Fatwa Institute for the Beginning of Islam and Contemporary Reality

Abstract

There were no variety of verdict sources in the dawn of Islam. Rather, verdict was limited to the receiver of the divine revelation, the infallible Prophet (SAW). Allah says: “Nor does he speak from [his own] inclination. It is not but a revelation revealed” (Qur’an 53: 3 and 4). The only institution of verdict was represented by the personality of Allah’s messenger (SAW). He was the only conveyer of the divine message. The companions (may Allah be pleased with them all) received from him whatever related to their religion in different occasions or questions posed to him (SAW). He was responsive to that which he knew and irresponsive to that which he did not know, until the revelation would come with the answer.
Thereafter, the society expanded and Islam lands. The companions received the Qur’an from the Prophet (SAW) who approved for them its inscription. Then the writing of hadeeth which had earlier been prohibited was permissible, and this qualified the companions for giving verdicts after the demise of the Prophet (SAW). A number of companions emerged in different fields of knowledge; some of whom were reciters and others were jurists. Their verdicts became institutionalized, for they did not have individual opinions, but they might
call one another for consultation. This confirms the institutionalization of verdicts in their era.
Then came the era of the companions’ students when there emerged a number of scholars called the seven jurists. After that, the generation of reform followed after the expansion of record and division of knowledge. In this era, the phenomenon of individual verdict began to spread due to the existence of scholars; each of who could possess a variety of knowledge, although some of them might gather on an abstruse verdict in order to deduce its ruling. However, in the modern era, knowledge has become more complex, and verdicts have become more needful due to the diversity of aspects of life and problems. Thus, scholars are required to strive for the establishment of jurisprudential academies to institutionalize verdicts so as to show the features of reform, ensure that the jurisprudence meets the requirements of the present situations and clarifies the Islamic rulings on the contemporary developments.