World Muslim Scholars Discuss Fatwa Rules in African Context
King Mohammed VI of Morocco has urged Muslim World Scholars to involve women in matters of Islam.
In his speech read by the Minister of Endowments and Islamic Affairs who is also the vice president of the Muhammad VI Foundation of Africa Ulama Ahmed Toufiq, King Mohammed VI stressed that the fatwa rules will be successful only if the religious leaders involve women in all aspects.
This was said at a conference in Morocco where Islamic religious leaders from more than 70 countries gathered to scrutinise Islamic fatwas in the African context, which will help shed more light and promote religious values.
This was a 3-day conference running from July 8 to 10, 2023.
In the speech, the Moroccan royal leader said women are sisters of men in terms of rulings, and as such, men should not leave women behind but rather encourage and promote them in matters of Islam.
“Female religious scholars all over the world provide guidance to men and women regarding religious affairs. And for the same objective, female religious leaders play a prominent role in providing guidance through the media,” he said.
Among other things, delegates were advised to avoid controversial rulings in issuing legal fatwas in African countries. This was the centre of the deliberations aimed at ironing out disagreements which usually arise among most scholars who differ in giving their fatwas as they negatively affect their congregations.
At the conference, Malawi was represented by the country’s Grand Mufti Sheikh Mohammed Uthman Ntalika, his Vice Sheikh Ali Kennedy, the Chairman of the Muhammad VI Foundation Malawi Chapter Sheikh Bakar Duncan, Sheikh Jaafar Chawala, Sister Shafina Banda and the National Chairman of the Qadria Muslim Association of Malawi (QMAM) Amir Jaafar Kawinga.
Speaking with Insight Bulletin, Grand Mufti Mohammed Uthman Ntalika said such conferences bring together religious leaders from different countries to promote trust among sheikhs and the Muslim community at large.
“The interaction of sheikhs from different countries helps people to share experiences relating to various aspects of social and cultural life and raise awareness on how to apply Islamic rules,” he said.
In his remarks, Amir Jaafar Kawinga said the conference has proven to be a starting point for addressing the rules governing the issuing of fatwas in Africa, and more especially in Malawi.
“This shows the unity in Islam, as the fatwa rules will resolve the disagreements regarding some reference sources when doing dawa, khutba and other various Islamic programs,” he said.
The conference was organized by the Muhammad VI Foundation and held under the theme of International Scientific Symposium on Guidelines for Legal Fatwas in the African Context.
