Indian Islamic Seminaries worry over 'misinterpretation' of Fatwa
Upset over their 'fatwas' often being "misconstrued", two leading Islamic seminaries are exploring ways to ensure that they are projected in the right light and even mulling stopping the practice of posting them on websites.
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Maulana Khalid Rasheed of the Darul Uloom Farangimahal said he was unhappy that the fatwas are being presented as "proclamations" in the media.
"In fact, fatwas are neither orders nor suggestions. Fatwas are mere answers to a question referring a particular situation or context as per the Quran and Hadis," he said.
Easy accessibility of fatwas to people as they are available on websites of seminaries makes them vulnerable to misinterpretation, deputy head of Darul Uloom Deoband Maulana Khaliq Madrasi said.
"A fatwa is issued in a particular context to a fatwa seeker by 'Darul Ifta' (the fatwa department of the seminary) and it is not possible to put the entire details on the website. Following this, single line answers are picked up which do not give the correct sense," Madrasi said.
Worried that frequent "misinterpretation" of fatwas could project Islam in a bad light, Darul Uloom, Deoband and Darul Uloom Firangimahal will hold meetings to deliberate on the issue.
"The situation is alarming and the Darul Uloom is concerned about it," he said, adding the matter is likely to be discussed through a resolution in the Majlis-e-Shoora (managing body) meeting soon.
Airing similar views, Maulana Rasheed said that in order to ward off chances of fatwas being wrongly explained and misunderstood, a seminar of mediapersons would be held not just to remove their doubts but also to apprise them with the conditions which have to be taken into account while describing the fatwa.
He said that the options on which the seminary could work are like advising the media to take precautions while writing about it or suggesting them to seek advice from the Darul Uloom or simply stopping the practice of putting fatwas on the website.
Citing an example, he said that different fatwas would be issued to queries on whether women could go out for work.
"Unfortunately, the media picks up one such fatwa to state that Islam is against working of women or that Islam permits women to work, though the reality is that fatwa on the same query would vary for a widow who has to look after her family and a woman whose husband is taking care of all her needs."
A member of the majlis-e-shoora of the Deoband, Maulana Abdul Qasim said that though media cannot be stopped from writing on it, they can be appealed to consult the Darul Ifta to get to know the real issue before writing about a particular fatwa.
Maulana Qasim said that a resolution would be moved in the meeting of 'majlis-e-shoora' soon that the appeal to the media is put on the home page of the website for the purpose.
Another senior member of the shoora and MP from Assam, Maulana Badruddin said that the issue is expected to be discussed in the coming meeting.
Rasheed plans to organise a seminar of mediapersons in May this year during which these views would be presented besides removing their doubts.
