An Indian pilgrim has been put in a dilemma by two different fatwas on Haj violations he committed. A fatwa from back home required him to offer two animals for the two violations he committed while a fatwa provided by a fatwa center deployed at the holy sites required him to offer only one animal for both violations for his Haj to be valid. The pilgrim has eventually decided to go with the easier fatwa, however. Any pilgrim given an edict from a fatwa center is given the freedom to accept it or reject it, said Tawfiq Al-Sudairi, Deputy Minister of Islamic Affairs for Mosques. The government considers and respects all different Islamic views on religious issues. Amid conflicting fatwas from different Islamic affiliations, the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Da'wa, and Guidance has chosen scholars knowledgeable about comparative jurisprudence which has now developed into an integrated discipline of study in Islamic universities. “Our scholars issuing fatwas in Haj have been trained about the teachings and rulings of other Islamic schools in Haj, Al-Sudairi said. Their knowledge of comparative jurisprudence on the same issues would help them explain both sides of a given fatwa to the pilgrims, he said. The guidance booklets distributed at the points of entry to pilgrims are not based on one school of thought, but rather follow a more flexible approach from all schools to make performing Haj an easy endeavor for all pilgrims, Al-Sudairi said. Grand Mufti of Bosnia Mustafi Ceric said he would support a fatwa given in a country based on the prevailing school of thought. If one chose to go for a fatwa from far way, there would be inconsistency in fatwa requirement in this very country, he said. “Some pilgrims ask more than one scholar on the same issue to take the more flexible and easier fatwa, but they put themselves in confusion amid different fatwas,” he said. “It is better for them to stick to only one mufti they feel good about and stop going around for the easiest fatwa,” he said. Sheikh Abdullah Bin Biah, Vice President of the International Federation of Muslim Scholars, said that there is a mercy in difference of ruling when it comes to fatwa. “Difference in fatwa is part of flexibility in Islamic legislation, particularly on Haj issues,” he said. The “Do it (now), and there is no harm” Islamic law, which is part of a Prophet's Hadith, is supposed to adopt easy course on all aspectss of Islamic teachings, he said. Sheikh Bin Biah said that the Haj rites are supposed to be flexible to allow the Muslims to perform this duty with ease, citing the Holy Qur'an “Pilgrimage to the Sacred Home is a duty men owe to God, those who can afford the Journey) (Surah Al
