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A Statement on the Importance of Getting Fatwa from its Reliable Sources to Maintain Unity of the Muslim Ummah
Author : The General Iftaa' Department
Date Added : 08-09-2022

A Statement on the Importance of Getting Fatwa from its Reliable Sources to Maintain Unity of the Muslim Ummah

 

All perfect praise be to Allah the Lord of the Worlds. May His peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Mohammad and upon all his family and companions.

 

We pray that Allah drives this epidemic and affliction away, blesses everyone with good health, cures all patients, and blesses our country with peace and security.

 

We remind our fellow citizens that the General Iftaa` Department receives all religious questions day and night. It is well known that the Muftis of this Department are specialized scholars and, in this regard, Allah Says (What mean): "And We sent not (as Our messengers) before thee other than men whom We inspired - Ask the followers of the Remembrance if ye know not! " [An-Nahil/43].

 

The Muftis-May Allah reward them with all that is good-shoulder the responsibility of answering questions in accordance with a moderate approach based on the Quran, Prophetic Sunna, and the Ijtihad conducted by the righteous predecessors from amongst the four schools of Islamic thought. However, they take into consideration: the situation of the questioners, customary practices as well as the differences of time and place upon which the rulings of Sharia are founded. 

 

Out of concern for maintaining the unity of the Muslim Ummah, Fatwa must be taken from its reliable source, which is the Iftaa` Department; particularly concerning public issues so as to achieve benefit and ward off evil. In fact, there were individuals from amongst the righteous predecessors who specialized in issuing Fatwa, such as the Mufti of Mecca and the Mufti of Medina…etcetera.

 

Consequently, we advise individuals, who aren`t in charge of delivering Fatwa, to stop doing that. This is because their Fatwa mostly represents one viewpoint that may not suit the everyday reality, leading to inciting the people and spreading doubts. In other words, its harm outweighs its benefit.

 

We call on all citizens not to take Fatwa from other than the Iftaa` Department, which is the reliable authority in charge of Fatwa affairs.

 

We also stress that the Muftis of our Department are willing to answer all questions all the time, be that via telephone, internet, or short messages. And All success is attributed to Allah.

 

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Summarized Fatawaa

Is it Sunnah to cook the meat of the 'aqīqah?

All praise is due to Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
It is Sunnah not to distribute the meat of the 'aqīqah raw. Rather, it is recommended to cook it with something sweet — such as raisins or honey — as a good omen and expression of hope for the sweetness of the newborn's character and conduct throughout their life. And Allah Almighty knows best.

What is the ruling on discharging one's zakāh obligation through the provision of a specific benefit (manfa‘ah) — such as performing a surgical operation for a patient, or providing housing to a tenant, and counting the value of this service as zakāh?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
It is obligatory to pay zakāh from the actual asset (‘ayn al-māl) upon which zakāh is due, except in the case of zakāh on trade goods ('urūḍ at-tijārah), which is paid based on their monetary value. In all cases, zakāh must be given in the form of tamlīk (a full transfer of ownership), based on the words of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic (which mean): "Zakāh expenditures are only for the poor and for the needy, and for those employed to collect [zakāh], and for bringing hearts together [for Islam], and for freeing captives [or slaves], and for those in debt, and for the cause of Allah, and for the [stranded] traveler — an obligation [imposed] by Allah. And Allah is Knowing and Wise" [at-Tawbah/60]. The letter "lām" (لِ) in this verse — as in "lil-fuqarā'" ("for the poor") — indicates possession/ownership (lām al-milk).
It is not permissible to fulfill one's zakāh obligation by providing a benefit or service (manfa‘ah) — such as housing, education, or medical treatment — in place of the zakāh itself. This is because zakāh must be paid as wealth (māl) that is transferred into the ownership of the poor recipient, whereas such services are intangible benefits that are not, in themselves, capable of being formally transferred in ownership (ghayr qābilah lit-tamlīk). And Allah, the Exalted, knows best.

Is it a condition that one should offer two sacrifices for a male newborn?

It is desirable to offer two sheep for a male newborn, and one for a female newborn. Offering one sheep for the male newborn is also permissible as it observes the Prophet`s Sunnah in this regard.

Is it obligatory to make up all missed prayers?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
Making up missed prayers (qaḍāʾ) is a sharʿī obligation, established by the practice of the Prophet ﷺ himself — when the disbelievers preoccupied him on the Day of the Trench and he missed the ʿAṣr prayer, he made it up afterward. This is further affirmed by the ḥadīth: "Fulfil what you owe to Allah, for Allah is most deserving of being fulfilled." (Reported by al-Bukhārī.)
Accordingly, a person who has missed prayers should set aside his voluntary and Sunnah prayers and replace them with make-up prayers in their stead. There is no objection to making up one missed prayer alongside each obligatory prayer that is performed — praying the equivalent missed prayer together with each current obligatory prayer as a practical and manageable way of gradually clearing one's debt of missed prayers. And Allah the Almighty knows best.