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Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Fatwas Can Be Changed, Islamic Ideology , NewAgeIslam.com

Islamic Ideology
Fatwas Can Be Changed
by Asghar Ali Engineer

Should fatwas issued by eminent ulama be treated as unchangeable? Or can they be changed with change of time and place? Generally shari’ah is thought to be divine and immutable and no human being can make any changes in it. In fact shari’ah laws have been developed by eminent imams like Abu Hanifa and others to meet the requirements of their time and place. Thus shari’ah can be described as sincere human approach to divine intention. It is well known that Imam Shafi’I when he shifted to Egypt, he changed his opinion of several fiqhi (jurisprudence) matters.

Recently I saw a book by Allama Yusuf Qardawi, a well known ‘alim highly respected in the Arab world. It is on the subject matter of fatwas and necessity for changes in fatwas. It has been published by a respectable institution Islamic Fiqh Academy. Yusuf Qardawi has invoked the principle of ijtihad in Islam to justify changes in tawas (Arabic plural fatawa). The Allama even maintains that the shari’ah cannot be useful for the ummah unless ijtihad (he indicates several forms of ijtihad) is exercised from time to time.

http://www.newageislam.com/islamic-ideology/asghar-ali-engineer/fatwas-can-be-changed/d/7268

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