Can I use Qaf for fatwas?
Qaf gives information from published Islamic sources; it does not issue fatwas. For a ruling on your own situation, ask a qualified scholar.
A fatwa is a ruling that a qualified scholar gives for one person’s situation. Before answering, the scholar asks about the details that can change the ruling, such as your exact words, your intention, a contract or your health. AI cannot do this, so a fatwa needs a scholar who understands you and your circumstances.
What Qaf gives you instead
- What scholars wrote: Qaf searches the Shamela library and cites the passages it uses.
- Each view, side by side: when scholars differ, Qaf presents each view and its reasoning.
- No opinion of its own: Qaf does not tell you which view to follow.
When you ask about your own situation
When Qaf detects that the answer depends on your personal circumstances, it shows this notice above the answer:
Qaf is a research tool. For fatwas, consult a scholar
The notice may not appear every time. Qaf still shows what its research found, so you can read the positions scholars hold.
Use Qaf to prepare
Research the question in Qaf before you ask a scholar. Then bring the passages Qaf cited and describe your circumstances in full.
Classical scholars drew the same line. Ibn al-Qayyim wrote that a mufti may not rule that someone broke an oath until he has asked about their state of mind and intention (I’lam al-Muwaqqi’in, volume 6, page 92).