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Achievements of Iftaa` Department (1430 AH-2009 AD)
Author : The General Iftaa` Department
Date Added : 23-10-2022

Achievements of Iftaa` Department (1430 AH-2009 AD)

 

Based on the directives of His Majesty King Abdullah II, the General Iftaa` Department has been playing an effective role in society through clarifying the rulings of Sharia to the people in a transparent and moderate approach. In 2006, a law was passed which declared the independence of the Department from the Ministry of Religious Endowments and other official bodies. The law determined the tasks and duties of the Department as follows:

 

1. Supervising and organizing of Fatwa affairs in the Kingdom.

2. Issuing Fatwas on general and specific matters in accordance with the provisions of this law.

3. Preparing of the required research papers and Islamic studies on important matters and emerging issues.

4. Producing a periodic specialist academic journal concerned with the publication of reviewed academic research papers in Shari'ah and Islamic sciences and related fields.

5. Cooperating with scholars of Islamic law in the Kingdom and outside of it regarding fatwa affairs.

6. Offering opinions and advice in matters presented to it by state agencies.

 

The Grand Mufti shall be in charge of running the Department`s affairs, the flow of the work and the execution of the Iftaa`s general policy with the assistance of a team of Muftis in the Department`s headquarter and the governorates.

 

On its part, the Department has done several activities through which it reached out to society and directed fellow citizens to act upon the teachings of Sharia to achieve, as Allah promised, happiness in this world and the next life.

 

This communication has reflected society`s keenness on acting upon the teachings of Sharia, Department`s credibility, and people`s faith in fatwas issued by it.

 

Following are the Department`s most notable achievements of last year:

First: Fatwas Issued by the Department.

In 2009, the Department issued (159318); an average of (639) for each working day. These fatwas were distributed as follows:

 

1- Fatwas on Divorce. (24422) fatwas divided between valid divorce (12764) and invalid divorce (11658). The percentage of the questions on divorce constituted (15.3%) from the overall number of questions. As for the rest of the questions, they were divided between acts of worship, transactions, personal status, Islamic Creed, Tafsir (Interpretation), Hadith, and social problems.

2- Fatwas on other Issues.

 

- Verbal Questions. The asker is directly transferred to one of the Muftis. The total of this type of questions posed during personal interviews conducted inside the Department has reached (15107).

- Written questions. In this regard, the asker fills out the written fatwa form, and then the question is transferred to one of the Muftis or researchers in the Department to prepare the answer supported by the proper evidence and sayings of the jurists. After that, the answer is submitted to a committee formed for this end. After the committee adopts it, the answer is submitted to the Grand Mufti for approval or modification, as he deems appropriate. Finally, the fatwa is sent to the asker. This type of questions has reached the total of (181).

 

3- Fatwas Delivered over the Telephone.

The asker calls the Department. He is transferred to one of the Muftis. The Mufti listens to the question and gives the appropriate answer. The number of questions asked via this method reached (79680).

 

4- Fatwas Via SMS.

Recently, the Iftaa` Department has contracted some telecommunications companies to provide the service of delivering Fatwas through SMS and E-Government services. The total number of such messages has reached (36822).

 

5- Seeking Fatwas Via the Department`s Website and E-Mail.

After launching the electronic website, the Department started receiving questions from all over the world. A committee composed of eminent Muftis give special care to these questions and provide scientific answers for them. Afterwards, the answers are directly submitted to the Grand Mufti for approval or modification. The total number of questions sent via the website (WWW.Aliftaa.jo) has reached (2295) while the the questions sent via the e-mail ([email protected]) has reached (811) questions.

 

Second: Prints and Bulletins Issued by the Department.

The Department has issued a monthly bulletin under the name (Al-Iftaa`) in which research papers, articles, and research fatwas of Muftis are published. The bulletin is also concerned with fatwas issued by the Department. This bulletin will be, Insha`Allah, an introduction to the issuance of the Iftaa`s peer-reviewed journal.

 

Third: Muftis` Participation in Media and Reaching out to Local Society.

The Muftis have participated in a number of conferences, TV shows, dialogue seminars, religious lectures, and Friday sermons delivered at the mosques of the Ministry of Awqaf year-round.

 

 

 

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Summarized Fatawaa

What is the ruling on wiping over socks?

It is not permissible to wipe over most common socks today because the conditions for wiping are not met. The concession was reported for wiping over leather socks (khuff) and socks (jowrab) with conditions: They must be thick, not allowing poured water to penetrate, enable one to walk in them, be worn while in a state of purity (from ablution), cover the entire foot up to the ankles (meaning covering the protruding ankle bones), and not be torn. And Allah the Almighty knows best.

The Jurisprudential Significance of the Ḥadīth: "Whoever says, at the conclusion of the Fajr Prayer, while crossing his legs, before speaking..."
"Whoever says, at the conclusion of the Fajr prayer, while crossing his legs, before speaking: 'Lā ilāha illā Allāh, waḥdahu lā sharīka lah, lahu al-mulku wa lahu al-ḥamdu yuḥyī wa yumītu wa huwa ʿalā kulli shayʾin qadīr' ten times — ten good deeds will be recorded for him, ten bad deeds will be erased from him, he will be raised ten levels, he will spend that day in protection from everything disliked and guarded from the devil, and no sin will be able to befall him on that day except associating partners with Allah" — does this noble ḥadīth apply to the imam, and what is meant by "extraneous speech"?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
It is recommended for both the imam and those praying behind him to recite, immediately after the final salām, the specific remembrance reported in the sunnah to be said before turning away from one's place of prayer. The imam then leaves his praying spot, and the act of "turning" is fulfilled when the imam faces the congregation — even without physically leaving his spot — by positioning his right side toward them and his left side toward the qiblah, and this applies even while he is engaged in supplication.
Al-ʿAllāmah Ibn Qāsim al-ʿAbbādī states in his Ḥāshiyah ʿalā al-Tuḥfah (Vol.2/P.105): "It is most virtuous for the imam, once he has given the salām, to rise from his place of prayer immediately afterward." He adds that an exception must be made for the remembrances that are specifically required to be recited before he turns away. He then notes, citing Sharḥ al-ʿUbāb: "Yes, an exception to this rising immediately after the salām applies to the Fajr prayer, due to the authentic report that the Prophet ﷺ, when he prayed Fajr, would remain seated until the sun rose." He further cites, from al-Khādim, the ḥadīth concerning one who recites, at the conclusion of the Fajr prayer while still in the position of crossing his leg to rise: "Lā ilāha illā Allāh, waḥdahu lā sharīka lah..." and the rest of the well-known ḥadīth. He comments that this makes explicit that this particular remembrance is to be recited before the worshipper turns his legs to leave, and the same applies to Maghrib and ʿAṣr, as reported in those contexts as well.
What is meant by "speech" in the relevant ḥadīth is extraneous worldly speech that is not called for after the prayer and for which there is no legitimate excuse. The remembrances reported to be recited upon concluding the prayer, however, do not fall under this category of extraneous speech, since they are themselves required by the sharīʿah.
Al-ʿAllāmah ʿAlī al-Shabrāmalsī states in his Ḥāshiyah ʿalā al-Nihāyah (Vol.1/P.551): "If someone greets a person with salām while he is occupied with reciting this remembrance [i.e., 'Lā ilāha illā Allāh...'], should he return the greeting — without this causing him to forfeit the promised reward, since he is engaged in an obligatory matter — or should he delay returning the greeting until he finishes, this being a legitimate excuse for the delay?" He continues: "I say: the more likely view is the former, and the prohibition on speech is to be understood as applying to extraneous speech for which there is no legitimate excuse. Based on this, should the worshipper give precedence to this remembrance ('Lā ilāha illā Allāh...') or to reciting Sūrat al-Ikhlāṣ ('Qul huwa Allāhu aḥad')? This requires consideration, though it is not unlikely that the remembrance takes precedence, given that the Lawgiver urged hastening to it through his words 'while crossing his leg.' This is not considered ordinary speech, since it is not extraneous to what is required after the prayer."
Accordingly, it is recommended for both the imam and those praying behind him to recite this remembrance and to give it precedence over the other remembrances of the prayer, ensuring it is said before they move from their place. And Allah the Almighty knows best.

Is fasting obligatory for a child?

Fasting is not obligatory for a child until they reach puberty. Puberty is determined by well-known signs, the most common of which are: nocturnal emission (for both males and females), menstruation (for females), or reaching the age of fifteen lunar years.
A guardian must instruct their children to fast once they reach the age of discernment, which is around seven years old, if they are capable of fasting.

What is the ruling on praying in congregation at the mosque?

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
Congregational prayer (Salat al-Jama‘ah) is a communal obligation (Fard Kifayah) for resident men regarding the performance of the prescribed (obligatory) prayers. For men, praying in congregation at the mosque is better than praying elsewhere, such as at home. On the authority of Abdullah bin Umar, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: 'Prayer in congregation is twenty-seven degrees more excellent than the prayer of a person alone' (Reported by Bukhari & Muslim). Furthermore, on the authority of Abu Hurayrah, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: 'Shall I not tell you that by which Allah erases sins and raises ranks?' They said, 'Of course, O Messenger of Allah.' He said: 'Performing wudu thoroughly despite difficulties, taking many steps toward the mosques, and waiting for the next prayer after the prayer; that is your Ribat (steadfastness)' (Narrated by Muslim).
 
As for a woman, her praying in congregation at home is better for her than in the mosque, according to the saying of our Master the Prophet ﷺ: 'Do not prevent your women from attending the mosques, but their homes are better for them' (Narrated by Abu Dawood). Young boys should be encouraged to attend the mosques and congregational prayers so they may become accustomed to them. And Allah the Exalted knows best.

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