Punjab University Pakistan Study Centre hosts lecture on fatwas in the digital age

Lahore | By Farzana Chaudhry
Punjab University’s Pakistan Study Centre (PSC), in collaboration with the American Institute of Pakistan Studies (AIPS), organised a special lecture titled “Tradition and Technology: Fatwas in the Computer Age”, focusing on the impact of digital tools on Islamic legal practices.
Dr Mashal Saif, Associate Professor at Clemson University, United States, delivered the keynote address. The session was attended by Director PSC Prof Dr Amjad Abbas Khan, faculty members, and PhD and MPhil scholars from various departments of Punjab University.
Welcoming the guest speaker and participants, Prof Dr Amjad Abbas Khan said the lecture would be valuable for researchers, particularly in understanding how evolving technologies are reshaping traditional religious and legal discourses.
In her presentation, Dr Saif argued that recent technological advancements have significantly influenced the practice of fatwa issuance. She said that while informal fatwa practices have historically been viewed as a space for contextual, diverse and flexible interpretations of Islamic law, the growing use of technology is inadvertently reducing diversity and contributing to greater standardisation and depersonalisation.
Dr Saif highlighted key changes in the nature of fatwas in the digital era, including shifts in their length, the use and citation of sources, the tone and manner of address, and a decline in case-specific detail. She noted that these changes are increasingly aligning fatwas with standard doctrinal positions, reflecting the broader influence of technology on religious authority and legal interpretation.