Preparing for the WTI Iftā’ Program

This guidance has been developed to help prospective students prepare for, and derive maximum benefit from, the Iftā’ Specialisation Program at Whitethread Institute. The aim is to strengthen juridical insight, analytical ability, and clarity in written expression.

1. Core Fiqh Reading (Arabic and Urdu)

Essential

Students entering Year 1 should read the entire Kitāb al-Uḍḥiyyah from the six advanced mutūn listed below. Students entering Year 2 should read at least 25 pages of Kitāb al-Nikāḥ from the same texts.

The purpose of this study is to familiarise students with the writing style of each jurist, as well as the strengths and distinctive features of their works. These texts will form part of the core material students will use when researching and writing fatwas throughout the course.

After studying each text, prepare a brief synopsis highlighting its distinctive features, including the author’s reasoning style, structure, use of evidence, and any notable methodological points. You will be asked to present this synopsis in class once the course begins.

  1. Badāʾiʿ al-Ṣanāʾiʿ – Imām Kāsānī
  2. Tabyīn al-Ḥaqāʾiq – Imām Zaylaʿī
  3. Fatḥ al-Qadīr – Imām Ibn al-Humām
  4. Baḥr al-Rāʾiq – Imām Ibn al-Nujaym
  5. Radd al-Muḥtār – Imām Ibn ʿĀbidīn
  6. Fatāwā Hindiyyah – commissioned by Emperor Aurangzeb ʿĀlamgīr, led by Shaykh Niẓam al-Dīn al-Balkhī

Recommended

These are additional recommended texts to familiarise oneself with the formulation of fatwā, the presentation and arrangement of ideas and arguments, and the method of responding to objections. There is no set amount to read; however, the more you are able to cover, the better.

  • Imdād al-Fatāwā – Mawlānā Ashraf ʿAlī Thānawī
  • Aḥsan al-Fatāwā – Muftī Rashīd Aḥmad Ludhyānwī
  • Fatāwā Dār al-ʿUlūm Zakariyyā – Muftī Raḍā al-Ḥaqq
  • Aḥsan al-Qaḍā’ fī ‘l-Dhabḥ bi-iʿānat al-Kahrabā’ (Aḥsan al-Fatāwā 7/460)
  • Jamʿ al-Athāth fī Ḥukm al-Ṭalaqāt al-Thalāth (Fatāwā Dār al-ʿUlūm Zakariyyā 4/77)

2. English Writing Skills Enhancement

One of the greatest challenges for students is writing well and being able to present their ideas in clear, coherent English. Many talented students are held back by weaknesses or inexperience in producing polished, presentable writing. It is therefore essential to develop your writing skills through consistent practice. Below are some recommended resources, the first of which is essential reading:

3. Research, Analysis and English Fatwas

Read and study the jurisprudential articles and papers below carefully to understand how complex juridical issues are analysed, learn how to structure arguments clearly and coherently, and develop clarity, precision, and depth in your writing. After completing each work, prepare a brief synopsis to capture your reflections on its key points, methodology, and overall contribution.

Essential

  1. Masjid or Musalla – Muftī ʿAbd al-Raḥmān Mangera
  2. Understanding the Four Madhhabs: The Facts about Ijtihad and Taqlid – Dr Timothy Winter (Abdul Ḥakīm Murād)

Recommended

3. Developing Your Juristic Insight

Read and study as much of the following texts as you can, especially those subjects with which you are unfamiliar. This will help you gain a broader understanding of fiqh and will assist you in engaging with the advanced texts more effectively.

  • Uṣūl al-Iftāʾ wa Ādābuh – Muftī Taqī ʿUsmānī

This will introduce you to the principles, methodology, and etiquette of issuing fatwas before formal study begins.

  • Heavenly Ornaments – Mawlānā Ashraf ʿAlī Thānawī
  • Al-Lubāb fī Sharḥ al-Kitāb – Imām ʿAbd al-Ghanī al-Maydānī
  • Qāmūs al-Fiqh – Mawlānā Khālid Saifullāh
  • Al-Madhhab al-Ḥanafī – Shaykh Aḥmad Naqīb

Students are also strongly encouraged to enrol in the Jurisprudence Course at Whitethread Institute to strengthen their readiness further, especially if they have a year before enrolment.

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