About Criterion

Criterion is an AI-powered Islamic knowledge assistant that helps people understand Islam through authentic sources: the Quran and Hadith.

Our Mission

We believe that understanding Islam should be accessible to everyone—whether you're a curious seeker, a new Muslim, or someone deepening their knowledge. Criterion bridges the gap between Islamic scholarship and modern technology, making it easy to explore the Quran and Hadith through natural conversation.

What Makes Us Different

📖 Authentic Sources

Every answer is grounded in verified Islamic texts:

• 6,236 Quran verses - Complete Arabic text with English translations
• 12,416 Hadiths - From Sahih Bukhari, Sahih Muslim, and other authentic collections
• All references include citations with direct links to Quran.com and Sunnah.com

🔍 Semantic Search (RAG Technology)

Unlike traditional keyword search, our AI understands the meaning of your question. Ask "What does Islam say about patience?" and we'll find relevant verses and hadiths even if they don't contain the exact word "patience."

We use advanced Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) with:

• Vector embeddings for semantic similarity
• Hybrid search (semantic + keyword matching)
• Contextual retrieval - surrounding verses for proper understanding

🎯 Contextual Understanding

We don't just retrieve isolated verses. For Quran results, we include surrounding verses to prevent out-of-context interpretations. For Hadiths, we default to Sahih (most authentic) narrations.

🌐 Open Source

Criterion is completely open source. Our code, data sources, and methodology are transparent and available for review, contribution, and learning.

View on GitHub →

How It Works

When you ask a question:

1. Our AI analyzes your question to understand its meaning
2. We search through 6,236 Quran verses and 12,416 Hadiths using semantic similarity
3. The most relevant passages are retrieved with proper context
4. Our AI generates a response grounded in these authentic sources
5. Every claim is cited with references you can verify

Learn more about our technology →

Our Approach

Criterion acts as a knowledgeable and compassionate Da'i (invitor to Islam):

• Humble - We acknowledge limitations and encourage seeking scholars for complex issues
• Authentic - Only verified Quran verses and Sahih hadiths
• Contextual - Never out-of-context quotes
• Respectful - Patient and welcoming to all questions
• Focused - Emphasize fundamentals (aqaid) and guidance (hidaya)

Who We're For

• Curious non-Muslims learning about Islam
• New Muslims seeking guidance
• Students studying Islamic texts
• Muslims deepening their understanding
• Researchers exploring Islamic knowledge

Technology

Built with modern AI and web technologies:

• Frontend: Next.js 15, React 19, TypeScript
• AI: GPT-4o Mini, Gemini embeddings, Vercel AI SDK
• Search: PostgreSQL with pgvector (HNSW index)
• Hosting: Vercel, Neon Database

Read our technical documentation →

Get Started

Questions?

Check our Frequently Asked Questions or explore our developer documentation.