Fatawa in Pakistani Courts: An Appraisal

Abstract

Fatwa([i]) is an important legal instrument which has been employed of Muslim scholars since formative years of Islamic law. It is a structured reply from the perspective of Islamic law to a query of an inquirer.([ii]) Fatwa is a private religious activity carried out on the request of an inquirer and its implementation is dependent on the quality of submission the inquirer willing to extend. The very foundation of the institution of fatwa is the desire of Muslims to shape their day to day lives according to the dictates of Islamic law. Therefore, whenever they do not find any specific instruction on any issue or find it difficult to understand the true import of any instruction, they take it to Muftis who respond them considering the dictates as well as tenor of Islamic law.