Fatwa council and scholarly guidance for our community
Alsalam alikom wa rahmat Allah wa barakatoh
We would like to share with our community an important clarification regarding the fatwa council and scholarly reference that the Muslim Association of Kirkland (MAK) will follow.
After consultation and careful consideration, MAK has decided to reference the Assembly of Muslim Jurists of America (AMJA) as its primary fatwa council. This decision is based on AMJA's strong grounding in traditional scholarship and its clear guidance on maintaining unity within Muslim communities.
AMJA has issued fatwa emphasizing the importance of community unity and following the majority in matters where scholarly differences exist, particularly with respect to communal acts of worship such as the beginning and end of Ramadan and Eid.
Based on this principle, and given that MAPS serves a diverse and large portion of the Muslim community in our surrounding area, MAK will follow the same approach adopted by MAPS in these communal matters. Practically, this means that MAK will follow the Fiqh Council's position, which utilizes astronomical calculations, for determining the start and end of Ramadan and the dates of Eid.
This approach is intended to:
We recognize that there are valid scholarly opinions on this topic, and we respect all positions rooted in authentic Islamic scholarship. Our intention is not to negate these differences, but to prioritize unity and harmony within our local community in accordance with established scholarly guidance. We will continue to reference AMJA as the primary fatwa council for all matters In Shaa Allah.
We ask Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) to unite our hearts, accept our worship, and place barakah in this new masjid and its community.
Wa Allahu A'lam,
Muslim Association of Kirkland (MAK) Board