Dubai - Fatwa services are also offered via WhatsApp in Dubai.
(File photo used for illustrative purpose)
Dubai’s Islamic affairs department issued over 127,000 fatwas last year. A fatwa is a ruling on a point of Islamic law given by a recognised authority, which in Dubai’s case is the Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department in Dubai (IACAD).
The rulings issued in 2020 varied from oral ones to written and those issued digitally, a top IACAD official said on Monday. The department had also issued fatwas related to Covid-19, including those on praying at home; frontliners offering prayers, etc.
Dr Omar Muhammad Al Khatib, Executive Director of the Islamic Affairs Sector, said the Covid-19 pandemic took most of the authority’s services online last year.
Despite this, people from the UAE and around the world reached out via its digital platforms for fatwas, he added.
Dr Ahmed bin Abdulaziz Al Haddad, Dubai’s Grand Mufti and Head of the Fatwa Department, urged residents to seek the department’s conusel when it comes to fatwas.
In addition to issuing fatwas via its website, the department also issued rulings via WhatsApp. Residents can reach out to the department via 8003336.