FatwaFederal TerritoriesLegal Theory & Methodology
AL-KAFI #1648 : BOLEHKAH SEORANG MUFTI TAWAQQUF DALAM MENJAWAB PERMASALAHAN HUKUM ?
May a mufti refrain from answering a legal question put to him?
Short answer
As a general rule, a mufti is obliged to answer questions he knows the answer to, since withholding known knowledge is prohibited.
A reference, not a fatwa. First sentence of the summary below — read the original fatwa and consult your state authority before acting.
- Authority
- Federal Territories Mufti Office
- Date
- Status
- Opinion (irsyad)
- Series
- Al-Kafi li al-Fatawi
- Topic
- Legal Theory & Methodology
No evidence of gazettement in the source — this is not a gazetted fatwa.
Summary
As a general rule, a mufti is obliged to answer questions he knows the answer to, since withholding known knowledge is prohibited. However, he may practise tawaqquf, meaning he gives no answer, when he does not know the correct ruling because the issue is new and requires study, or because differing evidences leave the matter unclear to him. The ruling cites Imam Malik's abstention on the ruling for sea pig as an example.
Written in our own words from the original fatwa — check the source before acting on it.
maka boleh bagi seorang mufti untuk tawaqquf yakni tidak memberikan sebarang jawapan terhadap permasalahan tersebut.
Read the full fatwa on the Federal Territories website (new tab)
How to cite
Cite the original fatwa and its authority. Rujuk Fatwa is only where you found it.
Federal Territories Mufti Office. “AL-KAFI #1648 : BOLEHKAH SEORANG MUFTI TAWAQQUF DALAM MENJAWAB PERMASALAHAN HUKUM ?”, 9 March 2020. https://muftiwp.gov.my/ms/artikel/al-kafi-li-al-fatawi/4298-al-kafi-1648-bolehkah-seorang-mufti-tawaqquf-dalam-menjawab-permasalahan-hukum. Found via Rujuk Fatwa: https://rujukfatwa.com/en/fatwa/may-mufti-refrain-from-answering-legal-question/