Answered by: Alimah Sofia Mirza
Question:
I’ve always been told that women cannot study the Mufti course as they aren’t allowed to give Fatawa thus we are only allowed to become Aalimas. While I am not at all disagreeing with that, I want to know the specific hadith or Qur’anic aayat where this law was made ( forbidding women from formulating fatwas etc).
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
There is no such ruling specific to men giving fatwas, among the regulations of a mufti is that he or she should be responsible Muslim, trustworthy, sound, and free from any causes of immorality, a jurist of the soul and correct in conduct, alert in deducting and reasoning whether a slave, free, woman, blind or mute if he understands1. Hence if one fits the above criteria, she can peruse becoming a Mufti to help the community.
Only Allah knows best
Written by Alimah Sofia Mirza
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
1 Kitab Al-Majmua Sharh al-Muhazhab al-Shirazi al-Imam Nawawi, Maktabah al Irshaad, Vol 1, Pg.74,
شرط المفتي كونه مكلفا مسلما ثقة مأمونا متنزها عن اسباب الفسق وخوارم المروءة فقيه النفس سليم الذهن رصين الفكر صحيح التصرف والاستنباط متيقظا سواء فيه الحر والعبد و المرأة و الأعرس