Askimam is a

website A website (also written as a web site) is a collection of web pages and related content that is identified by a common domain name and published on at least one web server. Examples of notable websites are Google, Facebook, Amazon, and Wi ...

providing information regarding Islam. It was founded by South African Islamic scholar and jurist Ebrahim Desai in 2000. The answers on this website are reflections of the juristic views of the

Hanafi The Hanafi school ( ar, حَنَفِية, translit=Ḥanafiyah; also called Hanafite in English), Hanafism, or the Hanafi fiqh, is the oldest and one of the four traditional major Sunni schools ( maddhab) of Islamic Law (Fiqh). It is named a ...

Deobandi school of thought. It has been called more influential, wide-ranging and comprehensive than the web resources of Al-Azhar University and its sympathisers put together.

History

The website was started by South African Islamic scholar and jurist Ebrahim Desai, who formerly headed the Darul Ifta of Madrasah In'aamiyyah. It is thought to be technically-updated mirror of another site, ask-imam.com, which started in 2000. Askimam.org was launched in 2004. It aims to help people who use the World Wide Web to access common Islamic questions and answers. The website had about 4686 religious edicts in August 2002. A survey was conducted about the structure of the

fatawa A fatwā ( ; ar, فتوى; plural ''fatāwā'' ) is a legal ruling on a point of Islamic law (''sharia'') given by a qualified '' Faqih'' (Islamic jurist) in response to a question posed by a private individual, judge or government. A jurist i ...

(religious edicts) on Askimam in 2011. It was seen that despite Ebrahim Desai's students belonging to various geographical locations, they prepared a plethora of edicts, and Desai was the final authority. He was the master teacher and each fatwa had a closing line, 'checked and approved by Mufti Ebrahim Desai'. According to scholar G. R. Bunt, Askimam reflects the views of Muslims living as a minority in non-Muslim societies. Questions come from a variety of religious perspectives and several new fatwas are posted every day. The questions on the site demonstrate several challenges faced by Muslims in the contemporary era. Bunt described the site as more comprehensive, influential and wide-ranging than the web resources of

al-Azhar Al-Azhar Mosque ( ar, الجامع الأزهر, al-Jāmiʿ al-ʾAzhar, lit=The Resplendent Congregational Mosque, arz, جامع الأزهر, Gāmiʿ el-ʾazhar), known in Egypt simply as al-Azhar, is a mosque in Cairo, Egypt in the historic ...

and its sympathisers put together. The site's founder died on 15 July 2021 in

Durban Durban ( ) ( zu, eThekwini, from meaning 'the port' also called zu, eZibubulungwini for the mountain range that terminates in the area), nicknamed ''Durbs'',Ishani ChettyCity nicknames in SA and across the worldArticle on ''news24.com'' from ...

Approach

Askimam website reflects the outlook of the Deobandi Hanafi school of thought. The answers provided do not always provide substantial textual analysis and justifications but are concise. The difference between ijtihad and fatwas is acknowledged. The scholars and jurists associated with the website differentiate between the opinions of different Islamic schools of thought. The site provides answers only to

Fiqh ''Fiqh'' (; ar, فقه ) is Islamic jurisprudence. Muhammad-> Companions-> Followers-> Fiqh. The commands and prohibitions chosen by God were revealed through the agency of the Prophet in both the Quran and the Sunnah (words, deeds, and ...

- (Jurisprudence) related questions in light of the

school. It also suggests that people following other Sunni schools of thought ask their appropriate scholars.

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History

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