Muslim scholars from around the world gathered in Mecca on Saturday for a conference aimed at giving guidance on fatwas, the crucial Islamic legal rulings that guide the lives of hundreds of millions of Muslims.

The five-day Fatwa and its Regulation conference organised by the Muslim World League (MWL) was to address the crafting and issuing of fatwas in the modern age, when complex matters and the rapid dissemination of rulings over the Internet have led to contradictory and controversial opinions by those interpreting sharia, or Islamic law.

‘Issuing a fatwa is a very serious matter as it involves making a decision on the basis of the law laid down by Allah and explained by the prophet,’ Mr Turki said, according to the local daily Arab News.

Fatwas are opinions or rulings which can cover minor and major matters of life and are issued by Islamic scholars and clerics based on interpretation of the Koran and centuries of Islamic thought.    »»» Straits Times (Singapore)

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