Fatwa

[amo_l_oman]

BAGHDAD : A leading radical Iraqi cleric issued a fatwa (Islamic decree) demanding the immediate release of two French reporters held hostage for more than two weeks.

"We issued a fatwa urging the group to immediately free and not to harm the two French reporters, in recognition of France's position on Iraq," Sheikh Mehdi al-Sumaidaie, a senior cleric from the strict Wahhabist current of Islam, told AFP.
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_world/view/105083/1/.html

I'd like to know which are the necessary conditions to issue a Fatwa and in which case the french journalists kidnapping can be listed.
Who is entitled to issue and are there any differences between sects?
Thanks.

[Sleyum]

It makes lots of sense.
Because French they have really shown goodwill to Iraq :yes:
But no freezone for Child Killers Like Americano and British kill them as close you can get them into your target :shoot: :shoot:

[amo_l_oman]

Yes Sley i know how you think and i respect you, only i wanted to know who and how and for which cases a fatwa is issued.
That caught my attention just cause i thought it couldn't be issued for such particular and specific events and persons, that's all.

[Arabian Princess]

Personaly, I dont think these statment should be called fatwa. Fatwa is more related to a religious duty or obligation. what this scholar did was give his opinion about the matter in my opinion.

Allahu Alaam, this is just how I think.

[Blessed]

Good point from Arabian Princess. There was no mention of any Islamic ruling on the matter such as: Halal/Haram, Ja'ez, Makrooh, Mostahab, Farth, Wajib...etc. Maybe they did provide such thing in the fatwa they sent to the hostage takers, but as far as the article shows it seems like it is just someone offering their opinion on why the hostages should be freed, and that person happens to be a Muslim cleric. That doesn't necessarily make it a fatwa.

[amo_l_oman]

A friend sent me an article which defines Fatwa also as opinion:



Linguistically, fatwa means "an answer to a question" – the question may be rhetorical or actual. The answer represents only the opinion of the person who offered it. In Islamic jurisprudence, fatwa means the opinion of a scholar based on that scholar's understanding and interpretation of the intent of the sources of Islam, that scholar's knowledge of the subject in question, and the social milieu that produced the issue or question. The scholar's answer or fatwa is not a binding rule; rather, it is a recommendation. The answer (fatwa) may be opposed, criticized, accepted, or rejected. In addition, the answer (fatwa) may itself become the subject of debate or questions.

http://www.iiie.net/Articles/DemystifyFatwa.html