Achievements of Iftaa` Department (1430 AH-2009 AD)
Based on the directives of His Majesty King Abdullah II, the General Iftaa` Department has been playing an effective role in society through clarifying the rulings of Sharia to the people in a transparent and moderate approach. In 2006, a law was passed which declared the independence of the Department from the Ministry of Religious Endowments and other official bodies. The law determined the tasks and duties of the Department as follows:
1. Supervising and organizing of Fatwa affairs in the Kingdom.
2. Issuing Fatwas on general and specific matters in accordance with the provisions of this law.
3. Preparing of the required research papers and Islamic studies on important matters and emerging issues.
4. Producing a periodic specialist academic journal concerned with the publication of reviewed academic research papers in Shari'ah and Islamic sciences and related fields.
5. Cooperating with scholars of Islamic law in the Kingdom and outside of it regarding fatwa affairs.
6. Offering opinions and advice in matters presented to it by state agencies.
The Grand Mufti shall be in charge of running the Department`s affairs, the flow of the work and the execution of the Iftaa`s general policy with the assistance of a team of Muftis in the Department`s headquarter and the governorates.
On its part, the Department has done several activities through which it reached out to society and directed fellow citizens to act upon the teachings of Sharia to achieve, as Allah promised, happiness in this world and the next life.
This communication has reflected society`s keenness on acting upon the teachings of Sharia, Department`s credibility, and people`s faith in fatwas issued by it.
Following are the Department`s most notable achievements of last year:
First: Fatwas Issued by the Department.
In 2009, the Department issued (159318); an average of (639) for each working day. These fatwas were distributed as follows:
1- Fatwas on Divorce. (24422) fatwas divided between valid divorce (12764) and invalid divorce (11658). The percentage of the questions on divorce constituted (15.3%) from the overall number of questions. As for the rest of the questions, they were divided between acts of worship, transactions, personal status, Islamic Creed, Tafsir (Interpretation), Hadith, and social problems.
2- Fatwas on other Issues.
- Verbal Questions. The asker is directly transferred to one of the Muftis. The total of this type of questions posed during personal interviews conducted inside the Department has reached (15107).
- Written questions. In this regard, the asker fills out the written fatwa form, and then the question is transferred to one of the Muftis or researchers in the Department to prepare the answer supported by the proper evidence and sayings of the jurists. After that, the answer is submitted to a committee formed for this end. After the committee adopts it, the answer is submitted to the Grand Mufti for approval or modification, as he deems appropriate. Finally, the fatwa is sent to the asker. This type of questions has reached the total of (181).
3- Fatwas Delivered over the Telephone.
The asker calls the Department. He is transferred to one of the Muftis. The Mufti listens to the question and gives the appropriate answer. The number of questions asked via this method reached (79680).
4- Fatwas Via SMS.
Recently, the Iftaa` Department has contracted some telecommunications companies to provide the service of delivering Fatwas through SMS and E-Government services. The total number of such messages has reached (36822).
5- Seeking Fatwas Via the Department`s Website and E-Mail.
After launching the electronic website, the Department started receiving questions from all over the world. A committee composed of eminent Muftis give special care to these questions and provide scientific answers for them. Afterwards, the answers are directly submitted to the Grand Mufti for approval or modification. The total number of questions sent via the website (WWW.Aliftaa.jo) has reached (2295) while the the questions sent via the e-mail ([email protected]) has reached (811) questions.
Second: Prints and Bulletins Issued by the Department.
The Department has issued a monthly bulletin under the name (Al-Iftaa`) in which research papers, articles, and research fatwas of Muftis are published. The bulletin is also concerned with fatwas issued by the Department. This bulletin will be, Insha`Allah, an introduction to the issuance of the Iftaa`s peer-reviewed journal.
Third: Muftis` Participation in Media and Reaching out to Local Society.
The Muftis have participated in a number of conferences, TV shows, dialogue seminars, religious lectures, and Friday sermons delivered at the mosques of the Ministry of Awqaf year-round.
