The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI), particularly generative AI, has created new opportunities and challenges for higher education. The responsible use of this technology extends beyond the mere ability to operate intelligent tools; it also requires academic readiness and adherence to the principles of academic integrity. Despite the significance of these two constructs, the existing literature has generally examined them within separate theoretical frameworks, while the potential of Islamic epistemological sources to deepen their theoretical foundations has received limited attention. Accordingly, the present study aimed to develop a conceptual framework for explaining the epistemological, educational, and ethical foundations of academic readiness and academic integrity in the context of AI, with particular emphasis on the teachings of Nahj al-Balaghah. This study employed a theoretical review approach using document analysis, concept analysis, and theoretical synthesis. First, the literature on academic readiness, academic integrity, and the responsible use of AI in higher education was reviewed to identify their principal components. Subsequently, selected concepts from Nahj al-Balaghah were examined through concept analysis to explore their potential for explaining the theoretical foundations of the research constructs. The objective was not to establish direct conceptual equivalence between classical concepts and contemporary constructs, but rather to identify the capacity of Nahj al-Balaghah to enrich the study's theoretical framework. The findings indicated that concepts such as reason (ʿaql), wisdom (ḥikmah), the unity of knowledge and action, self-accountability, truthfulness, trustworthiness, justice, and responsibility can serve as foundational components for reinterpreting academic readiness and academic integrity in the age of AI. Based on the theoretical synthesis, a conceptual framework was developed in which academic readiness provides the cognitive, psychological, and technological capacities required for informed engagement with AI, whereas academic integrity determines the ethical orientation and sense of responsibility guiding such engagement. By integrating contemporary higher education literature with the epistemological resources of Nahj al-Balaghah, this study proposes an integrative framework for a deeper understanding of the foundations of academic readiness and academic integrity amid technological transformation. The proposed framework may provide a basis for future empirical research, the design of educational programs, and the development of institutional policies regarding the responsible use of AI in higher education.