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Mufti
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{{short description|Islamic jurist qualified to issue a nonbinding opinion on a point of Islamic law}} {{about|Islamic scholars|clothing|Mufti (dress)|the 2017 film|Mufti (film)|the secret society of Pomona College|Mufti (organization)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}} {{Usul al-fiqh}} [[File:Gérôme - Mufti Reading in His Prayer Stool.jpg|thumb|A mufti reading in his prayer stool, by [[Jean-Léon Gérôme]] ({{Circa|1900}})]] A '''mufti''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|m|ʌ|f|t|i}}; {{langx|ar|[[wikt:مفتي|مفتي]]}} {{IPA|ar|muftiː|}}, {{pronunciation|Q185992-ar.ogg|listen|help=no}}) is an [[Faqīh|Islamic jurist]] qualified to issue a nonbinding opinion (''[[fatwa]]'') on a point of [[Islamic law]] (''[[sharia]]'').{{sfn|Nanji|2009}}{{sfn|Swartz|2009}} The act of issuing fatwas is called ''iftāʾ''.{{sfn|Hendrickson|2013}} Muftis and their ''fatāwa'' have played an important role throughout [[History of Islam|Islamic history]], taking on new roles in the [[modern era]].{{sfn|Masud|Kéchichian|2009}}{{sfn|Dallal|Hendrickson|2009}} Tracing its origins to the [[Quran]] and early Islamic communities, the practice of ''ifta'' crystallized with the emergence of the traditional [[Principles of Islamic jurisprudence|legal theory]] and schools of [[Fiqh|Islamic jurisprudence]] (''[[madhahib]]'').{{sfn|Nanji|2009}}{{sfn|Swartz|2009}} In the classical legal system, fatwas issued by muftis in response to private queries served to inform Muslim populations about Islam, advise courts on difficult points of Islamic law, and elaborate substantive law.{{sfn|Masud|Kéchichian|2009}} In later times, muftis also issued public and political fatwas that took a stand on doctrinal controversies, legitimized government policies or articulated grievances of the population.{{sfn|Messick|Kéchichian|2009}}{{sfn|Dallal|Hendrickson|2009}} Traditionally, a mufti was seen as a scholar of upright character who possessed a thorough knowledge of the [[Quran]], [[hadith]] and legal literature.{{sfn|Nanji|2009}} Muftis acted as independent scholars in the classical legal system.{{sfn|Masud|Kéchichian|2009}} Over the centuries, [[Sunni Islam|Sunni]] muftis were gradually incorporated into state bureaucracies, while [[Shia Islam|Shia]] jurists in [[Iran]] progressively asserted an autonomous authority starting from the [[Early modern period|early modern era]].{{sfn|Dallal|Hendrickson|2009}} With the spread of codified state laws and Western-style legal education in the modern [[Muslim world]], muftis generally no longer play their traditional role of clarifying and elaborating the laws applied in courts.{{sfn|Hendrickson|2013}}{{sfn|Masud|Kéchichian|2009}} However, muftis have continued to advise the general public on other aspects of ''sharia'', particularly questions regarding religious rituals and everyday life.{{sfn|Hendrickson|2013}}{{sfn|Messick|2017}} Some modern muftis are appointed by the state to issue fatwas, while others serve on advisory religious councils.{{sfn|Nanji|2009}} Still others issue fatwas in response to private queries on [[television]] or over the [[internet]].{{sfn|Dallal|Hendrickson|2009}} Modern public fatwas have addressed and sometimes sparked controversies in the Muslim world and beyond.{{sfn|Dallal|Hendrickson|2009}} The legal methodology of modern ''ifta'' often diverges from pre-modern practice.{{sfn|Berger|2014}} While the proliferation of contemporary fatwas attests to the importance of Islamic authenticity to many Muslims, little research has been done to determine to what extent the Muslim public continues to acknowledge the religious authority of muftis or heeds their advice.{{sfn|Berger|2014}} {{Infobox occupation | name = Mufti | synonyms = | pronounce = | image = | imagesize = | alt = | caption = | official_names = | type = [[Profession]], [[vocation]] | activity_sector = [[Islamic studies]] | competencies = Verbal reasoning, knowledge of Islamic law, knowledge of Classical Arabic | formation = an [[Ijazah]] or University degree<ref>https://www.ucis.pitt.edu/global/sites/default/files/curriculum_materials/contributed/TheGrandMufti.pdf {{Bare URL PDF|date=March 2022}}</ref> | employment_field = Religious leadership | related_occupation = [[Imam]], [[qadi]], [[marja']] }}
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