Iftaa' ni Mufti kumjulisha yule anayeuliza kuhusu Hukm Ash-Shar'iy ya suala analouliza, yaani kama anaifuata Hukm hii au hairidhii kuifuata. Anaweza kumjulisha Hukm hii katika Daar ul-Iftaa' (nyumba ya fatwa) kama inavyofanyika leo, au anaweza kumjulisha mahali pengine popote.

The Iftaa’ is the Mufti informing of the Hukm Ash-Shar’iy for the issue being enquired about to the one enquiring about it. That is whether he adheres to this Hukm or does not adhere to it. He could inform him of this Hukm in Daar ul-Iftaa’ (the house of verdicts) as happens today or he could inform him of it in any other place.

Wakati Qadaa (hukumu) ni kumjulisha Qaadhi (hakimu) ndani ya mazingira ya mahakama au kikao cha kimahakama cha Hukm Ash-Shar'iy, kwa namna ya kulazimisha, kwa madhumuni ya kutekeleza hukumu hii kutoka kwa hakimu na kwa wale wanaogombana au wale waliofanya ukiukaji, iwe wameridhika na hukumu hiyo au hawajaridhika nayo. Qadaa' (kuhukumu) haitekelezwi wala haina nguvu isipokuwa ndani ya kikao cha kimahakama, kama vile ndani ya chumba cha mahakama kwa mfano.

That is whilst the Qadaa (judgment) is the informing of the Qaadi (judge) within the judiciary setting or session of the Hukm Ash-Shar’iy in a manner of compulsion for the purpose of applying this Hukm from the judge and upon the disputing parties or those who have committed violations, whether they are content with that Hukm (judgment) or not content with it. The Qadaa’ (judging) is not implemented or effective except in the judiciary session like within the court room for example.

Mfano unaohusiana na utoaji wa Fatwaa:

Example related to the giving of the Fatwaa:

Ilipokewa kutoka kwa Ahmad Bin Hanbal (rh) kwamba Al-Hussein Bin Bashaar alimuuliza kuhusu Mas'ala inayohusiana na At-Talaaq (talaka), kisha akasema: Akifanya hivyo basi amevunja kiapo. Ndipo Al-Hussein akamjibu: Ewe mja wa Allah, hakika mtu mmoja alinipa Fatwa kwamba akifanya hivyo hatakuwa amevunja kiapo chake. Basi (Ahmad) akasema: Unajua Halaqah ya Madaniyeen, Halaqah Bi Rasaafah? Akasema: Alinipa hukumu hiyo, kwa kweli aliihalalisha. Akasema: Ndiyo.

It was related from Ahmad Bin Hanbal (rh) that Al-Hussein Bin Bashaar asked him about a Mas’alah in relation to At-Talaaq (divorce) and then he said: If he does that then he has broken an oath. And so Al-Hussein replied to him: O slave of Allah, verily a person has given me a Fatwaa that if he did that he would not break his oath. So he (Ahmad) said: You know the Halaqah of the Madaniyeen, a Halaqah Bi Rasaafah. So he said: He gave me the verdict, indeed he made it Halaal. He said: Yes

Ikiwa tukio au hali fulani inamkabili 'Aammiy (Muqallid) naye hajui Hukm Ash-Shar'iy kwa ajili yake, basi Ash-Shaari' (Mtunga Sheria) ameamuru aulize 'Ulamaa (wanazuoni). Allah (SWT) amesema:

If an incident or reality comes before the ‘Aammiy (Muqallid) and he does not know the Hukm Ash-Shar’iy for it, then the Shaari’ (Legislator) has directed him to ask the ‘Ulamaa (people of knowledge). Allah (swt) said:

Na Mufti ni miongoni mwa Ahlu-dh-Dhikr (watu wa elimu ya nasi).

And the Mufti is from amongst the Ahlu-dh-Dhikr (people of knowledge of the texts).

Miongoni mwa masharti (Shuroot) ya Mufti ni:

From amongst the conditions (Shuroot) of the Mufti are:

1 – Kwamba yeye ni Faqeeh, na anajua idadi kubwa ya Ahkaam Ash-Shar'iyah, na ameyasoma maneno yaliyoenea ya Madhaahib, ingawa si sharti kwake kuwa Mujtahid. 2 – Kwamba anatoa Hukm kwa Mas'alah (suala au swali) lililowasilishwa mbele yake, na anaikaribia akitafuta Haqq bila kuzingatia Maqaasid (malengo au nia) za watawala.

1 – That he is a Faqeeh and knowledgeable of a host of Ahkaam Ash-Shar’iyah and had studied the wide spread statements of the Madhaahib whilst it is not a condition for him to be a Mujtahid. 2 – That he provides the Hukm for the Mas’alah (issue or question) that has been presented before him and he approaches it seeking the Haqq without paying any regard to the Maqaasid (aims or intent) of the rulers.

3 – Kwamba anachagua, kwa yule anayetafuta Fatwaa, kutoka miongoni mwa maoni ambayo amejichagulia mwenyewe. Hivyo basi, hachagui kwa ajili yake mwenyewe kile kilicho chepesi zaidi miongoni mwa maoni, huku akichagua maoni magumu au makali zaidi kwa wengine wafuate. 4 – Kwamba anatoa Hukm Ash-Shar’iy kwa suala lililowasilishwa kwake pamoja na Daleel inayolitegemea, na anachagua ushahidi wenye nguvu zaidi katika kuonyesha Hukm hiyo.

3 – That he selects for the one seeking the Fatwaa from the opinions that he has chosen for himself. As such, he does not choose for himself that which is the easiest from amongst the opinions whilst selecting the most severe or hardest opinions for others to follow. 4 – That he provides the Hukm Ash-Shar’iy for the issue presented to him along with the Daleel that it is based upon and chooses the evidences that are the strongest in respect to indicating the Hukm.

5 – Kwamba Mufti awe katika kiwango cha Taqwa na ucha Mungu, na afuate au ajizuie na Ahkaam Ash-Shar’iyah. Hiyo ni kwa sababu wanaochukiwa zaidi mbele ya Allah ni wale wanaosema yale wasiyoyafanya (rejea: Suratu As-Saff Aya 2-3).

5 – That the Mufti is of a level of Taqwaa and piety and adheres or restricts himself to the Ahkaam Ash-Shar’iyah. That is because the most despised in the sight of Allah are those who say that which they don’t do (ref: Soorah As-Saff Aayah 2-3).

6 – Ikiwa suala analoziwa kuulizwa ni jambo lenye mzozo au tofauti ya maoni, basi Mufti huchagua lile analoliona kuwa sahihi zaidi kwa dhana yake kubwa (Ghalab ‘Alaa Zhannihi).