SHARIAsource

As part of their sharīʿa implementation programs, a number of sharīʿa states established new official Councils of Ulama or Sharia Commissions, sometimes with advisory and sometimes with administrative or regulatory functions. Other states established Ministries of Religious Affairs or Offices of Special Advisors to the Governors on Religious Matters, with similar functions. These new bodies were added to older ones, such as the Religious Preaching Boards established in many states in the 1970s and 1980s to regulate Islamic religious preaching in particular. The materials gathered here document all these bodies and their work, including the older Preaching Boards. The materials include all relevant statutes, plus official reports where available, and reports of interviews conducted during fieldwork over a number of years.

These materials are a part of The Nigeria Papers – a SHARIAsource Special Collection, compiled and edited by Independent Scholar Philip Ostien and others. 

The Scholars at Department of Dārul-Iftā' (Wifaqul Ulama) in the United Kingdom issued this fatwā in response to a question about the permissibility of using Bitcoin, a prevalent form of cryptocurrency. The council determines its use to be ḥarām, or impermissible according to their understanding of Islamic law. They determine this on the basis that Bitcoin does not meet a number of necessary characteristics associated with valid currency: namely, it is highly volatile in nature; it carries excessive risks associated with its volatility; and it lacks of validation in the its algorithmically and thus inherently decentralized system of production and economic exchange.

This fatwa declares notions of pluralism, liberalism and secularism contrary to the teachings of Islam, and therefore prohibits Muslims from embracing such notions.

This fatwa regulates the consumption of halal products in food, drinks, medicine, cosmetics, etc.

This fatwa regulates the standardisation of halal labelling for food, drinks, the use of names and ingredients, microbes and the consumption of frogs.

This fatwa regulates meningitis vaccinations for Muslims travelling to Saudi Arabia to perform the Hajj and Umrah. It states that vaccines containing pork are prohibited. Where no halal vaccines are available, however, vaccines containing pork are mubah (permissible).

This fatwa regulates the tasks and duties, as well as recruitment of, zakat (alms) collectors.

This fatwa regulates the cleaning of machinery used to process both halal and non-halal products with substances other than water.

This fatwa regulates the procedures required to purify contaminated yeast extract.

This fatwa regulates the preservation of human bodies for the purposes of research.

This fatwa defines what constitutes alcohol and regulates its usage and consumption.

This fatwa regulates the lawful slaughter of animals, the quality of the animal, the role and duties of the slaughterer, the standard quality of the devices used for slaughtering, and the standardisation of processing, preservation and shipping.

This fatwa regulates the legality of zakat (alms) for haram (forbidden) property.

This fatwa regulates asset management in terms of the distribution of zakat (alms).

This fatwa regulates the collection, maintenance and distribution of zakat (alms).

This fatwa regulates the consumption of oral polio vaccines, stating that all medication containing impure properties is forbidden (haram), but that oral polio vaccines are permissible if no such other vaccine that accords with Islamic requirements is available.

This fatwa regulates the usage of animal placenta in cosmetics and topical medications.

This fatwa regulates mining, noting that all mining must be conducted in a responsible and environmentally-friendly manner, and that any resulting environmental damage must be repaired and rectified.

This fatwa permits the usage of food and drink colouring made from cochineals, provided such usage is in no way hazardous.

This fatwa regulates the slaughter of sacrificial animals during the Hajj al-Tamattu. Said slaughter is to be carried out on haram land, and if a person cannot afford to purchase such an animal (generally, a goat), they may instead fast for 10 days: three days on haram land, seven days upon their return home.