To what extent is contemporary Ifta' (issuance of religious edicts) aware of today's developments in modernity, specifically social, political, and scientific modernity (such as gender mixing, globalization, and cloning)?

A Mufti must be knowledgeable about the changing circumstances and customs of people in order to issue rulings based on truth. Ibn al-Qayyim stated that a Mufti and a ruler cannot issue fatwas or judgments except with two understandings: an understanding of the reality and an understanding of Allah's ruling concerning it, then applying one to the other. It has been narrated from Imam Ahmad that a Mufti must possess five qualities, one of which is knowledge of people. A Mufti who is knowledgeable about people distinguishes between the oppressor and the oppressed, the righteous and the false, and understands people's cunning and deception. Fatwas change with the change of time, place, customs, and circumstances. This is what contemporary Dar al-Ifta (Fatwa Councils) and Fiqh academies consider in their fatwas and decisions.