ABSTRACT
Qadis and muftis play an essential role in realizing the duty to ensure justice in this world and salvation in the next through interpreting, adapting and implementing the mandates of Islamic sacred law (Shariʿah) for the community of believers and in its name. Both functions converge in the Shariʿah court as long as consulting with a mufti before issuing judgment is either recommended or mandatory, or to the extent that the litigants address a mufti at their own initiative in the hope that a legal opinion concerning their case will shift the balance in their favour. A significant part of their activities is also dedicated to providing a dispute resolution advice alternative to litigation in court. The legal and religious symbolisms inherent in both roles bring about the possibility of exerting a high degree of social and political influence. Their power and authority are also enhanced by the performance of extra-legal, sometimes even informal, tasks.
