It is inappropriate for prominent Islamic scholar Tariq Ramadan to decry that Muslims are obsessed with fatwa (religious edicts), said Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (Isma) president Abdullah Zaik Abdul Rahman.

 

Abdullah Zaik pointed out that fatwa was a commonly-used mechanism in Islamic jurisprudence.

 

“I think if we call people who refer to fatwa as being obsessed, it is not right [...] as though there is a negative image whenever we refer to fatwa.

 

Abdullah ( left ) said this when asked to comment on Tariq's observation made during the latter's lecture in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday.

 

The Isma president said not all persons were capable of coming to their own conclusions on an issue and therefore Muslims need fatwa as a point of reference.

 

“Those who cannot ijtihad (think independently) can follow a fatwa so there is that option in Islamic law. We can’t force everyone to think independently," he said.

 

“I don’t understand why he (Tariq) says it is obsessive. In Islam, we’re used to it,” he said.

 

Not political theory

 

In his talk , Tariq ( right ) had urged Muslims not be become overly obsessed with fatwa but instead develop their own opinions.

 

“Don't deal with things by only looking to somebody for a fatwa. We have to stop this obsession.

 

“There are fields where there are opinions and strategies and that have nothing to do with a fatwa,” said the Contemporary Islamic Studies professor at Oxford University.

 

Muafakat Sejahtera Masyarakat Malaysia (Muafakat) president Ismail Mina Ahmad, when contacted, opined that fatwa must be followed by Muslims.

 

He said this was because fatwa were issued by the ulama (religious scholars) on matters of the faith and were not merely opinions on issues such as social or political theory.

 

“If it were an opinion on social or political theory, it wouldn’t be a problem. If it concerns ‘akidah’ (faith) or Islamic laws, then it would cause problems.

 

“If everyone gives opinions that contradict fatwa, it would become chaotic. People like that need to be stopped...

 

“This is not just about concerns that such opinions may influence people but that their religious understanding would deviate away from the teachings that embrace fatwa,” said Ismail.