Acting Without a Fatwa When Faced With Urgent Dilemmas

Acting Without a Fatwa When Faced With Urgent Dilemmas QuestionSalam Imam, what should we do when we are faced with a dilemma which requires a fatwa, but we cannot receive one in a timely manner? For example, if I didn’t know whether something was pure or impure, and the time of prayer is coming. What … Read more

Which Opinion Should a Layman Follow?

QuestionSalam Imam, when presented with many opinions, what opinion should we follow? Is it necessary to choose and stick to a madhhab? What if a person wants to take the easiest ruling from each issue? And how should we, as laymen, decide? JazakAllahu khayran. AnswerAlhamdulillah, wassalatu wassalamu ala rasulillah, wa ala alihi wa sahbihi ajmain. … Read more

If a non-Arab person cannot pronounce Arabic letters like dhal (ذ), or deep letters like ‘ain (ع), what should he substitute it with?

QuestionSalam , if a non-Arab person cannot pronounce Arabic letters like dhal (ذ), or deep letters like ‘ain (ع), what should he substitute it with? For example, in Pakistan there is disagreement at the end of al-Fatiha, where some people say “…walad-daleen” (with a D sound) or “…walaz-zaleen” (with a Z sound). JazakAllahu khayran. AnswerAlhamdulillah, … Read more

Is it permissible to rely on AI-powered systems for Islamic legal rulings and fatawa?

Question: Is it permissible to rely on AI-powered systems for Islamic legal rulings and fatawā? Answer: بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ، الْـحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ، وَالصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَى أَشْرَفِ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ وَالْمُرْسَلِينَ، نَبِيِّنَا مُحَمَّدٍ، وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَصَحْبِهِ أَجْمَعِينَ، وَمَنْ تَبِعَهُمْ بِإِحْسَانٍ إِلَى يَوْمِ الدِّينِ. The field of iftāʾ (legal response) is rooted in deep knowledge, ijtihād, and … Read more

Usool Principle “al-umūr bimaqāsidihā”

Q: What is the meaning of “al-umūr bimaqāsidihā” and how does it affect rulings? A: It means: “Matters are judged by their intentions.”This principle allows scholars to consider:  Does “maqāṣid” mean intention? Not exactly. So in Arabic: But in usūl al-fiqh (Islamic legal theory), this maxim often overlaps with the idea that intention determines the legal ruling of an action — which is … Read more