CAIRO: Dar Al-Ifta, the body responsible for issuing religious opinions, celebrated the graduation of 10 students from its Fatwa Training Institute on Thursday July 26, its second graduating class.

The students three-year course of study trains them on the proper ways to issue Islamic fatwas, or edicts. All 10 students are of African or Indonesian origin.

The ceremony was attended by Mohamed Raffat Othman and Saad Al-Halaly, professors at the institute, on behalf of Grand Mufti Ali Gomaa.

Chairman Amr Al-Mouardy s opening speech emphasized the importance of the presence of scholars in the field of fatwa.

Al-Halaly s speech recognized the students’ hard work and dedication. These students had to learn the Arabic language in order to be able to study Islam s rules and the art of fatwa, Al-Halaly said.