Egypt's Dar al-Ifta (Arabic: دار الإفتاء المصريةDār al-Iftā' al-Miṣriyyah) is an Egyptian Islamic advisory, justiciary and governmental body[1] established as a centre for Islam and Islamic legal research in Egypt in 1313 AH / 1895 CE. It offers Muslims religious guidance and advice through the issuing of fatwas on everyday and contemporary issues.[citation needed]
Dār al-Iftā' draws upon the Qur’an, hadith, and precedents of Islamic jurists throughout history to deliver fatwas on topics relevant to contemporary Muslims. Its fatwas are influential among Sunni Muslims in Egypt and across the world.[2]
Status of Dar al-Ifta
Since it was first established, Egypt's Dar al-Ifta has been the premier institute to represent Islam and the international flagship for Islamic legal research. It fulfills its historic and civil role by keeping contemporary Muslim in touch with religious principles, clarifying the right way, removing doubts concerning religious and worldly life, and revealing religious laws for new issues of contemporary life. Throughout the 20th century, Dar al-Ifta has been described as a "central player" in Islam in Egyptian society.[3]
Islamic jurisprudence in Egypt has been most closely identified with three institutions: Al-Azhar University, Dar al-Ifta and courts of law that adjudicate matters.[4] It plays a significant role in giving rulings to the masses and consultation for the judiciary in Egypt.
Dar al-Ifta was established in 1895.[3] As with Al-Azhar, it operated with state support but also had a degree of autonomy.[4] It began advising state agencies in various Islamic matters, a role that was previously held by the Hanafichief mufti.[5]
Egypt's Dar al-Ifta started as one of the divisions of the Egyptian Ministry of Justice. In view of its consultancy role, capital punishment sentences among others are referred to the Egypt's Dar al-Ifta seeking the opinion of the Grand Mufti concerning these punishments. The role of Dar al-Ifta does not stop at this point; it is not limited by domestic boundaries but extends beyond Egypt covering the entire Islamic world.
This leading role is best expressed by its records of fatwas from its inception until the present day. Dar al-Ifta receives inquires from all over the Islamic world, as well as foreign students of Islamic law for training. This leadership developed from Dar al-Ifta's role as scholarly reference and for adopting a moderate methodology in understanding rulings derived from the inherited Fiqh (Eng. Jurisprudence) creating a consistency between Islamic law and the needs of the society. Dar al-Ifta issues 500–1000 fatwas a year.[5]
In keeping pace with the huge developments in the field of communications, Dar al-Ifta undertakes huge tasks imposed by the qualitative transition brought about by the new era of means of communications and transportations.[6]
Fatawa Islamiyah
Starting in 1980 (1400 AH), Dar al-Ifta began publishing Fatawa Islamiyah ("The Islamic Fatwas from the Dar al-Ifta). The content of the publications are supervised by the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs.[7] -The first volume laid out the plan to deal with fiqh in general, but special issues were to be published on waqf and inheritance. The Fatawa Islamiyah were published in cycles, covering all the traditional fiqh issues in a time period before moving to the next time period. The cycles were organized as such:[7]
Volumes 1 to 4: covered 703 rulings, spanning all traditional fiqh disciplines from 1895 to 1950.
Volumes 5 to 7: covered 413 rulings, spanning all traditional fiqh disciplines from 1950 to 1978.
Volumes 8 to 10: covered 209 rulings, mainly focusing on Gad al-Haq's rulings from 1978 to 1982.
Volumes 11 to 13: covering 379 rulings focused on waqf, spanning 1895 to 1982.
Volumes 14 to 19: covering 1572 rulings focused on inheritance, spanning 1895 to 1982.
Volume 20: return to covering all traditional fiqh disciplines, spanning 1982-1986.
^ abJakob Skovgaard-Petersen (1997). Defining Islam for the Egyptian State: Muftis and Fatwas of the Dār Al-Iftā. BRILL. p. 241-5.
^"Grand Mufti of Egypt". The African World. London, England: 82. November 18, 1905. The Grand Mufti of Egypt, Sheik Abdel Kader El Rafei, who had only been appointed to the high religious post a couple of days previously, died last Friday night while driving from the house of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Boutros Pacha Ghali, to that of Mazloum Pacha the Finance Minister. He had just concluded a series of official visits which proved too fatiguing for his years, and he died from heart failure. Deceased, who was seventy-five years of age, enjoyed a great reputation for piety and learning. A successor has been found in Sheik Bakri Ashour, the acting Grand Cadi.
