SHAH ALAM, July 19 — The Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah Alhaj has stressed that every fatwa issued in the state goes through a structured and thorough process.
His Royal Highness decreed that this diligence involved taking into account views from various parties, particularly from the state Fatwa Committee and Syariah law experts.
A post on the Selangor Royal Office Facebook page also shared the procedures undertaken before a fatwa is issued, stating that each ruling must go through a process of complete data collection, comprehensive information gathering, and a precise understanding of the issue before it is discussed.
A ‘Muzakarah Pakar’ (Expert Discussion) is then held to thoroughly deliberate on the matter, attended by religious scholars, academics, and relevant stakeholders, as well as officers from authorised bodies.
"If no firm resolution is reached, a ‘Bahthul Masail’ (discussion of issues) will be convened. This is a more focused and smaller-scale discussion aimed at resolving complex matters in greater detail and depth.
"Only then will the Fatwa Committee Meeting be held, based on Section 48(2) of the Selangor Islamic Religious Administration Enactment 2003," it said yesterday.
Every study is presented during the Fatwa Committee Meeting with scholarly value and includes two-way discussions between researchers and committee members.
The ‘sighah’ (wording) of the fatwa that has been decided by the committee will then be reviewed and harmonised during the Technical Committee for the Harmonisation of Fatwa Meeting.
"This sighah will be submitted to the Selangor Islamic Religious Council (Mais) Members' Meeting to carefully evaluate the proposed fatwa and make a recommendation to the Sultan of Selangor for gazettment.
"If the Sultan of Selangor consents to the gazettment of the fatwa, only then will it be submitted to the State Executive Council Meeting," according to the post.
Once the fatwa had been submitted, the legal advisor’s chamber will review it before it is published in the Selangor government gazette.
Earlier, Sultan Sharafuddin called on Muslims and the people of Selangor to understand and appreciate the essence of today’s Friday sermon titled 'Precision in Issuing Fatwas'.
— Bernama
