Resolutions of Iftaa' Board



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

What is the ruling on forgiving a tenant next month's rent, with the intention of counting it toward zakāh al-māl?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
It does not fulfill the obligation to count the rent owed on a house, or a portion of it, in lieu of zakāh. Rather, it is necessary to first transfer ownership of the zakāh amount to the poor person directly; only afterward may he be asked to pay the rent [from that money].
It is stated in ‘Umdat as-Sālik (p. 112): "If someone gives [money] to a poor person, stipulating that the recipient return it to him in payment of a debt owed to him, or says, 'I am making what you owe me into zakāh, so take it [as such]' — this is not valid. But if he gives it to him with the [unstated] intention that the recipient will use it to repay him, or says, 'Repay what you owe me, so that I may [then separately] give it to you as zakāh,' or the debtor himself says, 'Give it to me, so that I may [then] repay you with it' — this is valid, and there is no binding obligation for the recipient to actually fulfill this [informal understanding]."
We would also remind [the reader] of the ḥadīth of the Prophet ﷺ: "The Muslim is the brother of the Muslim: he does not wrong him, nor does he abandon him [to harm]. Whoever attends to the needs of his brother, Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, will attend to his needs. Whoever relieves a Muslim of a hardship, Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, will relieve him of one of the hardships of the Day of Resurrection. And whoever conceals [the faults of] a Muslim, Allah will conceal him on the Day of Resurrection." (Agreed upon). And Allah, the Exalted, knows best.

What is the ruling on Zakat al-Fitr?

Zakat al-Fitr is obligatory upon every Muslim for themselves and for those they are financially responsible for, provided they possess wealth that is surplus to their and their family's needs on the night and day of Eid.
Ibn Umar reported: "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ made Zakat al-Fitr obligatory—one sa‘ (measure) of dates or one sa‘ of barley—upon every Muslim, whether slave or free, male or female, young or old." [Narrated by Al-Bukhari]
Its estimated amount is approximately 2,500 grams of wheat or rice, and the General Iftaa` Department issues an annual ruling specifying its monetary value.

What is the ruling on using eye drops while fasting?

Eye drops do not break the fast, even if the taste reaches the throat, because the eye is not an open passage to the body cavity.

Is the prayer of someone who didn`t face Quibla (Ka`ba direction) valid?

All perfect praise be to Allah,The Lord of The Worlds.                                                                                                                                                              Facing the Quibla is a condition for the validity of prayer, and the prayer of the person who hadn`t faced the direction of the Quibla is invalid, and he is obliged to repeat it. And Allah Knows Best.