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Resolutions of Iftaa' Board

Resolution No.(148)"Rulings on some Examples of Lawyers` Work"

Date Added : 02-11-2015

Resolution No.(148)(13/2010) by the Board of Iftaa`, Research and Islamic Studies: "Rulings on some Examples of Lawyers` Work"
Date: 2/9/1431 AH, corresponding to 12/8/2010 AD.

 

During its ninth session held on the above date, the Board reviewed the following question:
What is the ruling of Sharia on a lawyer`s work in the following cases:
First Case: When the lawyer concludes a contract with accident-damaged people and  persons who have insurance, where he buys the case from them for a certain price in return for taking everything that he manages to collect from the insurance company?
Answer: This case is similar to purchasing debt, which is claimed by an accident- damaged person, from the insurance company. It is forbidden for two reasons:
First: The lawyer pays an advanced sum of money to the damaged person so as to collect a larger deferred sum from the insurance company. This is forbidden usury because Allah, The Almighty, says(which means), " O ye who believe! Fear God, and give up what remains of your demand for usury, if ye are indeed believers."{Al-Baqarah/278}.
 Second: This transaction is aleatory because the lawyer pays a certain sum and doesn`t know how much he will collect from the insurance company, and this forbidden.
Second Case: When the lawyer concludes a contract with the accident-damaged persons like in the first case, but he gets 25% or more or less, out of whatever sum he manages to collect from the insurance company?
Answer: The Board believes that this is permissible in accordance with the view of the Hanbalite jurists who permit specifying a certain percentage as a fee out of a profit.
Third Case: When the lawyer concludes a deal with a man of wealth whereby the latter founds  a law firm to the former in return for a percentage from the revenues of particular cases?
Answer: The Board believes that this is permissible on basis of partnership as is the view of the Hanbalite jurists. Therefore, the revenues should be divided between the two partners as agreed. However, if the wealthy person fully equips that law firm and collects his money as a rent paid by the lawyer, then this is acceptable as agreed by the Muslim scholars. And Allah knows best.

 

Head of the Iftaa` Board, The Grand Mufti of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, His Grace Sheikh Abdulkareem Al-Khasawneh
Vice Head of the Iftaa` Board, Dr. Ahmad Hilayel
Dr. Yahia Al-Botoosh/ Member
His Eminence, Sheikh Sa`ied Hijjawi/ Member
Dr. Mohammad Khair Al-Essa
Judge Sarrie Attieh
Dr. Abdulrahman Ibbdah/ Member
Dr. Mohammad Oklah/ Member
Dr. Abduln`nassir Abu Al Bass`al/ Member
Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalayleh/ Member
Dr. Mohammad Al-Gharaibeh/ Member
Executive Secretary of the Iftaa` Board, Dr. Ahmad Al-Has`sanat

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Summarized Fatawaa

Is Zakah (obligatory charity) due on land intended for selling?

Yes, lands intended for trade are valued, and Zakah is paid according to their estimated value after a lunar year had lapsed, but if the owner didn`t pay the due Zakah, then he should do so after selling them.

What is the ruling on doubting whether one or two prostrations were performed?

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
If a worshiper is in doubt regarding the number of units (rak'ahs) or prostrations (sajdahs) performed, he must build upon the minimum (i.e., assume the lower number) and perform the prostration of forgetfulness (Sujud al-Sahw) before the Salam at the end of the prayer. This is based on the report from ‘Ata’ ibn Yasar that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: 'When anyone of you is in doubt about his Salat (prayer) and does not know how many he has prayed, three or four (Rak'at) he should cast aside his doubt and base his prayer on what he is sure of. Then, he should perform two prostrations before Taslim (salutation). If he has prayed five Rak'at, they will make his Salat (prayer) an even number for him and if he has prayed exactly four, they (i.e. two prostrations) will be humiliation for the devil..' (Narrated by Abu Dawud).
 
It is stated in Al-Muqaddimah al-Hadramiyyah: 'If one doubts [whether he performed] a bowing (ruku’), a prostration, or a rak'ah, he must perform it and prostrate [for forgetfulness], even if the doubt is removed before the Salam—unless the doubt is removed before he performs what would potentially be an addition. Thus, if he doubts whether he prayed three or four, he is obligated to build upon the minimum.' And Allah the Exalted knows best.

Is Zakah (obligatory charity) due on leased property, and how is it calculated?

Zakah isn`t due on the leased property itself, but on the saved income from that property if it reached Nissab (minimum amount liable for Zakah), and a whole lunar year had lapsed over saving it.

My brother works in a conventional bank and gave me one of the gifts distributed to bank employees — what is the ruling on accepting it?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
There is no objection to accepting such gifts, because the physical gift itself does not carry any inherent prohibition — unlike stolen property. Sin does not transfer or extend to the one who receives the gift, for Allah the Almighty says {what means}: "And no bearer of burdens shall bear the burden of another." [Al-Anʿām/164]
The evidence for this is that the Prophet ﷺ himself ate from the food of the Jews, conducted transactions with them, and purchased from them — and it is well known that their wealth was intermingled with ribā. Similarly, the wealth of conventional ribā-based banks is a mixture of the lawful and the unlawful.
Ibn Ḥajar al-Haytamī, may Allah have mercy upon him, states: "It is not forbidden to transact with one whose wealth is predominantly unlawful, nor to eat from it — as al-Nawawī affirmed in al-Majmūʿ." [Tuḥfat al-Muḥtāj, Vol. 9/P.389] And Allah the Almighty knows best.

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