Approaches of fatwa councils in the contemporary Islamic world to women and family problems

Fatwa is the legal mechanism through which Sharīʿah rulings are interpreted and applied in Islamic law. Legal and social change has promoted institutional ijtihād, making institutional fatwa councils the principal authorities on women and family law. This study comparatively examines the fatwas and resolutions of seven national and seven international fatwa councils from the perspective of their legal methodology. The research is based on the primary sources of Islamic law, the classical doctrine of fiqh, the scholarship of uṣūl al-fiqh, and the official fatwas, resolutions, and reports of the selected councils. It covers qiwāmah, inheritance, domestic violence, women's employment, testimony, polygamy, divorce, guardianship and custody, hijab, birth control, and abortion. Fatwas and resolutions were comparatively analysed in terms of their legal foundations and interpretive methods. The findings show that all councils rely on common Sharīʿah sources. Differences arise mainly from legal methodology, madhhab preferences, legal systems, and the interpretation of social conditions rather than from the primary sources themselves. National councils emphasize domestic legal systems and social realities, whereas international councils develop principles applicable across diverse legal environments. The study clarifies the methodological framework of institutional ijtihād and contributes to the comparative literature on contemporary Islamic law in this field.