Science-based Ijtihad: religious and scientific dialectic on fatwas regarding congregational worships amid the covid-19 pandemic

The covid-19 pandemic has impacted religious practices, including Islamic practices. scholars have issued several fatwas which regulate how congregational worships should be practiced. For instance, a fatwa regulates that worship is supposed to performed at mosque collectively home individually. rapid spread of coronavirus becomes the primary reason for issuing this regulation. This study normative employs an usul fikih approach. object and scientific dialectic on regarding amid pandemic. Data collected by gathering ulama councils around world. data analyzed through ta’lîly logic, logical reasoning based ‘illah (reason). built upon theory istihsan bil maslahah, refers about laws can change depending their benefits. presents three main findings. First, in covid-19, used findings danger as changing practice employed lens consider benefit law. These interrelationship model interests (maslahah) preserving soul (hifẓ an-nafs) was more important faith ad-dîn). Second, methodologically combined method, interpretative approach, empirical integration methods reflected doctrinal-philosophical aspect legal-ethic fatwas. Third, indicated use functional approach towards scriptural texts, reality.