Bahraini scholar warns against 'irrational' fatwas

Manama: A Bahraini religious scholar has warned against heeding fatwas given on television stations without questioning their logic. The scholar said many of these were "irrational" and had no relation with Islam.

"The problem is that Islam has consistently called for the use of logic and common sense in looking at all issues. Several verses in the Quran clearly tell people to use their brains in assessing situations and issues.

"However, many of today's interpretations and readings of issues are not based on common sense, thus allowing for the accumulation of mistakes and misjudgments that are often present in edicts pronounced on television stations," Fawwaz Al Sherooqi said.

The proliferation of fatwas, the religious decisions to help individuals with problems and issues, on television and the internet and their contradictory and sometimes ridiculous messages have sparked deep concern among Muslims.

A Saudi religious man waded into controversy when his fatwa decreed that owners of TV channels could be killed for broadcasting immoral content while an Egyptian from the venerable Al Azhar University issued a fatwa that proposed that a woman could work alongside a man she is not related to if she breastfed him five times.

Bombarded with such ridiculous fatwas, troubled Muslims cannot simply ignore them, but will find that they need to act promptly, Al Sherooqi said.

"A society that wants to move forward in an increasingly demanding world has to give significant room to using rational thinking and logic.

"Islam urges Muslims to empower themselves to adapt to all situations and make the most of them instead of remaining frozen in a mould of time and let other nations move ahead," he said at a lecture in Manama.

A society where people deeply believe that religion is a set of rigid orders that do not allow people to think of other options or possibilities cannot progress, Al Sherooqi said.

"Islam has always stood for the values of freedom, equality and respect of people's dignity. During the days of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH), people were encouraged to use their brains and to apply logic.

Expanding horizons

"People were encouraged to consolidate and gain further experience in their fields of expertise instead of just confining themselves to what was available. As a nation we really need to improve our ways of thinking and behaving to ensure that we keep up with the genuine Islamic tradition of expanding our horizons through science and knowledge," he said.

Nations that are afraid of improving their thinking standards will always depend on a religious leader who will think for them and force them to follow him blindly without applying logic, Al Sherooqi said.