The Changing Fatwa: Why Islamic Rulings Evolve with Time, Place, and Context

by Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, Mohamed Ibrahim (Editor), Wasatiyyah Publications (Translator)

Why do Islamic rulings change? Should they?
In an age of global upheaval, digital revolutions, and shifting societies, Muslims around the world are Can Islam respond to modern realities without compromising its sacred principles?

In The Changing Why Islamic Rulings Evolve with Time, Place, and Context, world-renowned scholar Dr. Yūsuf al-Qaraḍāwī tackles this urgent question with clarity, depth, and courage.

This groundbreaking work

Why fatwas issued in one era or region may not apply to another

How jurists balance timeless revelation with the needs of a changing world

Ten critical reasons scholars must consider context when issuing rulings

How Islamic law can remain faithful to the Qur’an and Sunnah while addressing twenty-first-century challenges

Rejecting both rigid literalism and reckless reform, Dr. al-Qaraḍāwī presents a principled vision of Islamic jurisprudence—one that is intelligent, rooted in tradition, and responsive to the higher objectives (maqāṣid) of the Sharīʿah.

Whether you are a student of knowledge, a scholar, an imam, a policymaker, or simply a thinking Muslim trying to understand the relationship between religion and modern life, this book

A deeper understanding of ijtihād (independent reasoning)

Clarity on when and why fatwas must evolve

A renewed appreciation for the depth, dynamism, and mercy of Islamic law

This is not just a book about fatwa. It is a guide to living Islam wisely and responsibly in our time.

126 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 6, 2025

About the author

Yusuf Al-Qaradawi (يوسف القرضاوي) (born September 9, 1926) is an Egyptian Islamic theologian. He is best known for his programme, ash-Shariah wal-Hayat ("Shariah and Life"), broadcast on Al Jazeera, which has an estimated audience of 40 million worldwide. He is also well-known for IslamOnline, a popular website he helped found in 1997 and for which he now serves as chief religious scholar. Al-Qaradawi has also published more than 80 books, including The Lawful and the Prohibited in Islam and Islam: The Future Civilization. He has also received eight international prizes for his contributions to Islamic scholarship, and is considered one of the most influential such scholars living today. Al-Qaradawi has long had a prominent role within the intellectual leadership of the Muslim Brotherhood, an Egyptian political organization, but twice (in 1976 and 2004) turned down offers for the official role in the organization. A 2008 Foreign Policy magazine poll placed al-Qaradawi at number three on its list of the top 20 public intellectuals worldwide.

Some of al-Qaradawi's views have been controversial in the West, and he is banned from entering the United States, Israel and Great Britain. In 2004, 2,500 Muslim academics from Saudi Arabia, Iraq and from the Palestinian territories condemned Qaradawi, and accused him of giving "Islam a bad name."

As of 2004, al-Qaradawi was a trustee of the Oxford University Center for Islamic Studies. He also served as a technical consultant for a multi-million dollar epic movie in English on Muhammad.

alternative spellings
يوسف القرضاوي
Yusuf Al-Qaradawi
Yusuf El-Karadâvi