Leading Muslim clerics on Wednesday endorsed religious edicts (fatwas) forbidding the declaration of any Muslim an apostate (takfir) and limiting the issuance of religious edicts to qualified Muslim clerics in the eight schools of Islamic jurisprudence.



The endorsement of the edicts was part of a general statement emanating from the International Islamic Conference convened by His Majesty King Abdullah in the Jordanian capital, Amman. The joint statement, collecting signatures from scholars and clergy of the eight schools, is the first of its kind.



The statement, issued in the presence of King Abdullah, forbids declaring any adherent to any one of the eight schools of jurisprudence or to Sufism, an apostate; acknowledges the agreement among the eight schools on the fundamental principles of Islamic belief and practice; instructs the eight schools to establish a mechanism by which only qualified clergy could issue religious edicts and forbade the issuance of edicts by unqualified clergy; affirms the necessity and benefit of dialogue among the eight schools and urges Muslims to eschew discord and instead unite and fortify affinity among Muslim people and states.



The statement's terms of reference included religious edicts issued by ten of the most preeminent members of the global Islamic clergy ahead of the conference, which condemned the doctrine of takfir, among other things. The edicts were issued by Their Eminences Grand Imam Sheikh Al Azhar Sheikh Mohamed Sayyed Tantawi; Grand Ayatollah Al Sayyid Ali Al Sistani; Grand Mufti of Egypt Ali Jumaa; a compendium of Shi‘i clerics (both Ja‘fari and Zeidi); Grand Mufti of the Sultanate of Oman Ahmad Bin Hamad Al Khalili; the Islamic Fiqh Academy in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; the Grand Council for Religious Affairs, Turkey; Grand Mufti of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan Sheikh Izzeddine Al Khateeb Al Tamimi, and the members of its National Fatwa Committee; and Sheikh Dr. Yusuf Al Qaradawi.



Other elements of the statement were drawn from King Abdullah's address to the conference, which urged more than 170 scholars and clerics from the different schools of Islamic thought to unify the global Muslim community against threats to its integrity from both Muslims and non-Muslims. The King said that divisions within the global Islamic community, acts of violence and terrorism and accusations of apostasy and the killing of Muslims in the name of Islam violate the spirit of Islam and generate global turmoil because they give justification to non-Muslims to judge Islam according to acts that Islam disavows, and subsequently interfere in Muslims' affairs.



The King said it was unacceptable to call an adherent to any one of the eight schools of jurisprudence an apostate. All schools recognize the fundamental principles of Islamic belief and uphold the five pillars of Islam, he said, and therefore practice true Islam.



The mutual acknowledgement of all schools of Islamic jurisprudence would permit the emergence of a fundamental methodology in the issuance of religious edicts in order that those issuing edicts would be “qualified for this undertaking,” the King said.



“This,” he said, “would end the practice of defaming others as apostates and close the door on ignorant people who practice killing and terrorism - of which Islam is innocent - in the name of Islam.”

Full text of closing statement below:

In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful

Peace and Blessings be upon our master Muhammad and his Family

"O mankind! Be careful of your duty to your Lord Who
created you from a single soul…"


(Al-Nisa', 4:1)

Statement issued by the International Islamic Conference held
in Amman, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, under the title:

'True Islam and its Role in Modern Society'

27-29 I Jumada 1426 H./4-6 Tammuz (July) 2005 C.E.

In accordance with the fatwas issued by the Honourable and Respectable Grand
Imam Shaykh al-Azhar, the Grand Ayatollah Al-Sayyid Ali Al-Sistani, the Honourable
and Respectable Grand Mufti of Egypt, the Honourable and Respectable Shi‘i
clerics (both Ja‘fari and Zaydi), the Honourable and Respectable Grand
Mufti of the Sultanate of Oman, the Islamic Fiqh Academy in the Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia, the Grand Council for Religious Affairs of Turkey, the Honourable and
Respectable Grand Mufti of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the Respectable
Members of its National Fatwa Committee, and the Honourable and Respectable
Shaykh Dr. Yusuf Al-Qaradawi;

And in accordance with what was mentioned in the speech of His Hashemite Majesty
King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein, King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan during
the opening session of our conference;

And in accordance with our own knowledge in sincerity to Allah the Bounteous;

And in accordance with what was presented in this our conference by way of
research papers and studies, and by way of the discussions that transpired in
it;

We, the undersigned, hereby express our approval and affirmation of what appears
below:

1) Whosoever is an adherent of one of the four Sunni Schools of Jurisprudence
(Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi‘i and Hanbali), the Ja‘fari (Shi‘i)
School of Jurisprudence, the Zaydi School of Jurisprudence, the Ibadi School
of Jurisprudence, or the Thahiri School of Jurisprudence is a Muslim. Declaring
that person an apostate is impossible. Verily his (or her) blood, honour, and
property are sacrosanct. Moreover, in accordance with what appeared in the fatwa
of the Honourable and Respectable Shaykh al-Azhar, it is not possible to declare
whosoever subscribes to the Ash‘ari creed or whoever practices true Sufism
an apostate. Likewise, it is not possible to declare whosoever subscribes to
true Salafi thought an apostate. Equally, it is not possible to declare as apostates
any group of Muslims who believes in Allah the Mighty and Sublime and His Messenger
(may Peace and Blessings be upon him) and the pillars of faith, and respects
the pillars of Islam and does not deny any necessary article of religion.

2) There exists more in common between the various Schools of Jurisprudence
than there is difference. The adherents to the eight Schools of Jurisprudence
are in agreement as regards the basic Islamic principles. All believe in Allah
the Mighty and Sublime, the One and the Unique; that the Noble Qur'an
is the Revealed Word of Allah; and that our master Muhammad, may Blessings and
Peace be upon him, is a Prophet and Messenger unto all mankind. All are in agreement
about the five pillars of Islam: the two testaments of faith (shahadatayn),
the ritual prayer (salat), almsgiving (zakat), fasting the month of Ramadan
(sawm), and the Hajj to the Sacred House of Allah. All are also in agreement
about the foundations of belief: belief in Allah, His Angels, His Scriptures,
His Messengers, and in the Day of Judgement, in Divine providence — good
and evil. Disagreement between the ‘ulama' is only with respect
to the ancillary branches of religion (furu‘) and not the principles and
fundamentals (usul). Disagreement with respect to the ancillary branches of
religion (furu‘) is a mercy. Long ago it was said that variance in opinion
among ‘ulama' “is a good affair”.

3) Acknowledgement of the Schools of Jurisprudence within Islam means adhering
to a fundamental methodology in the issuance of fatwas. No one may issue a fatwa
without the requisite personal qualifications which each School of Jurisprudence
defines. No one may issue a fatwa without adhering to the methodology of the
Schools of Jurisprudence. No one may claim to do absolute Ijtihad and create
a new School of Jurisprudence or to issue unacceptable fatwas that take Muslims
out of the principles and certainties of the Shari‘ah and what has been
established in respect of its Schools of Jurisprudence.

4) The essence of the Amman Message, which was issued on the Blessed Night
of Power in the year 1425 H. and which was read aloud in Masjid al-Hashimiyyin,
is adherence to the Schools of Jurisprudence and their fundamental methodology.
Acknowledging the Schools of Jurisprudence and affirming discussion and engagement
between them ensures fairness, moderation, mutual forgiveness, compassion, and
engaging in dialogue with others.

5) We call for casting aside disagreement between Muslims and unifying their
words and stances; reaffirming their mutual respect for each other; fortifying
mutual affinity among their peoples and states; strengthening the ties of brotherhood
which unite them in the mutual love of Allah. And we call upon Muslims to not
permit discord and outside interference between them.

Allah the Sublime says:

"The believers are naught else than brothers. Therefore make peace between
your brethren and observe your duty to Allah that haply ye may obtain mercy."
(Al-Hujurat, 49:10)

Praise be to Allah alone.

There is a suggestion that an appendix be added to the Final Statement of
the Conference which includes the two following important recommendations:

- Participants in the International Islamic Conference, while meeting in Amman,
the Capital of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, close to the Holy Aqsa Mosque
and occupied Palestinian territories, underline the necessity of exerting all
possible efforts for the protection of the Holy Aqsa Mosque against the dangers
and encroachments it is exposed to. This can only be done through putting an
end to occupation and through the liberation of holy places.

- Participants stress the necessity of consolidation of the meanings of liberty
and respect of opinion and opinion of the other side (s) in our Muslim Worlds.