Fatwa Activism or Educational Activism

Maulana Abdul Haq Haqqani was asked for a fatwa on whether the use of paper currency was permissible or impermissible from an Islamic point of view. He did not issue any fatwa in response to this query. He simply said that his fatwa would not work, whereas the currency notes would. In such matters, this is the correct Islamic approach. The literal meaning of the word fatwa is opinion. There are two forms of fatwa. One is when a person asks about his own situation, stating that he is facing a particular issue and asking what he should do. For example, a female athlete may ask about her dress and seek guidance on what kind of dress she should wear during sports from an Islamic perspective. In such a case, issuing a fatwa is appropriate. This is when the person seeking the fatwa intends to follow the ruling personally. In such circumstances, the mufti should respond. This is the proper use of a fatwa and its correct place. The second form arises when a social evil exists in society, yet society itself raises no question about it. An individual, on his own initiative, raises a question about this social issue and asks a mufti for a fatwa. If the mufti issues a fatwa in such a case, he misuses the institution of fatwa. Such a fatwa will not bring about any positive reform; instead, it will become a cause of disrepute for Islam.