The Fatwas of Indonesian Ulema Council in The Era of Covid-19 Pandemic: An Islamic Legal Maxim Perspective
Abstract
One of the triggers for the spread of the COVID-19 virus is a crowd of people, while several Muslim religious ritual activities are carried out in the form of a crowd (congregation). To avoid crowds of people, the Indonesian Ulema Council issued religious fatwas so those ritual activities would not become a cluster for the spread of COVID-19. This study analyzes the Indonesian Ulema Council’s (MUI) fatwas during the COVID-19 pandemic using the legal maxim perspective. This study uses the literature review method. Some primary and secondary literature on MUI fatwas are analyzed critically to obtain a complete, detailed, clear, and systematic picture of MUI fatwas. The study results show that the entire MUI fatwa is based on the Islamic legal maxim theoretical framework, which aims to keep Muslims away from harm, eliminate difficulties and difficulties, and endeavor to benefit as many people as possible. Besides, the entire Fatwa refers to authoritative Islamic sources, namely the Koran, the Prophet’s Hadith, scholars’ opinions, and experts' views. This study’s results can be applied as a guideline for Muslims and Muslim medical personnel in implementing Islamic teachings in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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References
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Zahrah, M. A. (1977) Al-Muhadharah fî Tarîkh al-Mâdzâhib al-Fiqhiyyah. Beirut: Dar al-Fikr.
Zakariyah, L. (2012) ‘Legal Maxims and Islamic Financial Transactions: A Case Study of Mortgage Contracts and the Dilemma for Muslims in Britain’, Arab Law Quarterly, 26(3), pp. 255–285.
Al-Dawoody, A. (2017) ‘Management of the Dead from the Islamic Law and International Humanitarian Law Perspectives: Considerations for Humanitarian forensics’, International Review of the Red Cross, 99(905), pp. 759–784.
Al-Dawoody, A. and Murphy, V. (2019) ‘International Humanitarian Law, Islamic Law and the Protection of Children in Armed Conflict’, International Review of the Red Cross, 101(911), pp. 551–573.
Al-Hamawy, A. bin M. (1997) ‘Uyun al-Bashair Syarh al-Asybah wal al-Nazhair. Beirut: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah.
Al-Jaburi, H. Ó. (1988) Ahkâm al-Rukhash fi al-Syarî‘at al-Islâmiyyat. Makkah: Maktabah al-Manarah.
Al-Jurjani (1997) Al-Ta’rifat. Beirut: Dar al-Kitab alAraby.
Al-Nadwi, A. A. (1994) Al-Qawaid al-Fiqhiyyah. Damaskus: Dar al-Qalam.
Al-Nawawi, M. al-D. Y. bin S. (1987) Adab al-Fatwa wa al-Mufti wa al-Mustafty. Beirut: Dar al-Fikr.
Al-Nawawi, M. al-D. Y. bin S. (2011) Al-Majmu’ Syarh al-Muhadzdzab. Beirut: Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah.
Al-Qaisy, A. al-Q. M. (2019) Al-Ijtihâd wa al-Taqlîd fî Syarî’at al-Islâmiyyah wa ‘inda Imâm al-Hanafiyyah al-Nu’mân. Beirut: Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah.
Al-Qarafi, A. bin I. (1994) Al-Dzakhirah. Beirut: Dar al-Gharbi al-Islami.
Al-Subky, T. (1991) Al-Asybah wa al-Nazhair. Beirut: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah.
Al-Taftazany (1999) Al-Talwih ’Ala al-Thadhih. Cairo: Mathba’ah Syan al-Hurriyah.
Al-Zarqa, A. bin M. (1999) Syarh al-Qawaid al-Fiqhiyyah. Damaskus: Dar al-Qalam.
Allen, E. A. (2020) During Coronavirus, Vatican Employs Spiritual, Political Silence, Cruxnow. Available at: https://cruxnow.com/covid-19/2020/04/during-coronavirus-vatican-employs-spiritual-political-silence/ (Accessed: 30 April 2020).
As-Salam, I. I. A. (1996) Qawa’id al-Ahkam. Beirut: Dar al-Fikr.
Becker, F. (2007) ‘The Virus and the Scriptures: Muslims and AIDS in Tanzania’, Journal of Religion in Africa, 37(1), pp. 16–40. doi: 10.1163/157006607X166573.
Kamali, M. H. (2011) ‘Maqasid al-Shari’ah and Ijtihad as Instruments of Civilisational Renewal: A Methodological Perspective’, Islam and Civilisational Renewal, 2(2), pp. 245–271.
Mahmassani, S. (1981) Qawaid al-Ahkâm fî Mashâlih al-Anâm. Cairo: Dar al-Ma’arif.
Marshall, K. (2017) ‘Roles of Religious Actors in the West African Ebola Response’, Development in Practice, 27(5), pp. 622–633. doi: 10.1080/09614524.2017.1327573.
El Mesawi, M. E. T. and bin Leman, M. R. (2018) ‘Takyīf Fiqhī and its Application to Modern Contracts: A Case Study of the Central Provident Fund Nomination in Singapore’, Intellectual Discourse, 26(2), p. 807.
Mohamad, S. et al. (2015) ‘Criteria for Determining the Shari’ah Compliance of Shares: A Fiqhi Analysis’, ISRA International Journal of Islamic Finance, 7(2), pp. 171–179.
Muhsin, S. M., Amanullah, M. and Zakariyah, L. (2019) ‘Framework for Harm Elimination in Light of the Islamic Legal Maxims’, Islamic Quarterly, 63(2), pp. 233–272.
Purwanto, M. R. (2016) ‘Maqashid Al-Syari’ah And Legal Maxims (Qawa’id Al-Fiqhiyyah) As Source Of Medical Action’, in International Conference 2016 (FK UII).
Riyadi, A. (2016) ‘Tathwiru Ta’lim Qawaid’, in. Bandung: UPI, Prosiding International Conference on Arabic Language.
Seckin, B. (2020) Pope Leads Empty Good Friday Ceremony Amid Covid-19. Available at: https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/pope-leads-empty-good-friday-ceremony-amid-covid-19/1800683# (Accessed: 30 April 2020).
Shaham, R. (2020) ‘Legal Maxims (qawāʿid fiqhiyya) in Yūsuf al-Qaraḍāwī’s Jurisprudence and Fatwas’, Journal of the American Oriental Society, 140(2), pp. 435–453.
Shettima, M. (2011) ‘Effects of the Legal Maxim: “No Harming and No Counter-Harming” on the Enforcement of Environmental Protection’, IIUM Law Journal, 19(2), pp. 291–308.
Shettima, M., Biu, H. A. and Deribe, M. A.-A. (2016) ‘The Relevance of Islamic Legal Maxims in Determining Some Contemporary Legal Issues’, IIUM Law Journal, 24(2), pp. 415–451.
Sirry, M. (2013) ‘Fatwas and their controversy: The case of the Council of Indonesian Ulama (MUI)’, Journal of Southeast Asian Studies, 44(1), pp. 100–117.
Tarmidzi, N. A. A. et al. (2019) ‘Islamic Legal Maxims Analysis on Orthognathic Surgery and Treatment’, International Journal of Islamic Thought, 15, pp. 107–115.
Voorhoeve, M. (2014) ‘God in the Courtroom: The Transformation of Courtroom Oath and Perjury between Islamic and Franco-Egyptian Law’, Journal of the American Oriental Society, 134(4).
Wombwell, E. et al. (2015) ‘Religious Barriers to Measles Vaccination’, Journal of Community Health, 40, pp. 597–604. doi: 10.1007/s10900-014-9956-1.
World Healt Organization (2020a) Coronavirus Disease (Covid-19) Advice for the Public. Geneva. Available at: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public.
World Healt Organization (2020b) Coronavirus Disease 2019 (Covid-19) Situation Report. Geneva. Available at: https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/situation-reports/20200315-sitrep-55-covid-19.pdf?sfvrsn=33daa5cb_8.
World Healt Organization (2020c) Key Messages and Actions for Covid-19 Prevention and Control in Schools. Geneva. Available at: https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/key-messages-and-actions-for-covid-19-prevention-and-control-in-schools-march-2020.pdf?sfvrsn=baf81d52_4.
Worldometer (2020) Countries Where Covid-19 Has Spread, Worldometer. Available at: https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/countries-where-coronavirus-has-spread/ (Accessed: 30 April 2020).
Yacob, N. et al. (2017) ‘The Application of Maqasid Shariah and Legal Maxims in Aesthetic Dentistry Involving Malocclusion and Root Canal Treatment: Case Discussion’, Advanced Science Letters, 23(5), pp. 4550–4553.
Zahir, A. A. (2019) ‘A Critical Analysis of Islamic Council of Europe: From a Juristical and Islamic Legal Maxim Perspective’, Intellectual Discourse, 27(2), pp. 555–575.
Zahrah, M. A. (1977) Al-Muhadharah fî Tarîkh al-Mâdzâhib al-Fiqhiyyah. Beirut: Dar al-Fikr.
Zakariyah, L. (2012) ‘Legal Maxims and Islamic Financial Transactions: A Case Study of Mortgage Contracts and the Dilemma for Muslims in Britain’, Arab Law Quarterly, 26(3), pp. 255–285.
Published
2023-02-11
How to Cite
BISRI, Hasan; ANWAR, Yayan Khaerul; HUSNI, Husni.
The Fatwas of Indonesian Ulema Council in The Era of Covid-19 Pandemic: An Islamic Legal Maxim Perspective.
TAJDID, [S.l.], v. 29, n. 2, p. 123-144, feb. 2023.
ISSN 2621-8259.
Available at: <https://riset-iaid.net/index.php/tajdid/article/view/606>. Date accessed: 18 apr. 2026.
doi: https://doi.org/10.36667/tajdid.v29i2.606.
Section
Articles
