Here’s a puzzle…
Back in October, the Saudi media reported that the Ministry of Islamic Affairs had banned the issuing of fatawa by any other than the Senior Board of Ulema.
Today, the same media report that numerous preachers are being forbidden to issue fatawa.
Some preachers barred from issuing fatwas during Haj
Na’eem Tamim Al-HakimJEDDAH – An undisclosed number of religious preachers have been barred from issuing fatwas during this year’s Haj due to the “extremist” nature of their rulings and “violations committed during last year’s Haj.”
The Undersecretary of the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Endowments, Call and Guidance, Tawfiq Al-Sudairi, said the ministry monitored the “performance of those working in the field of religious call and guidance and issuing edicts during the Haj seasons” through supervisors who produce opinion polls and reports.
…
Clearly, there’s something off in the translations. Is this new piece about the banning of aperson like a khateeb from issuing a fatwa? If so, isn’t that already exceeding the khateeb‘s authority? Or perhaps this is about trying to control fatawa issued by foreigners during Haj?
I certainly understand why the Saudi government would want to retain some control over fatawa, but just what’s going on here?
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November:13:2009 - 13:25
Well let’s look at what can embarrass the al-Sauds.
1- trivial fatwas against things like pokemon and cameraphones get reported over international media
2- unreasonable fatwas that seem to go, for example, against women also get reported
3- political speech/fatwas of all forms (except praising them of course)…and this is what they’re after
in any case, they are curtailing speech (business as usual) and implementing an ‘officialness’ or monasticism to islam which is rejected in islam.
the Haj is actually for muslims to exchange views and influx of non-al-Saud followers is, for them, a security risk.
the thing is they brought the problems of 1 and 2 onto themselves by restricting 3…which was always restricted. 1 and 2 used to be allowed to give preachers something to talk about.
November:16:2009 - 23:42
Bismillaah
I am so happy that they are doing some sort of ban on certain people from issuing fatwa. Allah is the greatest. Ignorant so called ulema should not speak on religious matters at all. Their lying fatwas cause the ignorant Muslims to put their own lives and those of others in jeopardy.
Hopefully, the scholars will be able to prevent thousands of deaths and other harms through this ban, inshaa Allaah.