The general impoverishment and desperation of many muftis (people who are qualified to issue fatwas) greatly contributes to the fatwa circus.
Mufti Salim Akhtar, who also heads a madrassa in Goregaon, a Mumbai suburb, says that at times muftis are bribed to give tailor-made fatwas.
“The sting operation by a news channel last year proved that fatwas could be bought. But that’s not a widespread practice. One might accept money as nazrana (gift) for giving fatwas but mostly they are free,”
says the septuagenarian Akhtar who has a group of junior muftis to assist him in attending to dozens of applications for fatwas every month.
Limewoody
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