Methodology

The methodology of The Islamic Fatwa Council in deducing Islamic Law from the sources of Islam (The Holy Quran and Noble Hadiths) is derived from a concrete, ancient and mainstream approach to Islamic jurisprudence (Fiqh) that has been relied upon by Islamic Scholars since the passing of the Noble Prophet Mohammad (saw) in order to rely on His teachings in arriving at the most accurate legal verdict; in a process known as Ijtihad, and that has been a guide for over 14 centuries.

IFC Islamic Sources

The Islamic Fatwa Council (IFC) applies a comprehensive and complete methodology in deducing a Fatwa (Islamic Legal verdict). The foundations for all IFC Fatwas are derived from the following sources, and in the order presented below:

1. The Holy Quran
2. The Noble Hadiths and Narrations
3. Scholarly Consensus
4. Qiyas (analogy)
5. Aql (reason)

Jurisprudential Sources

Alongside the above Islamic Sources, the IFC refers to the jurisprudential output of early Islamic jurists, acknowledging their jurisprudential insight and personal Ijtihad when issuing Islamic edicts, these jurists are – and not limited to:

• Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq
• Imam Ibn Hanbal
• Imam Abu Hanifah
• Imam Al-Shafi’i
• Imam Malik

Non-Controversial Sources

In the process of deducing Islamic Law, The Islamic Fatwa Council distances itself from all non-Islamic and controversial books, Fatwas and sources that fall under the following categories:

• Islamist and revolutionary publications that are founded upon political Islamist ideologies;
• Extremist books and scriptures used to incite violence and terrorism;
• Publications that promote and encourage sectarianism among Muslims;
• Books that normalize and/or tolerate innovation and heresy in religion (Bid’ah);
• Books – and all publications – relied on by terrorist entities and deviant organizations or movements;

Non-sectarian

The Islamic Fatwa Council maintains a non-sectarian approach towards Islamic jurisprudence and Muslim communities. Muslims are provided with verdicts based on the teachings of their respective schools of thought, and are supervised by jurists and scholars who adhere to the same sect (Madh’hab).