Neither Accepting Nor Rejecting Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradhawi’s Views Outright

JAKARTA – After reading KH Mukti Ali Qusyairi’s article on Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradhawi’s thoughts in Republika titled ‘Assessing Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradhawi’s Views Fairly: Credible or Not?’ in response to KH Muhibbul Aman Ali’s statement as the Suriah leader of PBNU, I felt compelled to respond by briefly sharing my personal experiences in studying fiqh, whether during intense bahtsul masail discussions or solitary reading.

I have categorised my approach into two groups. First, reading the classical yellow-covered books (kitab kuning) of traditional scholars—such as Imam Shafi’i and scholars whose ideas have endured for centuries like Sheikh Sya’rani and Sheikh Zakaria al-Anshari—I fully accept and trust their opinions without reservation, as I have never found inconsistencies or contradictions in their reasoning.

Second, when reading works by contemporary scholars, I neither immediately accept nor reject their views. Regardless of the author, I often find inconsistencies, and personally, I disagree with many of their arguments.

One example: a few months ago, I engaged in a heated debate with KH Muhibbul Aman Ali during a bahtsul masail session, where we were both formulators alongside KH Ali Musthofa and KH Mukti Ali Qusyairi, discussing the classification of virtual assets with commercial value in digital trade. He insisted these should be considered legally valid ‘mal ma’nawi’ (spiritual property) under Sharia law, claiming his view aligns with that of renowned Syrian contemporary scholar Sheikh Ramadhan al-Buthi.