Systematic Literature Review of the Research Design Based on Fatwa Methods

Abstract

This study conducted a systematic literature review on the fatwa-based research design. The fatwa process seen can be utilized when building a research design in Islamic-based research methods. There is yet to be a systematic literature review conducted on existing studies regarding a research design based on the fatwa process. Can the fatwa method be applied as an Islamic-based research design? The objectives were to identify and analyse literature related to fatwa and research designs in Islamic-based research by using the systematic literature review method. Based on ROSES publication standards, three databases, namely Scopus, Google Scholar and Dimensions, were chosen to search for articles dating from 2014 to 2020. A total of 824 reference materials containing the keywords 'research design', 'research' and fatwa' were found, but only 10 were analysed after passing the quality appraisal process. This study found three themes, namely Islamic research methods, research design elements and the fatwa method. Construction of the fatwa-based research design is a new branch of science still in its early stages and requires extensive research. Therefore, this study suggests that the desired research design should rely on Islamic tasawur and epistemology, which is based on the fatwa method and uses the systematic literature review method.

Headnote

ABSTRACT

This study conducted a systematic literature review on the fatwa-based research design. The fatwa process seen can be utilized when building a research design in Islamic-based research methods. There is yet to be a systematic literature review conducted on existing studies regarding a research design based on the fatwa process. Can the fatwa method be applied as an Islamic-based research design? The objectives were to identify and analyse literature related to fatwa and research designs in Islamic-based research by using the systematic literature review method. Based on ROSES publication standards, three databases, namely Scopus, Google Scholar and Dimensions, were chosen to search for articles dating from 2014 to 2020. A total of 824 reference materials containing the keywords 'research design', 'research' and fatwa' were found, but only 10 were analysed after passing the quality appraisal process. This study found three themes, namely Islamic research methods, research design elements and the fatwa method. Construction of the fatwa-based research design is a new branch of science still in its early stages and requires extensive research. Therefore, this study suggests that the desired research design should rely on Islamic tasawur and epistemology, which is based on the fatwa method and uses the systematic literature review method.

Keywords: Epistemology, fatwa, Islamic research methodology, research design, tasawur.

The research design is important because it provides a pattern for the study and determines the data collection method that will be adopted by the study. Leedy and Ormrod (2001) defined research design as a study plan as well as a framework for collecting data. MacMillan and Schumacher (2001:166) defined research design as a plan for selecting subjects, research locations, and data collection procedures to answer prescribed research questions. They pointed out that the purpose of a good research design is to provide valid and reliable results.

There is a need for an Islamic-based research design due to the lack of tools needed to fully comprehend the actual reality in the research world. The study of Islam itself today is exponentially spreading the message of Islam. However, due to limited tools, the research conducted cannot achieve comprehensive and accurate findings. Muhammad Syukri (2008) explained that the reasons for Islamic-based research are firstly because conventional worldview (tasawur) and epistemology are different from that of Islam. Secondly, it is an inadequate tool for understanding social reality and thirdly, it can dislodge faith. Therefore, it is entrusted upon Islamic researchers to find accurate and reliable data sources to build a more comprehensive Islamic framework in the world of research.

According to Mohd Syahmir (2014) and Shahir Akram and Mohd Syahmir (2017: 22), the Islamic research method is defined as a combination of daruri and nazari knowledge as well as 'aqli (conventional) and naqli (revealed) knowledge (dalii), while assuming that Islamic epistemology and tasawwur are the main pillars in the research framework focusing on Islam and Muslims. Therefore, this present study intended to build a research design using the fatwa method (fatwa-based research design), which is one of the branches of knowledge in usul al-fiqh. Al-Zuhailiy (2001) explained that usul al-fiqh is a collection of methods and principles used by the fuqaha' to establish decrees by refining syar'i arguments. Hence, this study used the usul al-fiqh method to form a fatwa-based research design. However, the use of this method is still at the introductory stage and is yet to be applied in academic research and studies. There is an emphasis on prioritizing the use of usul al-fiqh principles in research, including research related to Islam, from a social perspective (Mahmood Zuhdi 2005a).

A fatwa is a response by a mufti, qualified Islamic jurist or religious authority when a question is posed based on the rules of fatwa established by Islam. Some studies have provided a general overview of a fatwa, such as al-Harrani (1984: 4), Khalid Ramadan Hasan (1998: 205) and Qutb Mustafa Sanu (2000: 312). Noor Naemah (2003: 45) defined fatwa as an informational response to a question posed by an individual or entity. In other words, when there are questions or concerns, there should be a fatwa issued to address the question or concern. In particular, issuing a fatwa is a process that begins with a question or issue and settled by the issuance of a fatwa as a form of solution or clarification.

Therefore, this article aims to systematically review and determine if previous studies are related or have focused on a fatwa-based research design. Systematic literature review is one of the research methods or processes used to identify and critically evaluate relevant studies, as well as to collect and analyse data from these studies (Snyder 2019). It is important to identify the various fatwa methods as it is one of the components in usul alfiqh that can be applied as a research design in an Islamic-based research.

There are several studies that have adopted the fatwa process approach as an Islamic research method. Mahmood Zuhdi (2005a) proposed that usul al-fiqh should be the preferred research method when examining а Никит (arbitration, judgement, authority, or God's will). Since the majority of fatwa concern debates on usul al-fiqh, this study has some relevance because it focuses on the same objective. In addition, Mahmood Zuhdi (2005b) also explained the link between various fatwa and research. Daud (2007) supported this link, namely the use of usul al-fiqh that employs the hierarchy of Islamic legal sources in a correct and organized manner. Besides that, other studies under this theme include studies by Shahir Akram (2014), Nur Hani (2012), Mohd Syahmir (2014), and Mohd Syahmi (2014). Shahir Akram (2012) studied the use of Islamic logic methods, namely mantiq, in Islamic-based research methods. Nur Hani (2012) had examined epistemology and philosophy in Islamic algebra, which was later used as a data analysis method, while Mohd Syahmir (2014) examined Ibn al-Haytham's scientific concept. Mohd Syahmi (2014) studied the dilalat method as a data analysis technique, while Wan Mohd Khairul Firdaus examined the application of the fatwa process in Islamic-based research methods and Abdul Hanis (2017) studied the interpretation [tafsir] method in Islamic-based research methods.

Systematic literature review (SLR) is one of the literature review (LR) methods that identifies, selects and evaluates articles and documents that are intended to be included in a review process for answering pre-set research questions (Dewey & Drahota 2016). This is a convenient method compared to the traditional method, namely LR, with the main difference being the methodology. SLR has its own methodology, while LR is usually unsystematic. LR thoroughly reviews articles through manual searching, handpicking or snowballing. This search is not comprehensive and most researchers who use the LR method will only review the articles or documents they find and can be downloaded without the need for any systematic protocol. Moreover, no quality assessment is involved in LR and the articles or documents found will continue to be evaluated. According to Kraus et al. (2020), this method will lead to bias and subsequently affect the quality of the assessment.

This present study did not find any previous study that focused on the systematic literature review method when reviewing existing literature. The study question mentioned earlier referred to whether the fatwa method can be applied as an Islamic-based research design? Based on this question, the systematic literature review method is an appropriate method for identifying and critically evaluating previous studies that examined the fatwa-based research design as an Islamic-based research method. This study used a systematic literature review method, which is a process that highlights literary works and articles related to a fatwa-based research design that employs appropriate techniques and steps to identify and critically evaluate previous studies. This process is convenient for researchers when thematically identifying and examining pertinent literary works. Based on this process, this study identified gaps in the study and determined future research needs for an Islamic-based research. The justification for using this method is that it is appropriate and relevant for systematically evaluating all studies related to a research design and fatwa method on a yearly basis, thus, explaining the research gap from a particular perspective.

METHODOLOGY OF THE STUDY

The Review Protocol - ROSES

This study was guided by a review protocol called Reporting Standards for Systematic Evidence Syntheses (ROSES). According to Haddaway (2018), this guide is commonly used in the health and environmental management fields. However, ROSES was also developed to accommodate a variety of methods and can be used in various types of research. ROSES has the advantage of carrying out a systematic literature review because it has several structured stages, beginning with the designing of research questions, followed by the process of searching, screening, data extraction and critical evaluation of selected articles. Therefore, ROSES, as a guide, is appropriate for this study as it can help identify the fatwa-based research design through several stages, beginning with the initial stage of constructing the research question(s). Next, a systematic search was carried out through the identification, screening and eligibility processes, followed by the quality appraisal, data extracted and finally, an analysis of the selected articles.

Formulation of Research Questions

The research question designing method was based on the PEO (Population, Exposure and Outcome) method. The population in this study was the existing research design population. Exposure, on the other hand, aimed to reveal that the fatwa method could replace the existing research design. Outcome of the study showed that the fatwa method can be used as a research design in Islamic-based research. Next, the study systematically searched for literature to identify research literature related to the research design and fatwa method used in Islamic-based research. Hence, the research question is whether the fatwa method can be used as an Islamic-based research design.

Identification

This study used three databases to carry out the systematic literature review (SLR) in order to identify whether the fatwa method can be a research design. The main database was Dimensions because it covers a wide range of fields, such as health science, social science, engineering, mathematics, education, psychology and so on. The diverse nature of these fields indirectly facilitates the search for articles to conduct SLR. The second database used was Google Scholar, which is widely used because it also covers a wide range of fields and articles from Scopus and Dimensions are also published on Google Scholar. In addition, Harzing and Alakangas (2015) found that articles on Google Scholar are cited more often compared to the Web of Sciences or Scopus (Harzing & Alakangas 2015). Besides these two databases, Scopus was also chosen to further launch other data searches. Scopus is a database that includes almost all disciplines, such as humanities, engineering, social sciences, pure sciences etc. It contains high quality data in addition to having the most articles covering all disciplines that could reach as many as 70 million articles and books from 5000 publishers (Scopus 2020).

Formation of keywords based on research questions. Keyword selection was made through an online thesaurus as well as by reviewing previous studies. Since this is a new discovery, the use of appropriate keywords is crucial in order to obtain appropriate reference materials when conducting a systematic literature analysis. This study only used the keywords 'research design', 'research' and fatwa' because the chosen keywords are concise as well as to avoid searching for articles that are too general. Once the keywords were identified, the study continued to systematically search for articles in the three databases, namely Scopus, Google Scholar and Dimensions. As for the Scopus database, the search string formation process comprised field code function, phrase searching, and the Boolean operator (OR, AND). Whereas for the Dimensions database, the search string involved phrase searching, Boolean operator (OR, AND) and the field code function. The search process in the Google Scholar database involved functions such as phrase searching and the Boolean operator (OR, AND). The combination of keywords, as shown in Table 1, indicates the keywords used when searching for literature related to the research question. Searching for articles based on the databases was carried out in July 2022.

Search results were based on the keywords above and 824 articles were identified (620 from Dimensions, 189 from Google Scholar and 15 from Scopus). After all the articles were obtained from the selected databases based on the keywords used, the study continued with the second process, which is screening.

Screening

In this second process, all 824 articles were screened based on several criteria, such as type of literature, period/date of publication, field of study and language. The type of literature selected was journal indexes and theses. Journal index is the indexing of records that include journal titles, bibliographic information and quotations or citations. The journals listed were chosen from Ulrich, Scopus, EBSCOHost, ProQuest, DOAJ, ERA, etc. Likewise, theses were selected if they had comprehensively discussed a chosen topic. Therefore, the type of literature was limited to journal indexes and theses so that the results of the analysis would be more impactful. The screening process also took into account the period/date of publication. This is consistent with Okoli (2015), who stated that one of the criteria for the screening method is to determine the time frame. Therefore, based on the book by H. Abuddin Nata (2008), studies related to Islamic research methods were given preference in that book, but it only briefly outlined the efforts and approaches of previous scholars.

The development of contemporary literary work began to expand in 2010. Thus, considering this aspect, this study only accepted articles published from 2014 to 2020. In addition to the time frame, data were limited to that from the field of social science and focused only on materials published in English or Malay. Selection of the introductory language in literary works was limited to only two languages, namely English or Malay, as this will make it easier for researchers to understand the essence of the study for each selected reference material. According to Okoli (2015), a researcher can only effectively examine an article written in a language that is easily understood. Table 2 shows four selection criteria chosen for this study.

Articles involved in the screening process were selected according to the type of literature, such as journal indexes and theses. They were selected using a search string involving three databases, namely Dimensions, Google Scholar, and Scopus. The snow-balling method was used to increase the number of research sources.

The screening process had successfully screened 110 articles after excluding 22 articles that were found to be redundant. The backward snowballing method was used for the thesis searching process. According to Webster and Watson (2002), there are three steps involved in the snowballing method, (i) Starting with a thesis, leading journal or conference proceedings to obtain an initial set of papers, (ii) Checking the list of references found on the back of the literature. The first and second steps are continuously repeated until no new literature is found, (iii) Identifying articles related to the previous article. Hence, two theses were selected, thus, creating 112 reference materials in total for the eligibility process.

Eligibility

At this stage, there were numerous articles that discussed the study design, but the focus was not on research and fatwa methods because this study aimed to examine the fatwa-based Islamic-based research design. The eligibilty process continues by limiting some aspects, namely discussion on the fatwa method and research design in Islamic-based research. This process looks at the entire text while focusing on the research questions. Subsequently, 10 reference materials were found to be consistent and related to the research questions. Since this is a new science that is still being explored, most of the reference materials were from the same author. After the eligibility process was completed, the study continued to examine the selected articles. Out of the 10 reference materials selected, 8 were journal articles and 2 were theses. The selection of these reference materials was limited due to the lack of published materials since the method in question was still new. However, before carrying out the analysis, the reference materials went through a quality appraisal process, which is discussed in the next subtopic.

Quality Appraisal

In order to ensure that the selected articles have quality content, the articles needed to be evaluated. The evaluation was carried out by the three authors who were guided by the recommendations adduced by Petticrew and Roberts (2006), whereby the evaluation should depend on the research method used and whether the article is a high, medium or low impact article. Thus, only high and medium impact articles were evaluated and later analysed. Out of the 10 reference materials that were subjected to the screening and data extraction process, 6 articles and 1 thesis were categorised as high impact and 2 articles and 1 thesis as medium impact. All the articles and theses were then subjected to the data extraction and analysis process.

Data Extraction and Analysis

In this study, data extraction refers to the process of extracting data from articles after they have undergone the quality appraisal process by the researcher. This process is based on the research questions that had been constructed and later analysed. This qualitative study used qualitative and mixed methods to collect and analyse data. According to Whittemore and Knarl (2005), the best methods to analyse data are the qualitative and mixed methods. Both these methods were used to compare repeated data and to analyse articles related to the subject matter of this study. The thematic analysis was used to build themes based on the articles that have been analysed. According to Flemming et al. (2018), the thematic analysis is the most appropriate analytical technique for this study since the latter performed a qualitative synthesis using mixed research designs. The 10 reference materials were collected and categorised according to the same sub-theme. The researcher had developed three themes, namely Islamic research methods', "research design elements' and the "fatwa method'. The thematic analysis began by developing themes. In this stage, the researcher identified patterns based on the search of selected articles, with each article based on the same category and each category having three main themes.

FINDINGS

Based on a systematic search, 10 reference materials were selected for analysis, namely one each from 2014, 2015, and 2016; three from 2017, and two each from 2019 and 2020. Results of the analysis on the 10 reference materials consisting of articles and theses found three main themes, namely 'Islamic research methods', 'Research design elements' and 'Fatwa method'. This is shown in detail in Table 3 below.

Islamic Research Methodology

Discussions about Islamic research methods are often repeated in every reference material that was examined. Since this study intended to build a suitable design for Islamic-based research, each reference material provided an overview of the efforts and importance of Islamic-based research. Under this theme there were 10 literary works that discussed Islamic research methods. Wan Mohd Khairul Firdaus (2017) agreed with the need to establish this research method. Screening of the literature provided four articles and one thesis that touched on Islamic research methods. Wan Mohd Khairul Firdaus et al. (2020) adduced the al-takyif method, which has the potential to be a systematic literature evaluation method in Islamic research. Shahir Akram (2016) also elaborated on the science of faith [aqidahf which has the potential to be applied in Islamic research methods. This was also discussed by Wan Mohd Khairul Firdaus (2014) and Abdul Hanis (2017) in their respective theses, where both authors used the fatwa approach and the science of interpretation [tafsir] as a medium in Islamic-based studies. In addition, Mohd Shukri (2017) also provided a clear picture of the tasawur on research theory from an Islamic tasawur perspective, which is the backbone of Islamic research methods. Meanwhile, Azie Zurianie (2020) explained the need for Maqasid al-Syariah to be the main framework in research, especially when assessing the requirements of a study. Azie Zurianie and Wan Mohd Khairul Firdaus (2019) also touched on the development of a framework model using the ithbat method based on Maqasid al-Syariah to be applied as an Islamic-based research method. Mohd Faez and Noor Naemah (2015) solved a problem based on the reality that occurs and it should be adapted taking into account contemporary research methods.

Research Design Elements

Appropriate research design elements applied in Islamic research methods are a new discovery and still at the preliminary stage of study. However, several contemporary researchers have highlighted that research on Islamic research design should continue. All the articles had discussed elements that influence the research design. According to Wan Mohd Khairul Firdaus (2014), the al-taswir method is able to describe an issue and determine the appropriate research design to be used, while the al-takyif method examines a problem or previous research. Wan Mohd Khairul Firdaus et al. (2020) had examined the use of the al-takyif method in Islamic research and found that it is a literature review process that helps to build a research design. The proposed design is based on the fatwa method, which has been the main mechanism for solving problems related to Islamic syariah law since the time of the Prophets.

Wan Mohd Khairul Firdaus and Ibtisam (2017) stated that the elements found in the questionnaire are not related to Islam; hence, although the results might contain some elements, it will not produce findings that contain Islamic elements. Wan Mohd Khairul Firdaus (2017) also studied the application of logical reasoning as an evaluation method in the Islamic research process. Three strategic methods were applied based on logic reasoning, namely the istiqra' (inductive), qiyas (deductive) and tamthil methods, which are methods that have never been used in conventional research. Abdul Hanis (2017) on the other hand highlighted several methods of interpretation ^tafsir) that have the potential to be a research design in Islamic-based studies, especially in textual studies. Mohd Faez and Noor Naemah (2015) also explained the steps or processes for establishing a fatwa that can also be used as a research design. Shahir Akram (2016) also introduced several research designs for conducting research, with several methods found in the science of usul al-fiqh, manahij mufassirin, and manahij al-muhaddithin, which be used for building research designs. Mohd Shukri (2017) had elaborated on common development concepts that are different or inconsistent with Islamic concepts and epistemology. Azie Zurianie (2020) explained how the Maqasid al-shariah method can be used as a framework for assessing research needs. He also presented a new framework model for Islamic-based research that used the taqyim and istiqra' methods for studying problems related to Islam and Muslims in order to be consistent with Islamic epistemology based on the Quran and Sunnah (Azie Zurianie & Wan Mohd Khairul Firdaus 2019).

The Fatwa Methodology

There were four articles and theses that discussed the fatwa method. The fatwa method used in Islamic research is not specifically discussed in some of the selected studies. The discussion is more about the fatwa process's role in issuing a decree. Wan Mohd Khairul Firdaus (2014; 2017) explained the similarities in determining research problems, mustafti questions and legal problems. He also explained the four stages in the fatwa establishing process that can be used in Islamic research, namely al-taswir, al-takyif al-hukm and al-ifta·. Wan Mohd Khairul Firdaus et al. (2019) continued by explaining the fatwa process and outlined each step in the process by referring to Islamic-based research methods. Wan Mohd Khairul Firdaus and Ibtisam (2017) explained the relationship between the mufti and researchers. Azie Zurianie (2020) and Azie Zurainie and Wan Mohd Khairul Firdaus (2019) used the taqyim process for constructing research questions. Shahir Akram Hassan (2016) also applied the four stages ^al-taswir, al-takyif, al-hukm and aZ-ifta') in the fatwa process to form a research design, especially studies involving Islamic jurisprudence. Besides that, Mohd Faez & Noor Naemah (2015) also discussed the combination of various current fatwa research for use in Islamic research. Most of the discussions on reference materials focused on points that were similar and interconnected with each other in the fatwa process used in the Islamic research method. Mohd Syukri (2017) suggested that the conventional research theory cannot be used to solve problems related to Islam.

DISCUSSIONS

Based on the analysis of the ten reference materials, the keywords and research questions, three themes revealed that the fatwa method can be used as a research design in Islamic-based research. However, not all reference materials were specifically discussed in the respective studies related to the fatwa method as a research design. Mohd Shukri (2017), Wan Mohd Khairul Firdaus (2014) and Abdul Hanis (2017) found that differences and inconsistencies between the conventional worldview on development with Islamic worldview and epistemology is the main issue in contemporary Islamic research. Western philosophy based on an anti-dogmatic framework is the main issue between Islamic research and Muslims whose philosophy is based on Islamic beliefs [aqidah). Hence, Shahir Akram (2016) examined several disciplines of knowledge in Islamic epistemology, such as syariah or aqidah, that has the potential to be applied in Islamic research methods.

One important element of focus at the beginning of a research is the selection of an appropriate research design because it has significant implications on the course of the study. Based on this premise, construction of a research design based on Islamic-based research methods has attracted the attention of several researchers. Wan Mohd Khairul Firdaus (2014) adopted the approach of issuing fatwa formerly used by Islamic scholars to solve contemporary Islamic legal problems as a step in building a research design. This was supported by Shahir Akram (2016), who has adduced several studies that examined the research design using the usul al-fiqh method. This is because usul al-fiqh is a method adopted by Islamic scholars when interacting with syariah texts until a syariah law is established. As for the textual study on the main religious text, which is the Quran, Abdul Hanis (2017) had used usul al-fiqh as a basis for building a research design through the interpretation (tafsir) method based on Islamic tasawur and epistemology.

In relation to the construction of a fatwa-based research design, the selected reference materials had mainly discussed the fatwa production process, mustafti questions and the relationship between the mufti and the researcher. Wan Mohd Khairul Firdaus et al. (2019), Shahir Akram (2016) as well as Mohd Faez Mohd Shah and Noor Naemah (2015) introduced a method or process for issuing the fatwa itself, while Azie Zurianie and Wan Mohd Khairul Firdaus (2019) elaborated on the theory of associating some processes in social research methods with the ithbat process in maqasid al-syariah. The taqyim process was adapted in the research question construction process together with a combination of contemporary research. This adaptation and combination were also mentioned by Mohd Faez and Noor Naemah (2015), who opined that new studies related to current legal problems need to be streamlined by using the latest research methods. Contemporary social and technological developments require a more flexible method but within the original syariah framework.

In addition, the fatwa process also explains the relationship between the mufti and the researcher. Wan Mohd Khairul Firdaus et al. (2019) found that a mufti who issues a fatwa as a means to solve problems concerning conventional law that is afflicting the Muslim community, also has the same duties as researchers who aim to solve social problems. Therefore, the criteria for researchers who conduct research related to Islam and Muslims have been narrowed down to four general aspects, namely that the mufti must be a Muslim, muka laf (legally competent), fair (adil) and a mujtahid. In addition, Wan Mohd Khairul Firdaus (2014) also explained the similarities in determining research problems, mustafti questions, study of mufti and problems related to decrees (Никит). He clearly depicted that al-taswir and al-takyif play a significant role in research related to Islam and Muslims. This discussion was further extended by Wan Mohd Khairul Firdaus et al. (2020), who described al-takyif as a literature review method based on primary and secondary sources in Islamic-based research.

Wan Mohd Khairul Firdaus (2014) has laid the foundation in fatwa research by stating that fatwa is one of the Islamic research methods and had highlighted this in his study entitled "Application of the Fatwa Process in Islamic Research Methods". Moreover, several articles based on studies have expanded the function of fatwa in an Islamic-based research framework. Similarities between fatwa and research have been thoroughly discussed. Contemporary fatwa research that aims to solve current Islamic legal problems is based on four main domains, (i) Research that refers to the al-Quran and al-Sunnah as the primary source of reference (reference to tafsir al-Quran and Hadith syrah). (ii) Research whose secondary references are consensual legal sources, i.e., ijma' and qiyas as well as sources that are not agreed upon, such as al-istihsan, masalih mursalah, sad al-dhara', al-istishab, 'amal ahi al-Medina and so on. (iii) Research that considers Maqasid al-shari'ah, including considerations of maslahah and mafsadah, al-awlawiyat, al-muwazanat, and fiqh al-waqť. (iv) Research that refers to current scientific research, involving field research, clinical research, experiments etc. to obtain actual information regarding the cause of legal problems (Mohd Faez & Noor Naemah 2015). Hence, Azie Zurianie (2020) explained that Maqasid al-Shariah should be highlighted in the contemporary Islamic research's framework so that the research is conducted according to the established Syariah framework.

The fatwa process is a detailed consideration of a mufti or legal authority after hearing questions or issues from the mustafti (questioner) until a fatwa is delivered (Ali Jum'ah 2008:13). The fatwa process is divided into four stages, starting with: (i) al-Taswir, where a particular problem is described. This is a very important stage because it can change the existing law if not carried out prudently or if an error in judgement occurs, (ii) al-Takyif which involves the adaptation or categorization of a problem, and it requires an in-depth study of the proposed issue, (iii) al-Hukm or the stage where a decree is determined. This stage is the longest stage in the fatwa process and is also known as marhalah bayan al-hukm or the stage where the decree is thoroughly explained (Noor Naemah 2008: 124). (iv) al-Ifta', where all the three previous fatwa processes are discussed. This is a crucial stage because it is the pre-judicial process where issues are discussed, and the final fatwa is decided. Therefore, any error(s) in this final stage will lead to confusion in the eventual fatwa delivered (Wan Mohd Khairul Firdaus 2016).

The fatwa method is a suitable research design for use in an Islamic-based research. The parallelism between the main objectives of fatwa and research is the fundamental basis for the appropriateness of its application. In addition, various elements in usul al-fiqh, manahij mufassirin, and manahij al-muhaddithin also have the potential for helping build the research design. This is because of the existence of the source of revelation (al-Quran), thus, the research design in Islamic research methods must be able to interact with the Quran and Hadith. Hence, existing methods must be based on the sciences. As with any of these sciences, the design of thematic studies, comparisons, mathematics and so on, can be built. Likewise, knowledge related to usul al-fiqh and mantiq can provide a framework for building research strategies, such as al-istiqra', al-qiyas and al-qiyas al-usuliy (tamthil) (Shahir Akram 2016).

When examining and observing the various stages involved in issuing a fatwa, the al-taswir stage helps to describe an issue in research. Once the issue is clearly identified and described, the researcher is able to determine the appropriate design for use throughout the research. Likewise, researchers who examine an issue or previous research using the al-takyif method can take advantage of this the research design. Indirectly, the design used in previous research would be deemed effective if it produced quality results. According to Wan Mohd Khairul Firdaus (2014), the fatwa process does not offer a research design based on Islamic research methods but helps determine an appropriate fatwa-based research design. Therefore, this Islamic-based research method can be used as a research design because of the existence of a special study on research designs in the Islamic-based research method.

Based on the findings and conclusions, this study intends to submit two recommendations. First, create an introductory module for the science of fatwa methods to be applied in Islamic-based research. This will create awareness among researchers regarding the existence of methods and techniques in fatwa, including research methods, that can be highlighted in other sciences. Second, create a research design that is based on Islamic tasawur and epistemology to avoid issues arising when conducting research, especially research related to Islam. This can at least increase the number of research tools and uphold researchers' beliefs from being distorted by conventional research.

It can be concluded that based on the systematic literature review there were 10 research materials closely related to the objectives of the research, which is to identify literary works related to fatwa and research design in Islamic-based research by using the systematic literature review and analysing trends in materials, namely reference materials related to a research design based on the fatwa method. The ten research materials indicated that the fatwa method is a suitable research design in Islamic-based research. Among the methods that can be applied in the research design are the two stages in the fatwa establishing process, namely al-taswir and al-takyif Although the fatwa process does not offer a research design based on Islamic research methods, however, an appropriate research design can be determined by using the fatwa processing method.

Acknowledgement

This paper is part of the research findings entitled Research Design in Islamic-Based Research Methods [(RUI)1001/CISDEV/8016060J which was funded by Research University Individual (RUI) grant, Universiti Sains Malaysia

References

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