Muftis are Islamic scholars who issue legal opinions known as fatawa on Islamic law. They must be Muslims, well-educated, and knowledgeable about the Qur’an and Hadith. Fatawa are not legally binding, and muftis may disagree with each other. A council of mufti is called a mufiat, and their advice is often sought by governments.
A mufti is an Islamic scholar who has the authority to issue legal opinions known as fatawa on the fine points of Islamic law. The role of muftis in modern society varies, with Muslim governments typically having an officially appointed mufti who assists the government, while in other areas muftis are much less powerful, although they are still an extremely important community resource for Muslims.
To become a mufti, one must of course be a Muslim, and the mufti is also assumed to be well educated, just and sane. Muftis are generally very knowledgeable about the Qur’an and the Hadith, two important authorities on Muslim law, and many are also familiar with legal precedents such as the outcome of court cases and fatawa issued by other muftis. All these issues are carefully considered when a mufti is asked for an opinion on an issue.
Muftis may be asked to issue fatawa on a variety of issues. For example, women might be curious about the state of makeup under Muslim law, so they can turn to the mufti for an opinion, just as members of the Jewish faith ask rabbis for the highlights of Jewish law. After evaluating the evidence, the mufti issues a fatwa which is supposed to be devoid of political or personal influence, coming solely from precedents established in Muslim law.
While a mufti is a sort of legal authority, it is helpful to remember that fatawa are not legally binding. Indeed, muftis may disagree with one another when issuing these legal opinions. Islamic scholars may discuss various fatawa with each other in an attempt to come to a decision that respects the precedent and spirit of Islam. Traditionally, a fatwa must also cite the authority used to justify it, allowing people to easily search for relevant information, which can be helpful when formulating a response to a fatwa.
A council of mufti is known as a mufiat. The benefit of approaching a mufiat rather than an individual mufti is that the resulting fatwa will incorporate decades of experience and training in Islamic law, and will often be logically and sometimes even beautifully presented and argued. When a mufiat offers government-level advice, he typically includes a number of high-profile muftis who are respected academic figures in their communities and abroad.
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