Studies on Ottoman Fatwa in En
One of the essential concepts of Islamic law, the fatwa and its practice in the Ottoman milieu has received an increasing interest from the West, particularly in literature written in English. This situation could be partly explained by the fact that the Ottoman fatwa had an institutional character with detailed procedures, and that it was relatively easy to have access to original documents and records in the Ottoman context. Hence the study of the Ottoman fatwa has become significant for both institutional history and the history of the Islamic law. This review article aims to critically evaluate the main perspectives and representative studies on the Ottoman fatwa in the literature written in English. In this context, it examines the main assumptions, methods and arguments of these studies as well as the major points they emphasize, such as the fatwa institutions relationships with the state, legal schools, and geography.
İSMAİL CEBECİ
