MAKKAH: The International Conference on Fatwa and Its Regulations, which concluded in Makkah yesterday, demanded in its final communiqué the prosecution of the war criminals who attacked Gaza in violation of all humanitarian principles and international agreements.
The final statement of the conference also carried a number of recommendations, named “Fatwa Charter,� as a guideline on the issuing of fatwas.
Fatwas are opinions or rulings that cover minor and major matters of life, and are issued by Islamic scholars on the basis of the Holy Qur’an and the Sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
About 170 Islamic scholars participated in the four-day event to discuss topics that included the significance of issuing fatwas in the modern context and the dangers involved in fatwas issued without in-depth study in the light of sacred Islamic texts.
In the opening session of the conference — which was organized by the Fiqh Academy, a subsidiary of the Muslim World League — on Saturday, Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal read out a message sent by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah stressing the importance of formulating the right guidelines for issuing fatwas.
In its final statement, the conference called on institutions that teach Islamic law to incorporate the basic principles and guidelines for fatwas in their curricula. It also recommended that these institutions organize frequent panel discussions and meetings to familiarize scholars with the principles of the right method of issuing fatwas and to warn against the dangers of issuing ill-prepared rulings.
The conference also called on governments in Muslim countries to appoint sufficient numbers of qualified muftis (religious scholars who issue fatwas) so that people do not experience difficulties in finding help to discuss their special problems.
In the final statement, the conference demanded fiqh (religious jurisprudence) academies and similar institutions to evolve religiously acceptable solutions for issues that common people face in the modern world. It also recommended Muslim governments give material and moral support to such institutions.
The statement added that governments should ensure that muftis are allowed to discharge their duties independently and free of any pressure or influence.
The Muslim governments were also advised to prevent unqualified individuals from issuing fatwas. The conference called on the media to publish decisions of qualified fatwa-issuing institutions and not to promote unqualified muftis.
The statement also called on Muslim scholars who intend to issue fatwas to follow the guidelines issued by fiqh academies and other approved institutions.
The recommendations also included a proposal to establish fatwa institutions to train outstanding graduates of Shariah colleges, besides constituting a higher commission to coordinate between the various fiqh academies in the Islamic world.