There is no doubt that training muftis is the effective approach to resolving fatwa chaos. This solution to the narrative of chaos is the main element of fortification against extremist trends that rely primarily on fatwas issued by people who lack scholarly and psychological skills and qualifications in a bid to legitimize their aberrant ideas. The General Secretariat therefore believes that any solution that does not take into account training, wastes resources and derails efforts towards a combative stand against extremism. As a result, it decided to launch an initiative aimed at developing a competency-training program for a group of trainees working in the field of Islamic legal sciences and fatwa issuance to enhance and promote the performance efficiency of fatwa authorities.

It is expected that this initiative will include three levels of training. The first level will comprise integrated training and will extend over a period of two years. The next level is designed to improve trainees’ performance of fatwa issuance and its duration will range from six months to one year. Finally, the last level is designed to improve the qualitative competence of trainees in a specific area of fatwa issuance and its duration will range from one to three months.

The General Secretariat aims through this initiative to promulgate absolute commitment to a moderate methodology of fatwa issuance, observe the objectives of Islamic law during fatwa issuance, promote fatwa-related ideals, take into account the qualitative standards of fatwa issuance, and effectively improve performance management of fatwa issuance and management of fatwa institutions to maintain societal security and stability.

The General Secretariat for Fatwa Authorities Worldwide has developed, in cooperation with Egypt’s Dar al-Iftaa, a 4 hour 5 day training program on contemporary fatwas for students of religious sciences in Thailand. The program, organized in conjunction with the Royal Thai Embassy in Cairo, was held from 24-28 July 2016. The lectures were delivered by scholars from Egypt’s Dar al-Iftaa who discussed a number of fatwas issued by Egypt’s Dar al-Iftaa in several topic areas including fatwas on newly arisen problems, commercial and civil dealings, provisions on family and minorities, misconceptions, and ritual worship.

The lecturers trained the students in the scholarly methodology of fatwa issuance based on the opinions of the various schools of jurisprudence and in its sourcing, pillars and conditions, and in the manner of building a reference while taking into account the contemporary context by reaching out to specialists in all fields such as doctors, economists, and others.

This training program was one of the fruits of the cooperation between the General Secretariat for Fatwa Authorities Worldwide and the Royal Thai Embassy in Cairo.