Grand Mufti inaugurates smart digital fatwa hall in Riyadh
Saudi Arabia's Grand Mufti has launched a fully digital smart hall for the Permanent Committee for Fatwa in Riyadh, attended by senior religious leaders.
Key Takeaways
AIThe Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia, Chairman of the Council of Senior Scholars and President of the General Presidency of Scholarly Research and Ifta, Sheikh Dr. Saleh bin Fawzan Al-Fawzan, inaugurated today in Riyadh the smart hall for the Permanent Committee for Fatwa at the headquarters of the General Presidency of Scholarly Research and Ifta.
The inauguration was attended by the Secretary-General of the Council of Senior Scholars, Sheikh Dr. Fahd bin Saad Al-Majed, along with several members of the Permanent Committee and officials from the presidency.
The launch coincided with the 4,829th session of the Permanent Committee for Fatwa, which has been operating since 1972 (1392 AH). Over 56 years, the committee has issued 31,729 fatwas in response to 46,148 questions, documented across 47,597 pages. These rulings cover areas including creed, worship, transactions, personal status, as well as mosque, cemetery, inheritance, and endowment matters.
The smart hall features a comprehensive digital system for managing fatwas, tracking inquiries from submission to issuance. It enables committee members to review questions, research, and Islamic references electronically, document deliberations, and archive and categorize fatwas in a secure digital repository. The system also allows reference to previous fatwas on similar issues, while adhering to standards of security, confidentiality, and data protection.
The hall is also equipped with advanced systems for managing remote sessions via secure, high-quality video conferencing, ensuring uninterrupted meetings and faster issuance of fatwas.
Dr. Fahd Al-Majed stated that the inauguration of the smart hall marks a significant advancement in fatwa work in the Kingdom, combining sound Islamic methodology with modern technology. He praised the leadership's support for Islamic scholarship and its institutions, as well as the Grand Mufti's oversight of the presidency's development in line with Saudi Vision 2030 goals for digital transformation and enhanced government efficiency.