Article (1):

This law shall be cited as "

Law Amending Al-Iftaa` Law/2009", shall be an integral part of Law No. (60)/2006 and shall come into effect after the date of its publication in the official Gazette.

 

Article (2):

Article (2) of the original law shall be amended by deleting the definition of (Mufti) contained therein and replacing it with the following:

 

The word (Mufti) shall refer to any Mufti in Iftaa` Department and its branches in different governorates.

 

Article (3):

Article (7) of the original law shall be amended as follows:

 

First: Item (2) contained in Paragraph (A)shall be deleted and replaced with the following text:

 

An academic staff member specialized in Islamic Fiqh in a faculty of Sharia of one of the Jordanian universities shall be designated by the Grand Mufti.

 

Second: Paragraphs (C) and (D) shall be added with the following two texts:

(C): Notwithstanding paragraph (B) of this Article, any member of the Iftaa` Council referred to in item (6) of Paragraph (A) of this Article may be replaced-during the term of their office-upon a decision by the Cabinet based on a recommendation of the Grand Mufti, if the need arises.

(D): The term of office of any member shall expire in the following situations:

1-Death

2-Resignation

3-Failure to attend three consecutive sessions without an excuse acceptable to the Iftaa` Council.

 

Third: The phrases (at least eight members) and (by a majority vote) contained in Paragraph (C) shall be deleted and replaced with (a two-thirds majority of its members) and (by a majority of its members present) respectively.

 

Fourth: Paragraphs (C), (D) and (E) shall be renumbered as : (E), (F) and (G).

 

Article (4): 

Item (3)/Par. (A)/Art. (8) of the original law shall be amended by adding the phrase (and cases transferred from any official body).

 

Article (5): 

Article (9) of the original law shall be amended by adding the phrase (and its executive secretary) after the phrase (its members).

 

Article (6):

 

The text of Article (10) of the original law shall be deleted and replaced with the following text:

 

Article (10): 

A. The Mufti shall be appointed by a decision of the Iftaa` Council based on recommendation of the Grand Mufti. This is provided that he has at least a bachelor degree in Sharia Sciences and five years passed over his receiving that degree, in addition to having passed the competition conducted by the Iftaa` Dept. according to instructions issued by the Iftaa` Council.

 

B. When appointed in any class of occupation for the first time, the Mufti shall be kept on probation for two years from starting date and the Council shall have the right to terminate his services during this period if it turned out that he is incompetent or morally unsuitable in accordance with considerations that the Council sees fit.

 

C. The Mufti`s services are terminated by the expiry of the probationary period stipulated in Paragraph (B) of this Article unless the Council issues a decision to stabilize him in service.

 

Article (7):

 

Article (11) of the original law shall be amended by deleting Paragraph (G) contained therein.

 

 

 

 

Summarized Fatawaa

What is the ruling on performing the standing (qiyām) and bowing (rukū‘) portions of the prayer normally, while performing the prostration (sujūd) seated due to knee pain?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
If performing sujūd (prostration) in prayer causes the worshipper pain in the knees, then it is permissible for him to perform it through gesture (īmā') while seated, since Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, has lifted hardship from His servants. On the authority of ‘Imrān ibn Ḥuṣayn (raḍiyallāhu ‘anh), he said: "I suffered from hemorrhoids, so I asked the Prophet ﷺ about [how to perform] the prayer, and he said: 'Pray standing; if you are unable, then sitting; and if you are unable, then on your side.'" [Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī]
If the valid excuse later subsides, the worshipper is then obligated to perform the prayer with all its pillars and conditions fully observed — including standing, rukū‘ (bowing), and sujūd (prostration). And Allah, the Exalted, knows best.

What is the ruling on reciting the takbīr from Sūrat aḍ-Ḍuḥā to Sūrat an-Nās upon completing the recitation of the Qur'an (khatm)?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
It is recommended to recite the takbīr from the beginning of Sūrat aḍ-Ḍuḥā through to the end of Sūrat an-Nās, and this is the recitation practice of the people of Makkah.
It is stated in Nihāyat az-Zayn (p. 65): "It is sunnah to begin each sūrah with the basmalah, since it constitutes a verse of it. It is also sunnah to say, before each sūrah — from aḍ-Ḍuḥā to the end of the Qur'an — 'Lā ilāha illallāh, wallāhu akbar' (There is no god but Allah, and Allah is the Greatest), based on what has been narrated regarding Imam ash-Shāfi‘ī (raḍiyallāhu ‘anh), who heard a man reciting this takbīr in prayer, and said to him: 'You have done well, and you have hit upon the sunnah.'"
And Allah, the Exalted, knows best.

I have a brother who is harsh in his dealings [with me], and many problems have occurred between us, and I do not intend to reconcile with him. What is the ruling of Islamic Law on that?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
It is not permissible for a Muslim to abandon or boycott his fellow Muslim brother for more than three days. This is based on the saying of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him: "It is not lawful for a Muslim to forsake his brother for more than three [days], meeting each other but one turns away and the other turns away, and the better of the two is the one who initiates the greeting (salam)." (Reported by al-Bukhari.)
A Muslim must strive to end such estrangement (hajr), so as not to fall under the prohibition mentioned in the hadith. If he takes the initiative to reconcile but the other party does not respond, then there is no sin upon him. We remind [ourselves] of the saying of Allah, the Exalted: "And let them pardon and overlook. Do you not wish that Allah should forgive you? And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful." (An-Nur/22). And Allah, the Exalted, knows best.

What are the valid excuses for abstaining from congregational prayer in the mosque?

 
Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
Concessions (Rukhsah) are granted to abstain from congregational prayer in the mosque due to general excuses, such as: rain that causes hardship in going out, strong winds at night, heavy mud that cannot be traversed without the risk of soiling oneself, hot winds, and extreme heat or cold. There are also specific individual excuses, such as: illness that makes walking as difficult as walking in the rain, severe drowsiness, evident hunger or thirst, the suppression of bodily wastes (urine, stool, or gas), and fear for one's life, limb, physical faculty, wealth, or honor, among other valid excuses. And Allah the Exalted knows best.