will focus on institutional integration through business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-government (B2G) models, facilitating NurAI’s implementation into the daily operations of Islamic financial institutions, fintechs, halal certification bodies, and Shariah legal authorities.
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The development of NurAI involved a collaboration with DeepSeek, utilizing a ‘Mixture of Experts’ architecture to enhance efficiency and resource usage. Zetrix AI is also committed to establishing a robust Shariah-aligned framework in partnership with key religious bodies, including the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (JAKIM), Indonesian Ulama Council (MUI), International Islamic Fiqh Academy (IIFA), and Al-Azhar University in Egypt. This initiative solidifies Malaysia’s position not only in halal certification, Islamic finance, and Shariah scholarship but also as a leader in ethical AI innovation.
