Dar al-Ifta was founded in 1895 as the Egyptian state body for issuing fatwas, and describes itself as a governmental non profit that operates independently at national and international level. It answers questions of Islamic law put to it by individuals, courts and governments, publishes its rulings, and runs a phone and online fatwa service in several languages. It sits at Hadiqat al Khalideen in the Darassa district of Cairo.