Official fatwa centre opens to Muslims' many questions

Official fatwas in the UAE can now only be issued by this centre, designed to standardise such advice.

Workers take calls at the centre.

ABU DHABI // Can a male medical student practise CPR on a female student? Can a Muslim make up for not fasting during the previous Ramadan by fasting extra days during Shaaban, the month prior to the holy month? For generations, Muslims have taken such questions to local imams at their mosques, or perhaps discussed over over a cup of black tea or a plate of dates. Depending on which imam they asked, they could receive different answers.

As of today, however, official fatwas in the UAE can be issued only by the Islamic Affairs Authority's new fatwa centre, which is designed to standardise such advice. The centre, which officials say is first of its kind in the Muslim world, complete with a toll-free line, was inaugurated yesterday by Sheikh Saif bin Zayed, the Minister of Interior, in a ceremony at the General Authority for Islamic Affairs and Endowments. "There is no doubt that [the centre] I have seen today is something superb, because people have all sorts of queries about Shariah," he said. "We will have a huge role in resolving a great deal of problems that people face regularly. Our society today, even as a matter of security, the main problem we find is the disintegration of the family."

Officials said the centre should be able to put paid to confusion Muslims might have about any issue. "This centre will put an end to individual fatwas issued here and there, which can cause doubt and trouble among people," said the authority's general manager, Dr Mohammed Mattar al Kaabi. In the Sunni tradition, any Islamic scholar who is learned enough can issue a fatwa, meaning that they have sometimes been contradictory. Muslims are also free to follow different schools of jurisprudence, which can also mean different rulings on similar issues. Many Sunni countries have an official mufti or fatwa centre, but none has proclaimed in such clear terms that there will be no other authority in the country in such matters outside the fatwa centre. The move is the latest by the Government to standardise all religious matters, from the appearance of mosques to Friday sermons, which the authority issues every week and expects imams to preach. The UAE places a great deal of emphasis on following what it refers to as the "moderate, middle way" of Islam, and authorities are keen to highlight their efforts in encouraging this path. "Opening this centre is a way to standardise the issuance of fatwas throughout the country, and to reiterate the message of open-heartedness, forgiveness, moderation and the middle way, while steering away from extremism and fundamentalism," said Dr Kaabi. "This is what our religion is about." The centre, which started operating earlier this year, already answers about 24,000 queries a month. It expects this number to rise to 30,000, especially during Ramadan, when many devout Muslims ask questions to ensure they are adhering to the correct principles of fasting. The centre is equipped to handle up to 1,000 queries from callers a day in three languages, and expects to employ 100 full-time religious advisers. The centre currently employs 48, and has 14 telephone lines that people can call on a toll-free number. Muslims can also send queries through the centre's website - www.awqaf.ae - which publishes new fatwas daily. As important, the centre is equipped to handle delicate matters submitted by women, whether they pertain to family issues or sensitive matters such as personal hygiene. The authority recruits and trains female religious advisers to fill this role. Muslims who submit a query for a fatwa want to ensure they are not breaking any religious rules. This is equivalent to asking a lawyer whether a specific matter is compliant with the law and the requests for fatwas can be on any topic. @email:[e-mail]