FATWAS ON PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND MATTERS OF THE UMMAH TOWARDS ACTIVATING THE INSTITUTIONAL ROLE IN REGULATING GENERAL FATWAS

Abstract

The current state of unrest and deviation from the right path observed in general fatwas, and the resulting effects and risks that have negatively affected the Islamic Ummah, were an expected inevitable consequence of not observing their Shari'ah-based conditions and controls. This has deprived them of achieving the purposes of the Shari'ah in its creation, especially as they relate to the central existential issues of the Ummah. The error in these fatwas can lead to a violation of the immutable principles of the religion and its essence.

In addition to the considerable efforts made by the eminent scholars of the era to confront this issue and the malicious campaigns that carry within them the destruction of the essence of religion, this study attempts to raise this problem to the level of research and study. It aims to clarify the meaning of general fatwas, their characteristics and features that distinguish them from individual fatwas, and to highlight their Shari'ah-based controls. Finally, it presents the work of fatwa institutions and their responsibilities towards them, and activates their role by suggesting some ways to regulate and rationalise general fatwas.