Contemporary Ijtihād in Islamic Law: A Comparative Fiqh Analysis of the Indonesian Ulama Council (MUI) Fatwa on the Stoning of the Jamārāt during the Days of Tashrīq

High crowd density during the Hajj pilgrimage, particularly during the ritual of stoning the jamarāt (ramy al-jamarāt) in Mina, poses serious safety risks for pilgrims, especially Indonesian pilgrims who are predominantly categorized as high-risk due to advanced age and health conditions. Responding to this challenge, this study examines the implementation of ramy al-jamarāt during the Days of Tashrīq from the perspective of contemporary Islamic legal ijtihād, focusing on the 2024 Fatwa issued by the Indonesian Council of Ulama (Majelis Ulama Indonesia, MUI) at the 8th Ijtimā‘ Ulama, which permits the ritual to be performed before dawn under certain conditions. This research adopts a qualitative library-based method using a comparative fiqh approach. Primary data consist of the official 2024 MUI Fatwa document, supported by classical fiqh literature from the four Sunni schools of law and contemporary scholarly works. Data are analyzed through content analysis to assess the legal reasoning underlying the fatwa. The findings indicate that Islamic jurisprudence provides legal flexibility through the principle of rukhsah (legal concession), allowing ramy al-jamarāt to be performed before zawāl when necessary, although the most virtuous time remains after zawāl. The permissibility is supported by the Ḥanafī school, early scholars, and contemporary jurists emphasizing the protection of life (ḥifẓ al-nafs) and the prevention of harm (darar). Accordingly, the MUI fatwa reflects a contextually responsive form of contemporary ijtihād for modern Hajj management.