When Algorithms Speak for God: AI, Trust, and Religious Authority on Middle Eastern Social Media Submission ID: 259250015 Submitted: December 1, 2025 Status: With Editor (as of November 26, 2025) This research article examines how generative AI is reshaping religious authority and trust on Islamic social media platforms in the Middle East. As AI-powered tools increasingly provide religious guidance, answer theological questions, and interpret sacred texts, traditional structures of religious authority face unprecedented challenges. The study investigates how users negotiate trust between human religious scholars and algorithmic systems, how AI-generated religious content gains or loses spiritual authenticity, and what this means for the future of religious authority in digital spaces. Drawing on critical algorithm studies and digital religion scholarship, the paper analyzes the intersection of technological mediation and spiritual authenticity. Key themes include the construction of algorithmic religious authority, user perceptions of AI-generated spiritual guidance, and the implications for traditional religious institutions and scholars. The research contributes to understanding how emerging technologies are transforming fundamental aspects of religious practice and belief in the digital age. Keywords: Generative AI, religious authority, trust, Islamic social media, spiritual authenticity, digital religion