Where did you get your fatwa authority?

Dear brother, it is your right to question this brother and criticize something you know well. You don't need to worry. May Allah forgive you and us. As for the question, I need to record two facts for you:

a. In this country we live in, there is no binding fatwa committee other than the Religious Affairs High Council under the Presidency of Religious Affairs under the following conditions. I'm not saying this from a legal standpoint. I say this in terms of our religious sensitivity and with acceptance. This is our current opinion. For this reason, we have adopted the principle of pointing out the common problems that transcend the individual.

b. This brother of yours is never a fatwaist. I don't have a license for that either. Even though I have my diploma and licence, as an individual, I am not in a position to use that authority. I don't have such a collection anyway. What I have done is to convey the fatwas of the ulama that have been reduced to the level of the people. On the site where my answers are published, I keep it published as the first paper.

Fatwa is very heavy. It literally means speaking for Allah. Giving a fatwa is also a fard kifaye duty. To say that I can bear such a heavy responsibility that affects the Muslim world and the hereafter would be a claim that I cannot afford. I seek refuge in Allah from such a claim. I have never said "this is my ijtihad, my fatwa" until now. I follow the fiqh councils, the ulama's fatwas, their answers, and the authoritative books, and convey what I have learned to the level of the language of the people, without oppressing them. I consult with scholars whom I believe know the controversial issues better than I do, and I convey them as such. How is it possible to take the responsibility of another believer, while it is a grave haram for a person to pass judgment on something he does not know about himself? The job of me and people like me can only be to present the ready. Beyond that, it is the work of scholars. In our time, this is the work of the committees convened for this.

One of our problems is that the official institutions in the name of religion in our time still have a lack of trust due to the problems in the first establishment. Some believers are hesitant about whether these councils decide under the influence of politics. Perhaps our job may be to examine such decisions and express an opinion on their line.

I can say that I have never stretched the following basic principles in my work so far, and I would like to keep you witness to this:

1. The position of the ancient mujtahids and ulama of this ummah should not be shaken. Despite them, a determination should not be made by accepting them as non-existent.

2. According to the fact that times change rapidly, new views should be drawn, but this should also be on the line of the old ones.

3. Our custom is respected, but Sharia is the ruler of custom. This means that this society may be drawing a line; that line is valid as long as it is not contrary to our Sharia.

4. The result of a fatwa is as important as itself. For example, even if an answer is given to the question of whether such a loan can be used from this bank in a matter like this, we create the answer by wondering if such an answer will lead to a communication path and a warm relationship with the bank with interest.

5. In situations where many problems are intertwined and no positive alternative can be seen, we highlight the least harmful choice.

6. We never stand close to two influences: a- Political structure b- Social perception. This brings heavy difficulties such as being alone and the risk of being lynched when necessary, but we believe that we are working for a religion for which we can give our all, alhamdulillah.

7. We will never be in favor of fueling conflicting issues. As Muslims, we preferred to walk on the issues that we are allied with. For this reason, we have never entered into vicious struggles and counter-answers, and we will not, biiznillah.

I ask you to know and testify like this. May Allah bring us all closer to being successful in living and serving his religion. I await your prayer.

Selamun aleykum.