In 1922, one of the most famous Muslim scholars of modern times, the Syrian-Egyptian reformer Rashīd Riḍā, published in his journal a detailed fatwa in defense of alcohol. He did so in reaction to an obscure Indian jurist's fatwa that had warned Muslims not to use alcoholic products. On the surface, the authors of the fatwas appeared to be principally concerned with the right way to interpret sacred laws of purity and pollution. However, this article reveals that their disagreement had much to do with differing approaches to the politics of independence. Their divergence is intriguing because the cities where they lived, Cairo and Bombay, had just experienced the convulsions of anti-British consumer boycotts. And it emerged at a time when anti-imperial Muslim activists from the Middle East and South Asia were rallying together for a pan-Islamic cause—to prevent the final collapse of the caliphate. These movements swayed both Riḍā and his rival, who may well be described as Muslim nationalists. Yet they embraced radically different strategies for independence. One aimed for national purity, the other for national power. This discrepancy led to the battle of fatwas—a forgotten battle that is worth remembering because it suggests some of the difficulties that Muslim jurists of Arab or Indian ancestry faced during the interwar period when they tried to turn Islamic law into an effective nationalist discourse.

1922年，叙利亚最著名的现代穆斯林学者之一，叙利亚-埃及改革者拉希德·里哈（RashīdRiḍā）在他的杂志上发表了详细的戒酒法。他这样做是对不起眼的印度法学家法塔瓦的反应，该法塔瓦警告穆斯林不要使用酒精类产品。从表面上看，法特瓦人的作者似乎主要关心的是解释神圣的纯净和污染定律的正确方法。但是，本文揭示了他们的分歧与独立政治的不同方法有很大关系。他们的分歧之所以令人着迷，是因为他们所居住的城市开罗和孟买刚刚经历了反英消费者抵制的抽搐。它的出现是在中东和南亚的反帝制穆斯林激进分子为了一场泛伊斯兰主义的原因而团结起来-以防止哈里发最终崩溃的时候出现的。这些运动都动摇了Riḍā和他的竞争对手，后者可谓是穆斯林民族主义者。然而，他们采用了截然不同的独立战略。一个针对国家纯洁，另一个针对国家权力。这种差异导致了法特瓦人之战，这是一场值得我们铭记的被遗忘的战斗，因为它暗示了阿拉伯或印度血统的穆斯林法学家在两次世界大战期间试图将伊斯兰教法转变为有效的民族主义话语时所面临的一些困难。可以说是穆斯林民族主义者。然而，他们采用了截然不同的独立战略。一个针对国家纯洁，另一个针对国家权力。这种差异导致了法特瓦人之战，这是一场值得我们铭记的被遗忘的战斗，因为它暗示了阿拉伯或印度血统的穆斯林法学家在两次世界大战期间试图将伊斯兰教法转变为有效的民族主义话语时所面临的一些困难。可以说是穆斯林民族主义者。然而，他们采用了截然不同的独立战略。一个针对国家纯洁，另一个针对国家权力。这种差异导致了法特瓦人之战，这是一场值得我们铭记的被遗忘的战斗，因为它暗示了阿拉伯或印度血统的穆斯林法学家在两次世界大战期间试图将伊斯兰教法转变为有效的民族主义话语时所面临的一些困难。