In January 2015, ISIS issued a fatwa outlining how Islamic State fighters should treat female
sex slaves.
The terrorist organization has released fatwas regulating everything from ransoming prisoners
to playing foosball.
But ISIS isn’t the only group making such declarations.
In Malaysia, the National Fatwa Council recently issued a fatwa banning vaping and e-cigarettes
among the country’s Muslims.
So what exactly is a fatwa?
And how does it work?
Well, a fatwa is a clerical interpretation of religious scripture, and can be anything
from private advice-giving to global calls-to-action.
Those qualified to interpret Islamic law are called “moof-tees”, and can issue their
interpretation of how the Quran applies to modern life.
The qualifications for Muftis vary among different Muslim nations.
However, the title can require years of formal education in Islamic teachings.
In some countries, a Fatwa’s religious edict is not all that different from a legal opinion
coming from a US court.
It usually comes in response to a particular situation and draws from a set of rules based
on moral teachings.
However, fatwas are not necessarily legally binding.
For instance, in 2014, the Supreme Court of India ruled that none of its citizens are
legally bound to accept a fatwa.
In 1989, the late supreme leader of Iran, Ayatollah Khomeini (EYE-ah-toe-la hoh-may-NEE)
infamously issued a fatwa ordering the death of British writer Salman Rushdie (sal-MAN
Rush-dee) for supposedly mocking the Quran.
Numerous killings, book burnings and rioting resulted from the fatwa, however Rushdie was
never injured.
Khomeini died in 1998, which means that technically the fatwa died with him, although many continue
to acknowledge it
What are not sacred to many Muslims are fatwas coming from Islamic extremists.
In February 2015, an Islamic State resident posted 32 of ISIS’ fatwas on Twitter.
Each was in question-and-answer format and addressed ISIS fighters on faith-related questions,
like how to dress, how women should behave and what games are acceptable to play.
But fatwas aren’t always globally accepted.
In September 2014, more than 120 Muslim scholars around the world backed an open letter criticizing
ISIS’s fatwas.
The letter accused them of cherry-picking verses from the Quran.
More broadly, fatwas are usually nonviolent and very informal.
Islamic radio shows and TV programs offer call-in fatwas.
It’s reported that Muslims can even “shop” around online to get advice from “cybermuftis”,
view live fatwa sessions, and listen to Fatwa podcasts.
Muslims use fatwas every day for advice about their social life, politics and appearance.
A fatwa at its core is an answer, And whether an individual chooses to adhere to it really
depends on how devout they are in their faith.
Critics of Islam often say that it is a religion that preaches violence.
Just how true is this?
Watch our video to find out
the answer.
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