Latest news with #Fatwa
Qatar Tribune
6 days ago
- Politics
- Qatar Tribune
Qatar participates in 10th International Fatwa Conference in Cairo
CAIRO: The State of Qatar is participating in the 10th International Fatwa Conference, which kicked off on Tuesday in Cairo, Egypt, and runs for two days under the title 'The Making of the Competent Mufti in the Age of Artificial Intelligence'. Assistant Undersecretary for Islamic Affairs at the Ministry Khalid bin Shaheen Al Ghanim led the State of Qatar's delegation to the conference. The delegation also included Director of the Department of Da'wah and Religious Guidance Jassim Abdullah Al Ali and Head of the Islamic network division at the Department of Da'wah and Religious Guidance Abdul Salam Mohamed Al Rajhi. Hosted by Egypt's Dar Al Ifta and the General Secretariat for Fatwa Authorities Worldwide, the conference aims to discuss the Fatwa in light of the technological revolution, along with exchanging expertise between religious and scholarly institutions from around the world, which will contribute to establishing scientific frameworks and standards to qualify Muftis to combine a deep understanding of Islamic law with an understanding of digital reality, and to grasp the challenges and opportunities presented by artificial intelligence technologies. The conference will address five main themes in this regard: "forming the modern, rational Mufti," "Fatwa in the age of AI," "rational Mufti facing the challenges of AI," "AI and the development of institutional Fatwa work," and "experiences of Fatwa institutions in creating the rational Mufti in the Age of AI." With the participation of more than 70 countries, the conference will also feature the launch of several initiatives, research projects, and training programs aimed at enhancing the capabilities of Muftis and integrating Islamic law with modern technologies.
New Straits Times
18-07-2025
- Politics
- New Straits Times
Every fatwa in Selangor goes through rigorous process
SHAH ALAM: The Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, today stressed that every fatwa issued in the state goes through a structured and thorough process. A statement posted on the Selangor Royal Office Facebook page said the Sultan also decreed that this diligence involved taking into account views from various parties, particularly from the state Fatwa Committee and syariah law experts. The post also shared the procedures undertaken before a fatwa is issued, stating that each ruling must go through a process of complete data collection, comprehensive information gathering, and a precise understanding of the issue before it is discussed. A 'Muzakarah Pakar' (expert discussion) is then held to thoroughly deliberate on the matter, attended by religious scholars, academics and relevant stakeholders, as well as officers from authorised bodies. "If no firm resolution is reached, a 'Bahthul Masail' (discussion of issues) will be convened. "This is a more focused and smaller-scale discussion aimed at resolving complex matters in greater detail and depth." "Only then will the Fatwa Committee Meeting be held, based on Section 48(2) of the Selangor Islamic Religious Administration Enactment 2003." It said every study is presented during the Fatwa Committee Meeting with scholarly value and includes two-way discussions between researchers and committee members. The 'sighah' (wording) of the fatwa that has been decided by the committee will then be reviewed and harmonised during the Technical Committee for the Harmonisation of Fatwa Meeting. "This sighah will be submitted to the Selangor Islamic Religious Council (Mais) Members' Meeting to carefully evaluate the proposed fatwa and make a recommendation to the Sultan of Selangor for gazettement. "If the Sultan of Selangor consents to the gazettement of the fatwa, only then will it be submitted to the state executive council meeting," the post added. The Selangor Royal Office stated that once the fatwa had been submitted, the legal advisor's chamber would review it before it was published in the Selangor government gazette. Earlier, Sultan Sharafuddin, through a posting on the Selangor Royal Office Facebook page, called on Muslims and the people of Selangor to understand and appreciate the essence of today's Friday sermon titled "Precision in Issuing Fatwas". – Bernama
Scottish Sun
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Scottish Sun
Iran's ‘medieval' fatwa demanding Trump be CRUCIFIED could spark homegrown terror attacks in West, top politicians warn
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) IRAN'S "medieval" regime demanding Donald Trump be crucified could provoke "homegrown terrorist attacks", top politicians warn. Warped Ayatollahs issued a call to arms to Muslims urging them to make the US president "regret his actions" - branding him an "enemy of God". Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 6 Donald Trump was shot at during an assassination attempt last year Credit: AP 6 Grand Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi issued a horrifying Fatwa Credit: Alamy 6 A picture of the fatwa released by the Iranian mullah Fatwas - religious edicts - have been levelled against Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu by senior mullahs under the Islamic penal code "mohareb" - waging war against God. Sharia law states those charged must not only be killed but also tortured prior to death, including through crucifixion and limb amputation. Senior cleric Najmuddin Tabasi vowed Trump "must be executed" and said "the same hand that fired a shot past his ear can put a bullet through his throat" - referring to an assassination attempt last July. A sickening fundraiser has even been set up by hardline Iranian cleric Abdolmajid Kharahaani to hire an assassin to murder Trump and Israeli prime minister Netanyahu. It comes in the wake of the so-called 12-day war which saw Trump and Israel "obliterate" much of Iran's nuclear empire. United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) Chairman Governor Jeb Bush, CEO Ambassador Mark D. Wallace, and Senior Advisor Rt. Hon. Tom Tugendhat MP insisted the mullahs must be urgently sanctioned. They also warned how high-ranking regime enforcers are in contact with individuals in both the US and Europe. In a statement shared exclusively with The Sun, Bush, Wallace and Tugendhat said: "The Iranian regime's medieval and barbaric threats against the US president and others cannot be ignored – and must not go unanswered. "The US government and its allies should immediately sanction Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, his son Mojtaba Khamenei, Makarem-Shirazi, Hamedani, Tabasi, and Panahian, as Specially Designated Global Terrorists. 'None of these men have been sanctioned to date under counterterrorism authorities. Iran executes three prisoners accused of spying for Israel in brutal crackdown in wake of 12-day war "Additionally, the US Justice Department should seek indictments against these me and American law enforcement should partner with its allies to request INTERPOL Red Notices for issuing threats to internationally protected individuals." The trio also urged US authorities to conduct national security-based immigration review on named clerics, Iranian officials and their families to stop them from traveling to America and allied nations. "UANI has revealed that these senior Iranian regime mullahs are in direct communication with individuals and entities in the West, including in the US and Europe," they added. "Against this backdrop, there is an added urgency to implement stringent measures against them. "These calls are incitements to homegrown terrorist attacks and pose a serious threat to the president and US nationals—they should be treated accordingly." 6 Smoke rises from a fire following a strike on Tehran in June Credit: Reuters 6 Ayatollah Ali Khamenei addressing the nation in June during Israel's strikes Credit: AFP What is a fatwa? A FATWA is a formal ruling or interpretation on a point of Islamic law by a Marja - a title given to the highest level of Twelver Shia religious cleric. It calls on all Muslims, including the Islamic governments and individuals, to ensure its enforcement. In countries where Islamic law is the basis of the legal system, a fatwa can be binding. A fatwa issued by Iran's first supreme leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Musavi Khomeini led to the massacre of 30,000 prisoners including some as young as 13 in a shocking two-month purge. The 1988 executions were revealed in the memoirs of Grand Ayatollah Hossein-Ali Montazeri, one of Ayatollah Khomeini's closest advisors who went on to condemn his murderous act. In it, he accused prisoners of "waging war against God" and urged Death Commissioners in charge of the mass killings to "show no mercy". Grand Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi unleashed the fatwa on Sunday in response to Trump's comments on possible intentions to kill Ayatollah Khamenei. It comes after the US leader, 79, warned last month that he knew where Khamenei was hiding but wouldn't target him - "at least not for now". A day earlier, Netanyahu had said killing the supreme leader would not "escalate the conflict", but instead "end it". Furious Shirazi said 'any person or regime that threatens the leadership and religious authority' is considered a 'mohareb' – one who wages war against God. The sick fatwa also forbids any Muslim to cooperate with or support the two leaders - and says that any jihadist who is killed while attacking them will receive a reward from Allah. Shirazi's ruling came following an inquiry on how Muslims should react to threats made against the Supreme Leader and other Shia leaders. Timeline of assassination attempts on Donald Trump July 13, 2024 - Thomas Crooks shot at Donald Trump after hiding on a roof overlooking the former President's outdoor rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Crooks was killed by Secret Service snipers after he fired eight shots at Trump and killed one rallygoer and injured two others. The bullet came less than a quarter of an inch from striking Trump's head, Ronny Jackson, the former president's physician, said. September 15 - Ryan Routh was seen by a Secret Service agent hiding in the bushes with a rifle at the Trump International Golf Club in Florida. Trump was playing a round of golf when the alleged would-be assassin managed to get within 400 yard of Trump. Routh fled the scene in an SUV but was caught by cops and arrested. September 25 - Donald Trump posts on social media that he's been informed of an Iranian plot against his life. October 7 - Farhad Shakeri is given an order by an official in Iran's Revolutionary Guard to come up with a plan to kill Donald Trump within seven days. He told the FBI that he never intended to devise a plan in that timeframe, but allegedly discussed it with two hired guns in New York. November 7 - Carlisle Rivera of Brooklyn and Jonathan Loadholt of Staten Island are arrested in New York for being part of the plot to kill Donald Trump along with three other Americans Iran deemed targets. Shirazi, one of Tehran's chief religious authorities, called on Muslims worldwide to "make these enemies regret their words and actions". A fatwa was previously handed down on author Salman Rushdie in 1989 after his book The Satanic Verses infuriated then Ayatollah Khomeini - who put a $3million bounty on his head. The novelist, 77, faced numerous death threats and was forced to live largely in hiding for years before an assassination attempt in 2022. He lost sight in one eye after he was repeatedly stabbed on stage during a lecture in New York. It comes amid fears the fatwas are being used to stoke fears among domestic dissidents who dare to rebel against the regime. Hundreds have been arrested in the last two weeks, many accused of spying for Israel, and executions have escalated. Campaigners have warned the wounded regime is ramping up repression of its own people in a bid to stamp out any chance of an uprising. At a funeral for military top brass killed during Israel's strike, haunting chants of "Death to America" rung out. 6
The Hindu
25-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Muslim woman's right to Khula is absolute: Telangana HC
A Muslim married woman's right to demand Khula is absolute and does not have to be predicated on a cause or acceptance of the demand by her husband, the Telangana High Court said. A bench of Justices of Moushumi Bhattacharya and B.N. Madhusudhan Rao, said this while dismissing an appeal filed by a man seeking a direction to set aside a family court order that accepted the 'Khula' secured by his wife. Khula, translating to relinquishment in Arabic, is a mode of dissolution of marriage when the wife does not want to continue with the marital tie and can settle the matter privately by consulting a Mufti (Jurist Consult) of her School. The bench observed that the appellant did not challenge the formulation of requirements by the Family Court nor its conclusion that his marriage was not subsisting. The only grievance of the appellant was that the Family Court lacked jurisdiction to issue the Fatwa or the Khulanama in favour of his wife. Once the Family Court announced its decision, the appellant should show a factual or legal error warranting the interference by the HC. 'The appellant has not shown any such infirmity,' the bench observed. In the present case, it was not necessary to dwell deep on the facts relating to the cause of marital discord between the husband and the wife. The two-judge bench also said it was of the view that obtaining a Khulanama (certificate of dissolution of marriage) from a Mufti or a Dar-ul-Qaza was 'not necessary for putting the seal of finality on the dissolution of marriage since the opinion given by a Mufti is advisory in nature'. The bench said that, however, the transition of the private dispute from the personal sphere to the court on the husband seeking a decision on the wife's demand for Khula was important. If the matter remained in within private and non-adjudicatory realm, the wife's demand for Khula would assume importance when such demand was made. Since that right was absolute, the only role of a court of law was to put a judicial stamp on the termination of the marriage, the bench noted. This would be binding on both the parties. The bench said that the Family Court should ensure effective attempts were made to reconcile differences between the husband and the wife before considering Khula. Citing a judgment of Kerala HC, the bench said the enquiry by the Family Court should be summary in nature without long-drawn evidence-adjudication. The two judges said in the order that they had confined their opinion only in the present case, though the woman's counsel urged them to extend the same to others who were subjected to long and uncertain wait for resolution after demanding Khula. 'We are confident that the law pronounced by the Courts shall be given their due weightage by all the stakeholders in easing the plight of Muslim women in their respective situations,' the bench said.
Khaleej Times
29-05-2025
- Business
- Khaleej Times
Diamond Standard announces Fatwa: The ideal solution for Islamic finance
Diamond Standard Co., producer of the world's only regulator-approved natural diamond commodities, on Thursday announced a historic milestone for the Islamic finance industry: the issuance of a fatwa by Sheikh Dr. Mohamed Ali Elgari, approving the use of diamond commodities to enable more efficient and more proper Islamic finance applications. Dr. Elgari is an esteemed authority in Islamic finance, having served as Professor and Director of the Centre for Research in Islamic Economics at King Abdulaziz University, and as Shariah board member for organizations including AAOIFI, Islamic Fiqh Academy, Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, BlackRock, Citibank, Dubai Islamic Bank, Emirates NDB, HSBC, Standard Chartered and other banks worldwide. The Fatwa signifies a pivotal breakthrough for Islamic finance, where the lending of money with interest is prohibited under Shariah. Instead of directly lending money, the annual settlement for $5 trillion of global loan and bond transactions must be asset-backed, through structures like commodity Murabaha. Until now, commodity Murabaha used metals like nickel, copper, or aluminum. These assets were often created on paper, as options and warrants — a practice now in conflict with AAOIFI Standard 62, which requires the title to the commodity to be delivered to the borrower. Gold, silver, and food commodities are not permitted for Murabaha, and use of metals can result in substantial storage and delivery costs. In contrast, Diamond Standard commodities are a Shariah compliant, fully deliverable and fungible physical asset, with custody and delivery costs up to 97% less than that for metals like copper. After the issuance of Standard 62, a consortium of Islamic banks asked Diamond Standard to develop a commodity Murahaba solution, with audited physical custody in a Muslim majority country. Technology meets tradition Diamonds are a $1.2 trillion natural resource that was inaccessible to investors. Diamond Standard commodities — physical coins and bars — contain optimized and equivalent sets of diamonds, transparently sealed with a wireless computer chip. Since the commodities are all equal, they trade easily on spot exchanges, with a daily market price reported by Bloomberg. The wireless chip enables each commodity to issue an electronic title of ownership, recorded and traded securely on a public blockchain. This innovation supports instant title transfer and remote audit, and eliminates all uncertainty. The commodities are approved to settle CFTC-regulated futures and options in the U.S., and the commodity production is internally audited by Deloitte. GCC expansion To provide a standing pool of commodities to support Islamic applications, and enable investors to allocate to diamonds as a newly accessible natural resource, Diamond Standard is launching a commodity holding and trading company in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region. This entity will: ● Supply Shariah-compliant diamond commodities to Islamic finance institutions and trading platforms for Murabaha via an active market making desk. ● Offer a listed fund vehicle for equity and Sukuk investors seeking to invest in hard assets, expecting the value of diamonds to increase due to Islamic and investment demand. ● Anchor the development of new manufacturing, exports, and trading in the GCC region. This Diamond Standard commodity holding company has secured $280 million in capital commitments and is in discussions with GCC anchor investors to finalize the location of diamond importing, production and trading in the region. The initiative is expected to create over 200 new jobs, relating to commodity operations, import and export, marketing, trading, custody, and lending–as well as Islamic finance jobs. Tax free custody at DMCC Diamond Standard also announced that it had selected the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC) as the venue to provide audited, tax-free custody for the Diamond Standard commodities. This will benefit Islamic banks and investors by avoiding the tariffs on diamonds entering the U.S. and elsewhere. Unlocking a New Future Cormac Kinney, Founder and CEO of Diamond Standard, stated: 'We intended to unlock $1.2 trillion of natural diamonds as an investment asset, but their dense value, combined with modern technology, has surprisingly made diamonds ideal for Islamic finance. We are honored to offer this asset to strengthen Islamic values.'
