|
Saudi Islamic Affairs Minister Urges against Misleading Fatwas
Issuing a fatwa has become a matter of pride, according to Saudi Arabias Sheikh Saleh bin Abdulaziz al Sheikh, the minister for Islamic affairs. In a recently published book on the issue, Al Sheik criticized individuals who issue religious edicts without having sufficient knowledge of Islamic jurisprudence to do so and condemned those did not respect the process. He called on muftis to fear God and only be cautious when issuing Fatwas.Some individuals in Saudi Arabia, he added, have issued religious edicts while eating or talking on the phone. Every media outlet, including satellite television stations, now has a resident mufti, evidence that the situation in the Kingdom has reached crisis point. If people are left to do as they please, the minister wrote, chaos would take hold and misleading edicts would be issued. He also listed the conditions a Muslim should abide by when issuing an edict or requesting one and recommended individuals follow the examples of Prophet Mohammed. In his book, Al Sheikh distinguished between those who avoid issuing a fatwa and those who avoid saying the truth. If a mufti has to issue a fatwa and possesses the appropriate knowledge to do so, and there is no else than can, then he is obliged to give a religious verdict. Posted by: ryuge 2006-06-17 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=156418 |