Ghana was among fifty countries that participated in an international symposium on Fatwa, the formal ruling or interpretation on a point of Islamic law, given by a qualified legal scholar known as a mufti.
Fatwas are usually issued in response to questions from individuals or Islamic courts
The symposium was organised as part of the programme of a three-day conference on Fatwa held from July 8, 2023 to July 10, 2023 in Marrakesh by Morocco’s King Mohammed VI Foundation.
The symposium discussed Fatwa under various themes.
They include, among others “Introduce the science of issuing Fatwa and the connection with sharia provisions; Highlight the status of Fatwa in Islamic sciences; Provide guidance on how to protect sharia-related Fatwas from extremist ideology.”
In his contribution, Hajj Muhammad Amir Kpakpo Addo, General Secretary of the Federation of Muslim Councils said Fatwa has become a major challenge confronting many Muslim communities, especially, in subsaharan Africa.
Hajj Kpakpo Addo who is also Secretary of the Ghana Conference of Religions for Peace (GCRP) attributed the challenge to how many Muslim religious edicts to guide muslim on novel matters in the issuing of fatwa are rooted in customs and traditions.
Ghana’s delegation was led by Sheikh Mustapha Ibrahim, Chairman of the Ghana section of the King Mohammed VI Foundation of African Oulemas.