"As part of our religious and national duty we want you to ensure that fatwas are only issued by members of the Council of Senior Religious Scholars and other permitted people," King Abdullah said in the decree that was sent Thursday to Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Asheikh, who heads the Presidency for Scholastic Research and Religious Edicts (Dar Al-Ifta) as well as the scholars council.
The decree also asked Al-Asheikh to report to the king on those fully qualified and eligible to issue fatwas.
"Individual fatwas on personal matters such as matters of worship, dealings, personal matters are exempt from this ruling, but they should be between the questioner and the scholar. There should be a total ban on any topics involving strange or obsolete views."
The king said the issuing of fatwas by unqualified persons was a violation of Islamic teachings.
"We have observed the fallout from unqualified people issuing fatwas. It is our religious duty to stop them in order to preserve our religion, which is our dearest possession, and cut off an evil which, if we do not tackle now, will return with added force." the king added in the decree.
"Religion is no place for bragging nor seeking worldly ambitions."
The king said differences of opinion among scholars should be confined to their own circles and not involve other people.
"We find some people undermining the role of official establishments and crossing into state jurisdiction. They pose as eligible scholars to dispute these religious establishments," he added.
"This situation has prompted us to face them with determination in order to return them to the right path and make them understand the great role played by our religious establishments."
