Permanent Committee
Encyclopedia
The Permanent Committee for Islamic Research and Fataawa
(in Arabic, al-Lajnah ad-Daa'imah lil-Buhooth al-'Ilmiyyah wal-Iftaa اللجنة الدائمة للبحوث العلمية والإفتاء ) is an Islamic organization in Saudi Arabia
that issues rulings in Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh
). It consists of the most senior Sunni scholars of fiqh in Saudi Arabia.
of Saudi Arabia on the 8th of Rajab 1391 AH
(August 29, 1971 C.E. in the Gregorian calendar) issued a royal decree establishing the Council of Senior Scholars for his country. Under section four of the decree, it stated,
With this decree came the establishment of the Permanent Committee for Islamic Research and Fataawa
(Islamic rulings). Since its inception, the Permanent Committee has been relied upon by Muslims all over the world for rulings in Fiqh
(Islamic jurisprudence), Hadith (sayings of the Prophet Muhammad), and Aqeedah (Islamic creed) issues. For those with questions regarding the Islamic ruling on a variety of questions, it is possible to write to the Permanent Committee asking for a fatwa on a specific topic.
In their fataawa
, the Permanent Committee has become renowned for its thoroughness in deriving their rulings. All fataawa are derived from evidence from the three sources of Islamic knowledge: the Qur'an
, authentic Sunnah
, and understanding of the rightly guided companions of the Prophet Muhammad. Moreover, they will usually explain all the potential Islamic viewpoints of an issue and will then explain, which in their view is the most authentic opinion based on the evidence.
of the Permanent Committee include:
Fatwa
A fatwā in the Islamic faith is a juristic ruling concerning Islamic law issued by an Islamic scholar. In Sunni Islam any fatwā is non-binding, whereas in Shia Islam it could be considered by an individual as binding, depending on his or her relation to the scholar. The person who issues a fatwā...
(in Arabic, al-Lajnah ad-Daa'imah lil-Buhooth al-'Ilmiyyah wal-Iftaa اللجنة الدائمة للبحوث العلمية والإفتاء ) is an Islamic organization in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
that issues rulings in Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh
Fiqh
Fiqh is Islamic jurisprudence. Fiqh is an expansion of the code of conduct expounded in the Quran, often supplemented by tradition and implemented by the rulings and interpretations of Islamic jurists....
). It consists of the most senior Sunni scholars of fiqh in Saudi Arabia.
Creation of the Permanent Committee for Islamic Research and Fataawa
King Faisal ibn Abd al-AzizFaisal of Saudi Arabia
Faisal bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud was King of Saudi Arabia from 1964 to 1975. As king, he is credited with rescuing the country's finances and implementing a policy of modernization and reform, while his main foreign policy themes were pan-Islamic Nationalism, anti-Communism, and pro-Palestinian...
of Saudi Arabia on the 8th of Rajab 1391 AH
Islamic calendar
The Hijri calendar , also known as the Muslim calendar or Islamic calendar , is a lunar calendar consisting of 12 lunar months in a year of 354 or 355 days. It is used to date events in many Muslim countries , and used by Muslims everywhere to determine the proper day on which to celebrate Islamic...
(August 29, 1971 C.E. in the Gregorian calendar) issued a royal decree establishing the Council of Senior Scholars for his country. Under section four of the decree, it stated,
- “The Permanent Committee has been left the task of selecting its members from amongst the members of the Council (of Senior Scholars) in accordance with the Royal Decree. Its aim is to prepare research papers ready for discussion amongst the Council (of Senior Scholars), and issue fataawa on individual issues. This is by responding to the fatwa-seeking public in areas of 'aqeedah, 'ibaadah and social issues. It will be called: The Permanent Committee for Islaamic Research and FataawaFatwaA fatwā in the Islamic faith is a juristic ruling concerning Islamic law issued by an Islamic scholar. In Sunni Islam any fatwā is non-binding, whereas in Shia Islam it could be considered by an individual as binding, depending on his or her relation to the scholar. The person who issues a fatwā...
(al-Lajnah ad-Daa'imah lil-Buhooth al-'Ilmiyyah wal-Iftaa.)”
With this decree came the establishment of the Permanent Committee for Islamic Research and Fataawa
Fatwa
A fatwā in the Islamic faith is a juristic ruling concerning Islamic law issued by an Islamic scholar. In Sunni Islam any fatwā is non-binding, whereas in Shia Islam it could be considered by an individual as binding, depending on his or her relation to the scholar. The person who issues a fatwā...
(Islamic rulings). Since its inception, the Permanent Committee has been relied upon by Muslims all over the world for rulings in Fiqh
Fiqh
Fiqh is Islamic jurisprudence. Fiqh is an expansion of the code of conduct expounded in the Quran, often supplemented by tradition and implemented by the rulings and interpretations of Islamic jurists....
(Islamic jurisprudence), Hadith (sayings of the Prophet Muhammad), and Aqeedah (Islamic creed) issues. For those with questions regarding the Islamic ruling on a variety of questions, it is possible to write to the Permanent Committee asking for a fatwa on a specific topic.
In their fataawa
Fatwa
A fatwā in the Islamic faith is a juristic ruling concerning Islamic law issued by an Islamic scholar. In Sunni Islam any fatwā is non-binding, whereas in Shia Islam it could be considered by an individual as binding, depending on his or her relation to the scholar. The person who issues a fatwā...
, the Permanent Committee has become renowned for its thoroughness in deriving their rulings. All fataawa are derived from evidence from the three sources of Islamic knowledge: the Qur'an
Qur'an
The Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
, authentic Sunnah
Sunnah
The word literally means a clear, well trodden, busy and plain surfaced road. In the discussion of the sources of religion, Sunnah denotes the practice of Prophet Muhammad that he taught and practically instituted as a teacher of the sharī‘ah and the best exemplar...
, and understanding of the rightly guided companions of the Prophet Muhammad. Moreover, they will usually explain all the potential Islamic viewpoints of an issue and will then explain, which in their view is the most authentic opinion based on the evidence.
Current Members of the Permanent Committee
The current members of the Permanent Committee for Islaamic Research and Fataawa are:- Head: Shaykh Abd al-Azeez aal ash-Shaykh
- Member: Shaykh Abdullah ibn Qu'ood
- Member: Shaykh Abdullah ibn Munay
- Member: Shaykh Saalih al Fawzaan
Deceased Members of the Permanent Committee
Deceased members of the Permanent Committee include:- Abd al-Azeez ibn Baaz
- Abd ar-Razzaq ibn 'Afifi
- Abdullah Ibn JibreenAbdullah Ibn JibreenAbdullah ibn Abdulrahman ibn Jibreen was a leading Sunni cleric in Saudi Arabia and a member of the Senior Clerics Association.He was also a former member of the Permanent Committee for Islamic Research and Fataawa in Saudi Arabia....
- Bakr Abdullah Abu Zayd
- Muhammad ibn Ibrahim aal ash-Shaykh
- Abdullah ibn Ghudayyaan
Books
Books that contain the fataawaFatwa
A fatwā in the Islamic faith is a juristic ruling concerning Islamic law issued by an Islamic scholar. In Sunni Islam any fatwā is non-binding, whereas in Shia Islam it could be considered by an individual as binding, depending on his or her relation to the scholar. The person who issues a fatwā...
of the Permanent Committee include:
- Fataawa al-Lajnah ad-Daa'imah
- Fataawa Islamiyyah
External links
- http://alifta.net- website of the permanent committee
- fatwa-online.com — summary of the Permanent Committee