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Is there anything in the Quran and the Prophetic Sunnah that proves the existence of what is known as "Fiqh al-Waqi‘" (understanding contemporary issues) and "the variation of fatwas with the variation of time and place"?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

The term "Fiqh al-Waqi'" (understanding reality) is used for two meanings:

The first: Knowing the reality of the questioner and the country so that the mufti (Islamic jurist) can issue a correct fatwa. This is very necessary for the fatwa to be appropriate and realistic. Scholars have applied this, as Ibn Taymiyyah did in fighting the Tatars.

The second: Knowing what is happening in the world in terms of events and political analyses. There has been excess and negligence regarding this meaning. Some have exaggerated to the point of making this understanding obligatory for scholars, while others have prohibited engaging in it. The correct approach is moderation. Fiqh al-Waqi' in this sense is a fard kifayah (communal obligation); if some perform it, it is lifted from the rest. What is obligatory is that specialists in understanding the reality of the Ummah cooperate with Islamic scholars, where the former present their perceptions and ideas, and the latter clarify Allah's ruling on them. Engaging in Fiqh al-Waqi' comes after understanding the Shariah, so that a Muslim can distinguish truth from falsehood.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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