Restrict fatwas: mecca mosque head

Mecca’s Grand Mosque — Islam’s holiest shrine — Grand Mosque Imam Sheikh Saleh bin Abdullah bin Humaid issued a fatwa (edict) that scholars have described as “significant” in the Indian context.

Mecca’s Grand Mosque — Islam’s holiest shrine — Grand Mosque Imam Sheikh Saleh bin Abdullah bin Humaid issued a fatwa (edict) that scholars have described as “significant” in the Indian context.

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The imam decried the practice of issuing fatwas at the drop of a hat and banned unqualified people from doing so.

Darul Uloom routinely issues fatwas. The seminary’s responses, endorsing strict compliance of Islamic laws, have not helped resolve emerging conflicts.

“Custodian of the two holy mosques King Abdullah has safeguarded the process of issuing fatwas and protected Shariah law from infringements of unqualified people…" the Arab News quoted Humaid, also chairman of the Saudi Supreme Judicial Council, as saying.

AMU’s head of Islamic Studies department Zafarul Islam said, “This pronouncement at Mecca is significant. Fatwas by unqualified people is a serious breach. But, there is no doubt that institutions like Darul Uloom are competent fatwa-issuing forums.”

But Islam said merely being a Darul Uloom graduate did not qualify a cleric be an issuer of fatwas.