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Statement regarding the Templeton Award
Author : The General Iftaa` Department
Date Added : 19-06-2023

Statement regarding the Templeton Award

 

Statement regarding His Majesty King Abdullah II`s Winning of the Templeton Award

 

The General Iftaa` Department extends its warmest congratulations to His Majesty King Abdullah Ibn Al Hussein, the Jordanian people and the Arab and Islamic nation over His Majesty's winning of the Templeton World Award. This Award comes in recognition of His Majesty's efforts in bringing about inter-faith harmony, protecting Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, and safeguarding religious freedoms.

 

This Award reflects the West’s appreciation and respect for His Majesty’s efforts in accomplishing harmony between Muslims themselves and between Islam and other religions, which reflects the royal intellectual vision that rests on love, peace and harmony amongst all people. His Majesty launched a number of initiatives enhancing the unity of the Muslims, which is a key purpose of Sharia. One of these was "The Amman Message", (9th of November, 2004). This Message paved the road for recognizing Islamic Schools of Thought, called for establishing dialogue and Muslim`s accepting each other and cooperating amongst themselves, rejecting the approach of tagging Muslims with disbelief (Takfir) and shunning them out. The aim is to achieve harmony between fellow Muslims and followers of Islam.

In addition, the initiative “A Common Word” was launched from Amman in 2007 under the patronage of The Royal Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought. It called for peace and coexistence between Muslims and Christians as well as establishing a common platform that rests on love of God, love of neighbor. Under this initiative, periodical meetings are held to activate Muslim-Christian dialogue to achieve harmony between the members of society of different sects and beliefs. 

 

On October 20, 2010, the United Nations adopted the (Interfaith Harmony Week) initiative presented by His Majesty the King, may Allah protect him, so that the first week of February becomes the Interfaith Harmony Week. The aim of this initiative is to provide a focal point through which all individuals of good intentions realize that the common values that they believe in outweigh the points of disagreement, thus forming a strong source of peace and harmony among all people of different ideas and orientations.

His Majesty's winning this Award constitutes respect for the moderate path that Jordan adopts following in the footsteps of His Majesty the King. We call on everyone to follow this approach derived from the verse in which Allah says {what means}: "Invite to your Lord's Way with wisdom and good advice, and debate with them in the most dignified manner."

 

We ask Allah to protect Jordan and the rest of the Muslim countries and that peace and stability prevail all over the world.

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Summarized Fatawaa

Is it permissible to use unscented petroleum jelly (Vaseline) during ‘Umrah, in order to prevent skin chafing or irritation?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
According to the Shāfi‘ī school, it is permissible for someone in the state of iḥrām to use oils and creams free of perfume/fragrance on parts of the body other than the head and beard, for a genuine medical need — such as preventing skin chafing or irritation. However, applying them to the head or beard remains unlawful.
Shaykh al-Islām, Imam an-Nawawī (raḥimahullāh), says in al-Majmū‘ (Vol.7/P.279): "Oils are of two types: the first is an oil that is neither perfumed itself nor contains any perfume — such as olive oil, sesame oil, ghee, butter, walnut oil, almond oil, and similar oils. The use of this type is not unlawful anywhere on the body, except on the head and beard — where its use is unlawful without any disagreement [among the scholars]." And Allah, the Exalted, knows best.

Is it permissible for a religious young Muslim woman to love a young man for Allah`s sakes?

Such love between the two sexes is from the devil`s evil suggestions, and a pure Muslim woman should beware of such a matter, and she shouldn`t mix with non-Mahrams (Marriageable ).

What is the Islamic ruling on one who was unable to fast and then regained the ability?

 
He is not required to make up the fast (Qada) even if he becomes capable of it; whether he regained the ability to fast after paying the fidya (feeding a needy person for each day of missed fasting) or before it, because he was liable for paying it in the first place, so it remains binding upon him. However, if he delayed paying it beyond the first year, nothing is required of him due to the delay. If he is unable to pay it, it does not remain as a debt upon him. And Allah the Exalted knows best.

What is the ruling on congregational prayer performed outside the mosque, and is it a condition that it be performed in a mosque in order to attain the full reward?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
It is not a condition for attaining the reward of congregational prayer that it be performed in a mosque; however, a Muslim should still be keen to perform his prayers in the mosque, so as not to miss out on immense reward. This is due to the virtue of the mosque and of spending time there (i‘tikāf), the typically larger number of worshippers present, and the additional reward gained through walking to and from the mosque. On the authority of Abū Hurayrah (raḍiyallāhu ‘anh), the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "Whoever purifies himself in his house, then walks to one of the houses of Allah to fulfill one of the obligations Allah has prescribed, one of his steps will erase a sin, and the other will raise him a degree [in status]." (Related by Muslim)
Whoever misses congregational prayer at the mosque should still strive to pray in congregation at his workplace, or together with the members of his household. And Allah, the Exalted, knows best.