# Does a mufti have to be appointed by the government?

*Does a mufti have to be appointed by the state?*

- URL: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/wl7wikke16q/s/4/
- Date: 2018-02-15 · Kind: question · Transcript tier: machine · Recording: The Maulana/Madrassa crisis & Why my views appear to be different? - Mufti Abu Layth al-Maliki (17:50–18:31)
- Status: general teaching
- Watch from the start of the segment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wl7wIKke16Q&t=1070s
- Recording page: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/wl7wikke16q/

**Topics:** Legal theory and method; Public law and governance

**Question as asked:** Is a mufti meant to be somebody appointed by the state?

**Summary (not a quotation; machine-made, unchecked):** No. Being a mufti can be a salaried professional role, as in fatwa institutions, or a voluntary, freelance one.

**Checked position (checked by two independent reviews, not by the channel):** Mufti Abu Layth says a mufti does not have to be appointed by the state and can hold a voluntary or a professional role.

**Evidence, his words at 17:50:** “is a Mufti meant to be somebody appointed by the state doesn't have to be appointed by the state it can be a muscly can be a voluntary or a professional role” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wl7wIKke16Q&t=1070s)

## Longer summary

After a fragment, unclear in the transcript, of an answer about Salafis ending in the remark that depending on one's breadth of knowledge and skills one can be as good as anybody, Mufti Abu Layth takes a quick question on whether a mufti must be appointed by the state. He says no: it can be a voluntary or a professional role. He notes that there are many institutions around the Muslim world, and in the non-Muslim world, that give fatwas with salaried staff, and that one can also do it on a voluntary, freelance basis. The clip ends there.

## Sources and names cited

- mufti
- fatwa
- dar al-ifta (fatwa institution)

## Transcript (machine tier, 17:50–18:31)

[17:11] stand the mindset of why the mallanna's that are being produced have a lot of this sometimes they speak from an inferior position a position of inferiority that's not to mock them that's not to disparage them but it's to highlight the actual issues that we're facing naturally they will feel very insecure when dealing with Western stuff because they've always kind of seen themselves as they've been you know victims if you like of of just being treated the way they have okay let's move on to some of the questions people right so this group thing about selfies

[17:50] and these people look on depending on your breadth of knowledge and your skills you can be as good as anybody okay right so okay a quick question is a Mufti meant to be somebody appointed by the state doesn't have to be appointed by the state it can be a muscly can be a voluntary or a professional role you have many data lifters around the world places which give fatwa and they write throughout the Muslim world even in the non-muslim world they are salaried Steiff I mean so you have a salary kind of for doing that oh you could be doing it on a voluntary freelance by free

[18:26] freelance basis okay

## Cite

Mufti Abu Layth Archive, segment Wl7wIKke16Q/s/4. https://muftiabulayth.org/r/wl7wikke16q/s/4/

Not a fatwa: these answers were given to specific people at specific times. Ask a qualified scholar about your own situation.