SHARJAH: The 19th conference of the International Islamic Fiqh Academy (IIFA), an offshoot of the Jeddah-based Organization of the Islamic Conference, is an extremely important event and will lead to ending the current chaos of people issuing random and contradictory fatwas (religious rulings) on thorny issues, said Ikrimah Sabri, grand mufti of Al-Quds and imam of the Aqsa Mosque.
Sabri, who is also an IIFA member, said, “We should unify fatwas so that people are not left puzzled on Islamic issues that concern them.”
The mufti said he had no objection to ijtihad (the process of deriving rules on contemporary issues from the Qur’an and Sunnah) and described the academic differences among various Islamic schools of thought as “healthy.”
“Ijtihad and differences among various schools enrich Islamic jurisprudence,” he added.
Sabri said a final ruling would be issued on the topic of securitization and whether it is permissible under Shariah or not.
“We will reach a final ruling on this matter at the current session,” he said.
He also called on Islamic governments to implement decisions issued by the IIFA, as they focus on the welfare of Muslims.
