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Increasingly, young Muslims are finding answers to their religious questions online.
Life is changing as never before. Change is affecting every sphere of life both personal and professional.
Muslims generally are very conscious about these changes and are also anxious about what are the guidelines in Islam about the various issues confronting them today. For many approaching a local mufti or imam of the mosque is discomforting because of the personal nature of the query.
Hence, the anonymity of the Internet makes it easier to ask questions online than approach an imam at the local mosque. It’s very positive, especially for youth. There are so many issues coming up that they may not want to ask their parents or local imam. They feel more comfortable asking online.
The answers given by the website muftis are sometimes met with criticism for being too conservative or too liberal. But in the end, the criticism is equal on all sides. “Many authentic Islamic websites accommodate all opinions”, it is opined.
The question people are most worried about is how they could determine the validity and reliability of knowledge transmitted over the web. Thus it’s necessary that only authentic websites with reliable Islamic scholars or mufti are approached for any query. Below are a few of the popular websites offering online fatwa.
1. alazhar.org:
Al-Azhar is considered by most Muslims to be the most prestigious School of Islamic learning, and its scholars are seen as some of the most reputable scholars in the Muslim world. Among its stated objectives is the propagation of Islamic religion and culture and the Arabic language (the language of the Qur’an.). To that end, it maintains a committee of Islamic scholars to judge on individual Islamic questions, a printing establishment for printing the Qur’an, and training (government-appointed) preachers in Islamic missionary work.
2. Yusuf al-Qaradawi Fatwa on islamonline.net:
Yusuf al-Qaradawi is an Egyptian Muslim scholar and preacher best known for his popular al Jazeera program, ash-Shariah wal-Hayat (“Shariah and Life”), and Islamonline, a website that he helped to found in 1997. He has also published some 50 books, including The Lawful and the Prohibited in Islam: The Future Civilization.
Among many Muslims, al-Qaradawi is considered a moderate conservative offering balanced opinions and issuing religious edicts (fatwah) based on his interpretation of the Qur’an. Qaradawi was a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, and has turned down offers to be the Muslim Brotherhood leader at various times. Qaradawi is the head of the European Council for Fatwa and Research.
Qaradawi has been attacked by all sides of the Islamic ideology spectrum for his vision of “moderate” Islam. Qaradawi’s vision of moderate Islam is one that, in his own words, “seeks balance between intellect and the heart, between religion and the world, between spirituality and materialism and between individualism and the group.”
Scholars schooled in traditional settings and advocating strict adherence to traditional methods of learning and understanding do not agree with Qaradawi’s more lax approach to Sharia. However, most Muslim scholars generally respect Yusuf al-Qaradawi, which is why he is the head of many fiqh councils around the world, which have representation from many diverse strains of Islamic thought.
3. Mufti Ebrahim Desai “Ask the Imam” website:
Mufti Ebrahim Desai is a prominent Islamic Deobandi mufti from Camperdown, near Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. Mufti Desai studied Islamic studies for nine years, and also studied at Darul Uloom Deoband, the prestigious madrasah. Mufti Ebrahim Desai also provides answers to questions submitted through “Ask the Imam” website. Some of the talks he has delivered may be heard on Al Mahmood website.
He was a senior lecturer at Darul Uloom Ta’leemuddin, Isipingo Beach and head of the Fatwa Department of the Jamiat ul Ulama (KZN). He currently teaches Mishkat, Sahih Bukhari and Tirmidhi and answers fatwa inquires received at Dar Ul Ifta at Madrasa Inaamiyah, Camperdown, South Africa where he is currently based.
He has authored two fatwa books, Al Mahmood Vol. I & II, a book for Hadith students: Introduction to Hadith, and numerous articles on a wide spectrum of topics and issues relating to Islam.
Mufti Ebrahim Desai also has been visiting the US and Canada for the past 10 years in an effort to educate and revive the Islamic spirit among the Muslims there.
4. islamqa.com:
This site aims to provide intelligent, authoritative responses to anyone’s question about Islam, whether it be from a Muslim or a non-Muslim, and to help solve general and personal social problems. Responses are composed by Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid, a known Islamic lecturer and author. Questions about any topic are welcome, such as theology, worship, human and business relations, or social and personal issues.
5. islamicity.com/qa/:
Islamicity now has two Islamic scholars answering questions: one in California and one in India. Dr. Dani Doueiri, a co-founder of the site and an Islamic scholar at California State University at San Bernardino had answered more than 50,000 questions for the site.
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