E-Fatwa information management: sustainance and enhancement towards friendly and efficient online database

Abstract

The importance of fatwa in our everyday lives cannot be denied. This is because Islam commands Muslims to ask those who are more learned and pious if they do not know. In the current practice, only the Mufti who is elected in a country can carry out the process of issuing a fatwa when deciding a certain ruling. And the Muslim community living in the country should obey the fatwa given after an agreed process from the ulama’ and the experts in certain fields. This needs to consider the establishment of firmed, friendly and efficient institution to deliver fatwa for public. In parallel of current needs, any resources institution should be more friendly and efficient through online. In this case, e-Fatwa application has been launched in Malaysia by the Prime Minister since 2003. It is very much contributing Muslim community and must be well sustained, enhanced and updated from time to time. This paper shares UiTM experience of doing evaluative research and consultancy in providing special training and consultancy for all mufti’s departments towards developing, sustaining and enhancing fatwa database management.