Between Sharia and State: Fatwa Authority and Pandemic Responses in Indonesia, Turkey, and Morocco

Muhammad Taufiq, Muhammad Fauzinudin Faiz, Ziyad Ravaşdeh

Abstract


The reactions of Muslim communities to the COVID-19 pandemic highlight the importance of the relationship between Sharia and the state in developing a fiqh of mitigation for future pandemics. Muslim-majority countries faced significant challenges in balancing health protocols with religious obligations, such as mosque closures, the suspension of Ramadan and Hajj rituals, and debates over the halal status of vaccines. In this context, fatwa authorities played a crucial role in mediating between state policies and the religious sensitivities of the public. This study explores the Sharia–state relations through the intersection of Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh), fatwa authority, and pandemic responses in Indonesia, Turkey, and Morocco. Each country exemplifies a distinct relationship between state and religious authority, influencing how pandemic mitigation strategies are received and implemented. Utilising empirical legal methods and the fiqh of mitigation based on the principles of maqāṣid al-sharī‘a, particularly ḥifẓ al-nafs (preservation of life), maslahah (public interest), and saddu al-dzārī‘ah (preventive measures), this study highlights how religious decrees (fatwas) align with or diverge from public health regulations. The findings reveal that Sharia-state relations are crucial in building the fiqh of mitigation, public compliance, and state–religion cooperation. The study advocates for institutionalising a fiqh of mitigation to prepare Muslim societies for future pandemic crises through a balanced approach that integrates Sharia principles and public health governance.

Full Text:

PDF

References


Abshar, Fariz Ulul, Al Khanif, A’an Efendi, and Muktafi Muktafi. ‘Islam and Human Rights: Friend or Foe?’ Addin 15, no. 2 (1 October 2022): 229–58. https://doi.org/10.21043/addin.v15i2.14868.

Alatas, Ismail Fajrie. What Is Religious Authority?: Cultivating Islamic Communities in Indonesia. New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 2021.

Alkatiri, Anisah, Idaul Hasanah, and R. Tanzil Fawaiq Sayyaf. ‘Studi Komparatif Metode Ijtihad Majelis Ulama Indonesia Dan Bahtsul Masail Nahdlatul Ulama Tentang Fatwa Vaksin Astrazeneca’. Asy-Syari’ah 24, no. 1 (30 June 2022): 141–60. https://doi.org/10.15575/as.v24i1.16858.

Amin, Abd Rauf Muhammad, Abdul Syatar, Achmad Abubakar, Kurniati Kurniati, and Harwis Alimuddin. ‘Between Ḍarūrah and Halal Integrity: MUI Fatwas on Harm-Derived Vaccines and Medicines’. Samarah: Jurnal Hukum Keluarga Dan Hukum Islam 8, no. 2 (31 July 2024): 1239–56. https://doi.org/10.22373/sjhk.v8i2.8938.

Andrew Hanna. ‘What Islamists Are Doing and Saying on COVID-19 Crisis’, 14 May 2020. https://www.wilsoncenter.org/article/what-islamists-are-doing-and-saying-covid-19-crisis.

Aşkın, Deniz. ‘The Responses of Turkish Islam to COVID-19 Pandemic: Health and Salvation’. Selçuk Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi, no. 46 (20 October 2021): 339–49. https://doi.org/10.52642/susbed.922658.

Cornell, Svante. ‘The Rise of Diyanet: The Politicization of Turkey’s Directorate of Religious Affairs’, 10 September 2015. https://www.turkeyanalyst.org/publications/turkey-analyst-articles/item/463-the-rise-of-diyanet-the-politicization-of-turkey’s-directorate-of-religious-affairs.html.

Damayanti, Rizki, and Farzad Sattari Ardabili. ‘Faith and Modernity: Navigating the Intersection of Islam, Secularism, and International Relations in Contemporary Turkish Society’. Wawasan: Jurnal Ilmiah Agama Dan Sosial Budaya 9, no. 2 (31 December 2024): 171–86. https://doi.org/10.15575/jw.v9i2.38424.

El Haitami, Meriem. ‘Religious Diversity at the Contours of Moroccan Islam’. The Journal of North African Studies 28, no. 5 (3 September 2023): 1265–81. https://doi.org/10.1080/13629387.2021.1978291.

Faidah, Mutimmatul. ‘Astrazeneca Vaccine Fatwa and Netizen’s Responses: Indonesian Experience’. Journal of Contemporary Islam and Muslim Societies 6, no. 1 (19 August 2022). https://doi.org/10.30821/jcims.v6i1.11242.

Hanafi, Yusuf, Ahmad Taufiq, Muhammad Saefi, M. Alifudin Ikhsan, Tsania Nur Diyana, Andy Hadiyanto, Yedi Purwanto, and Muhammad Fahmi Hidayatullah. ‘Indonesian Ulema Council Fatwa on Religious Activities During the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Investigation of Muslim Attitudes and Practices’. Journal of Religion and Health 62, no. 1 (1 February 2023): 627–49. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-022-01639-w.

Hasanudin, Nur Rohim Yunus, and Mufidah. ‘MUI Fatwa’s Contribution to Legal Policies Related to Covid-19 Vaccination Regulations’, May 2023. https://repository.uinjkt.ac.id/dspace/handle/123456789/71799.

Hatixhe, Mimoza, Sofija Hatice Petrović, Selma Nikolić, and Katarina Snežana Ljiljana. ‘Kosovar Muslims and the Hanafi School: Legal Interpretations in a Post-Ottoman Context’. Indonesian Journal of Islamic Law 8, no. 1 (30 June 2025): 113–34. https://doi.org/10.35719/tax7pc07.

Huda, Muhammad Chairul. Metode Penelitian Hukum (pendekatan Yuridis Sosiologis). Semarang: The Mahfud Ridwan Institute, 2021.

Jalil, Abdul, and Muhammad Taufiq. ‘Al-Ȃtsȃr al-Mutarattibah ‘Ȃla PERPPU (Lawȃih al-Hukûmiyyah al-Badaliyyah) min al-Munazhzhamȃt al-Mujtama’iyyah raqm 2 li ‘ȃm 2017 dlidda wujûd hizb al-Tahrîr Indûnîsiyȃ min Manzhûr saddi al-dzarî’ah’. AL-IHKAM: Jurnal Hukum & Pranata Sosial 14, no. 1 (30 June 2019): 146–77. https://doi.org/10.19105/al-lhkam.v14i1.1982.

Kaya, Ayhan, and Amina and Drhimeur. ‘Diaspora Politics and Religious Diplomacy in Turkey and Morocco’. Southeast European and Black Sea Studies 23, no. 2 (3 April 2023): 317–37. https://doi.org/10.1080/14683857.2022.2095703.

Mh, Mustafa. ‘Ulil Amri Authority on Limitation of Congregational Worships in the Pandemic of Covid-19 in Perspective of Fiqh Siyasah’. Jurnal Al-Dustur 3, no. 2 (10 September 2020): 123–35. https://doi.org/10.30863/jad.v3i2.899.

Mubarak, Syaugi. ‘Implementing the Fiqh of Disaster in Islamic Criminal Law Perspective and Legal Relevance of Mui’s Fatwas during the COVID-19 Pandemic’. International Journal of Criminal Justice Sciences 18, no. 1 (18 May 2023): 79–96.

Nasution, Faiz Albar. ‘Implications of Religious Fatwa on the Implementation of the COVID-19 Policy in Indonesia’. Pharos Journal of Theology, no. 104(3) (June 2023). https://doi.org/10.46222/pharosjot.104.320.

Prasetyoningrum, Ari Kristin. ‘The Role of Zakat in Economic Recovery during and after the Covid-19 Pandemic: A Case Study of Baznas in Indonesia’. Journal of Islamic Economics Management and Business (JIEMB) 5, no. 2 (10 December 2023): 163–86. https://doi.org/10.21580/jiemb.2023.5.2.20189.

Ra, Mohammad Syahrul, Yusuf Hamdika, and Sholahuddin Al-Fatih. ‘The Impact of COVID-19 Through the Lens of Islamic Law: An Indonesian Case’. Lentera Hukum 7, no. 3 (23 November 2020): 267–78. https://doi.org/10.19184/ejlh.v7i3.18983.

Rachmawati, Andini. ‘The Review of Emergency Concept in Islamic Law Towards the Fatwa of the Indonesian Ulema Council No. 14 of 2021 on the Use of Astrazeneca’s Covid-19 Vaccine’. JOURNAL OF INDONESIAN COMPARATIVE OF SYARI’AH LAW 5, no. 2 (December 2022): 122–39.

Rammouz, Ismail, Laila Lahlou, Zineb Salehddine, Omar Eloumary, Hicham Laaraj, Mina Ouhamou, Khalid Mouhadi, Jalal Doufik, Rachid Aalouane, and Said Boujraf. ‘Religiosity, Stress, and Depressive Symptoms among Nursing and Medical Students during the Middle Stage of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study in Morocco’. Frontiers in Psychiatry 14 (2023): 1123356. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1123356.

Setiawan, Agus, Muhamad Agus Mushodiq, and Mosaab Elkhair Edris. ‘Implementation of the Nahdlatul Ulama’s Brotherhood Trilogy Concept in Pandemic Covid-19 Mitigation’. Bulletin of Indonesian Islamic Studies 1, no. 2 (16 December 2022): 159–72. https://doi.org/10.51214/biis.v1i2.392.

Siddiq, Achmad, Muhammad Ufuqul Mubin, Ismatul Maula, Ahmad Rezy Meidina, and Mohammad Irsyad. ‘Restrictions on Hajj Pilgrimage for Indonesian Congregation from the Perspective of Sadd Al-Dzari’ah’. Volksgeist: Jurnal Ilmu Hukum Dan Konstitusi, 2 June 2024, 35–51. https://doi.org/10.24090/volksgeist.v7i1.9701.

Sisti, Leuconoe Grazia, Danilo Buonsenso, Umberto Moscato, Gianfranco Costanzo, and Walter Malorni. ‘The Role of Religions in the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Narrative Review’. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 20, no. 3 (17 January 2023): 1691. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20031691.

Tajdin, Mustapha. ‘Post-Islamism in Morocco and the Politics of Sharīʿa: Al-Raysuni’s Utilitarianism and El-Othmani’s Silent Secularity’. The Journal of the Middle East and Africa 13, no. 3 (3 July 2022): 295–316. https://doi.org/10.1080/21520844.2022.2039039.

Tanriover, Mine Durusu, Ozlem Altuntas Aydin, Rahmet Guner, Orhan Yildiz, Ilhami Celik, Hamdi Levent Doganay, Sukran Kose, et al. ‘Efficacy, Immunogenicity, and Safety of the Two-Dose Schedules of TURKOVAC versus CoronaVac in Healthy Subjects: A Randomized, Observer-Blinded, Non-Inferiority Phase III Trial’. Vaccines 10, no. 11 (4 November 2022): 1865. https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines10111865.

Taragin-Zeller, Lea, Tamar Berenblum, Estefania Brasil, Yael Rozenblum, and Ayelet Baram-Tsabari. ‘Religious Diversity and Public Health: Lessons from COVID-19’. PLOS ONE 18, no. 8 (Agu 2023): e0290107. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0290107.

Taufiq, Muhammad. ‘A Critique against the Perspective of Al-Thufy on the Contradiction of Maslahat and the Holy Text’. Millati: Journal of Islamic Studies and Humanities 5, no. 2 (1 December 2020): 121–28. https://doi.org/10.18326/mlt.v5i2.121-128.

———. Maqâşid Syariah & Filsafat Hukum Islam. Pamekasan: IAIN Madura Press, 2023.

Yakar, Sumeyra, and Emine Enise Yakar. ‘The Integrationist Policy of Diyanet towards Sectarian Diversity’. Bilimname 2021, no. 44 (30 April 2021): 671–96. https://doi.org/10.28949/bilimname.865737.

Yan, Ran, and Fuguo Cao. ‘Improving Public Health and Governance in COVID-19 Response: A Strategic Public Procurement Perspective’. Frontiers in Public Health 10 (30 May 2022). https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2022.897731.

Yang, Keng, and Hanying Qi. ‘The Public Health Governance of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Bibliometric Analysis’. Healthcare 10, no. 2 (4 February 2022): 299. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare10020299.

Zain, Naura Safira Salsabila, Haekal Adha Al Giffari, and Abda Kamalia Putri. ‘The Role of Nahdlatul Ulama in Strategizing Vaccine Communication during Covid-19’. Journal of Comparative Study of Religions 2, no. 2 (15 July 2022). https://doi.org/10.21111/jcsr.v2i2.7257.

Zakariyah, Habeebullah, Turki Obaid Al-Marri, and Bouhedda Ghalia. ‘Ighlāq Al-Masājid Man’an Lī Intishār Fayrūs Corona Dirāsah Taḥlīlīyah Fī Ḍaw’ Maqāṣid al-Sharī`ah’. AL-IHKAM: Jurnal Hukum & Pranata Sosial 15, no. 2 (29 December 2020): 326–50. https://doi.org/10.19105/al-lhkam.v15i2.4018.

Zarrouq, Btissame, Nivine Abbas, Jaouad El Hilaly, Achraf El Asri, Samira Abbouyi, Majid Omari, Hicham Malki, et al. ‘An Investigation of the Association between Religious Coping, Fatigue, Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Morocco: A Web-Based Cross-Sectional Survey’. BMC Psychiatry 21, no. 1 (22 May 2021): 264. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-021-03271-6.




DOI: https://doi.org/10.18860/j-fsh.v17i1.31433

Copyright (c) 2025 Taufiq et al

Published By:

Shariah Faculty Universitas Islam Negeri Maulana Malik Ibrahim Malang

Gajayana Street 50 Malang, East Java, Indonesia 

 


De Jure: Jurnal Hukum dan Syar'iah is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International