Fatwa and Competence: An Analytical Study from Traditional Principles and Standards to the Current System of Iftaa

فتوی اور اہلیت: روایتی اصولوں اور معیارات سے موجودہ نظام افتاء تک کا تجزیاتی مطالعہ

Abstract

Religious schools in the subcontinent have been carrying out the duty of promoting Islamic sciences and providing religious guidance to the Ummah for centuries. On the one hand, the schools preserved the sciences of the Quran and Sunnah and on the other hand, they provided guidance to Muslims in their collective and individual problems through jurisprudence and Ifta. In the present era, due to changing circumstances, modern scientific discoveries, economic and social changes, the need for reforms in the curriculum of the schools and their evolution in accordance with contemporary requirements is being felt. In this regard, the Mufti Courses of Madaris are an important practical effort, which aim to enable students to guide themselves in modern problems while continuing the tradition of Islamic jurisprudence. The curriculum of the Mufti courses consists mainly of authentic books of Hanafi jurisprudence, including books such as Hidayah, Radd-ul-Muhtar, Fatawa Alamgiri, Usul al-Shashi, and Nur al-Anwar. Studying them develops the ability of students to understand jurisprudential nuances, interpret texts and form an ijtihadist view on practical issues. In addition, the curriculum includes practice in writing fatwas so that students can directly form their opinions on real issues. At some points, modern jurisprudential discussions such as banking, usury, insurance, medical ethics and family law have also been included but the depth and breadth of these topics are still considered insufficient for contemporary requirements. In the modern era, where human society and technology are developing rapidly, the need for guidance from Sharia has increased even more. From this perspective, the positive aspects of the Mufti courses are that they firmly uphold the jurisprudential heritage, give students deductive skills, and provide practical training in writing fatwas.