Fatwa Making in the Ibadi School: Requirements and Qualifications

Abstract

Issuing fatwa—among other aspects— preserves religion among people, showcases the timelessness of the Islamic legislation in addition to its superiority over time and place. Allah Almighty decrees the preservation and eternity of the tolerant sharī’ah, as He said: “Indeed, it is We who sent down the Reminder; and indeed, We are its guardian.” [Al-Hijr: 9]. Considering its noble status and high regard, significant attention, guidance, and religious rooting ‘ta’asil’ have been given to issuing fatwas by the Islamic law in terms of clarifying its concept, conditions, ethics, principles, benefits, and the methodologies used by jurists to derive legal rulings. This research paper aims to clarify the conditions necessary for making fatwas, the ranks of muftis and their qualifications, and the ruling on the fragmentation of ijtihad and fatwa from mainly an Ibadi standpoint. That is, this inquiry opens up on some works of scholars from other Islamic schools with the aim of broadening its scope