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"The Role of Religious Discourse in Curbing the Scourge of Drugs"
Author : The General Iftaa` Department
Date Added : 09-11-2022

"The Role of Religious Discourse in Curbing the Scourge of Drugs"

 

In cooperation with the Iftaa` Department, the Directorate of Public Security organized a symposium under the title "The Role of Religious Discourse in Curbing the Scourge of Drugs," Sunday, 6th of Nov. 2022. This symposium is a part of a series of education and awareness-raising activities launched by the Directorate to protect the community from the scourge of drugs.

Grand Mufti Sheikh AbdulKareem Al-Khasawneh, Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalayleh, Director of Public Security Maj. Gen. Obeidullah Al-Ma`aytah, the representative of the Chief Justice Dr. Sameeh Al-Zou`bi, and the representative of the Archbishop of the Greek Orthodox Father Elias Barakat attended this symposium, which was held in King Hussein Cultural Centre.

The symposium discussed the importance and the influential role of the religious discourse in disseminating knowledge, raising awareness on the dangers of drugs, uniting the community in combating the evils of drugs as well as traffickers and dealers who seek to make unlawful gains at the expense of the security of the community and the safety of its members.

The Grand Mufti said that Shariah came to preserve the five necessities: religion, life, intellect, lineage, and wealth, and warned that whatever harms these necessities is prohibited. The drugs is the most evil of menaces as it causes the loss of religion, destroys life, intellects, lineage and wealth. Therefore, it is our national and religious duty to combat this dangerous phenomenon.

On his part, the Minister of Awqaf stressed the importance of faith in fortifying the individual and motivating him/her to avoid whatever is in violation of Sharia and destroys the intellect. In addition, he pointed that the participatory roles played by the Ministry of Awqaf, through Friday sermons, religious lessons, preaching, and guidance, are a religious duty that aims to protect the community and strengthen its security in an integrated framework; especially when it comes to combating drugs.

On his part, the representative of the Chief Justice spoke about the devastating impact caused by drugs leading to the breakup of families and damaging community, which requires enhancing the religious discourse to combat the dangers of drugs and develop solutions to curb this obstacle.

On his part, the representative of the Archbishop of the Greek Orthodox explained that the church is keen on guiding its subjects towards the ways of goodness and love and avoiding whatever deforms God`s creation on the physical, psychological, and spiritual levels. This includes raising awareness on the dangers of drugs, ways of prevention, and developing the minds of the youth to create healthy generations.

The Director of Iftaa and guidance in the Directorate of Public Security Colonel Dr. Samer Al-Hawamleh expressed keenness on cementing partnerships and bridges of cooperation with various religious institutions in Jordan in support for the efforts to curb the spread of drugs and other negative and crime phenomena. This goes beyond the traditional security measures employing preventive roles that help enhance community`s safety and stability.

The symposium included specialized discussions and research papers that shed light on the elements and foundations of the religious discourse guided to serve the community and keep abreast of its needs and phenomena; particularly the problem of drugs, which requires joining efforts and roles showing that it is harmful, prohibited and must be combatted.

 

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Summarized Fatawaa

What is the Du`a (supplication) of Istikhara (guidance prayer)?

O Allah, I consult You as You are All-Knowing and I appeal to You to give me power as You are Omnipotent, I ask You for Your great favor, for You have power and I do not, and You know all of the hidden matters. O Allah! If you know that this matter (then he should mention it) is good for me in my religion, my livelihood, and for my life in the Hereafter, or he said: "for my present and future life" then make it (easy) for me. And if you know that this matter is not good for me in my religion, my livelihood and my life in the Hereafter, or he said: "for my present and future life" then keep it away from me and take me away from it and choose what is good for me wherever it is and please me with it."

Is it permissible to offer an Udhiyah on behalf of the deceased?

In the Name of Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
Offering an Udhiyah (sacrificial animal) on behalf of a deceased person is permissible. This is the official position of the Hanbali school (as stated in Kashshaf al-Qina’ by al-Bahuti,Vol.6/P.428) and was also upheld by the prominent Shafi'i scholar Al-’Abbadi (mentioned in Bidayat al-Muhtaj by Ibn Qadi Shuhbah,Vol. 4/P.358). It has likewise been narrated as a valid view among some Maliki and Hanafi scholars.
 
In fact, Imam Abu Dawud dedicated an entire chapter in his Sunan collection entitled, "Chapter on Sacrificing on Behalf of the Deceased." In it, he recorded a narration from Hanash, who said: "I saw 'Ali sacrificing two rams, so I asked him, 'What is this?' He replied, 'The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded me to offer a sacrifice on his behalf, so I am sacrificing on his behalf.'"
 
Imam Abu Dawud also narrated from Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "O Allah, this is from You, for You, and on behalf of Muhammad and his Ummah (community). In the Name of Allah, and Allah is the Greatest," and he then slaughtered the animal.
 
The textual evidence here lies in the fact that our Master, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), offered a sacrifice on behalf of his entire community—and it is well-established that his community includes those who have already passed away.
 
Furthermore, there is an abundance of sacred texts demonstrating that the rewards of righteous deeds reach the deceased. For instance, it is permissible to fast on behalf of a deceased person who passed away with missed obligatory fasts, and it is equally permissible to perform Hajj on their behalf, both of which are firmly established in authentic Hadiths. Therefore, if the reward of fasting (which is a purely physical act of worship) and Hajj (which is a joint physical and financial act of worship) can reach the deceased, then the reward of an Udhiyah reaches them with greater reason (by way of A Fortiori argument). This is because it is a purely financial act of worship, falling under the general category of charity (Sadaqah).
 
Additionally, scholars have reached a consensus (Ijma') that the rewards of charity reach the deceased, and since the Udhiyah is inherently an act of charity, it falls under the same ruling. Consequently, based on all the aforementioned evidence, we hold the view that offering a sacrifice on behalf of the deceased is entirely permissible. And Allah the Almighty Knows Best.

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.

What is the ruling on forgoing the sacrifice (uḍḥiyah) for one who is financially able to offer it?

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
It is disliked (makrūh) for one for whom the uḍḥiyah (sacrifice) is recommended (Sunnah) to forgo offering it, on account of the scholarly disagreement regarding whether it is obligatory. And Allah, the Most High, knows best.