Azlan Othman
A new book by the State Mufti’s Office seeks to provide answers to questions and their legal basis to religious decrees (fatwa) issued in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Fatwa Mufti Kerajaaan 2020 (pic below) is now available, and contains explanations on 33 fatwa issued that year.
The book contained questions on some of the fatwa issues while facing the COVID-19 pandemic that began in March 2020.
Among them are the questions of congregational prayers with physical distancing, the congregational prayer for nurses wearing personal protective equipment (PPE), congregational prayers with physical distancing between congregations in one shaf (row) and performing two Friday prayers in one mosque, as well as the question of prayers during the closure of mosques and suraus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In addition, the book addresses travel of Haj pilgrims during the pandemic, managing the remains for COVID-19 patients and medical issues regarding the spread of the virus. The book also seeks to explain the rational of fatwa from the perspective of ulema mu’tabar Ahli Sunnah Wal-Jama’ah in terms that are easy to understand.
The book can also be used as reference material because the fatwa issued has touched on various matters of daily life, such as pious acts, Islamic finance, culture and medicine.
The State Mufti’s Office said it is its vision to be a credible Fatwa Institution and a complete Islamic reference centre while its mission is to fulfil Ifta and implement Islamic knowledge.
The duty and function of the State Mufti Office is to issue fatwa and Irsyad. The fatwa is disseminated in the form of publications, including by publishing the Fatwa Mufti Kerajaan Book every year.
