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

Is an animal that results from crossbreeding between two types of livestock (an'ām) valid [for sacrifice]?

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
An animal that results from crossbreeding between two types of livestock (an'ām) is valid [for sacrifice], with consideration given to the higher of the two required ages. Thus, in the case of an animal crossbred between sheep (ḍa'n) and goats (ma'z), only one that has reached two years of age is valid [for sacrifice]. And Allah, the Most High, knows best.

What is the ruling on a woman who learns of her divorce or her husband's death after her *ʿiddah* has ended? And does the *ʿiddah* of a woman who abandoned mourning (*iḥdād*) for the whole period of the *ʿiddah*, or part of it, still end, even though she knew that abandoning it is forbidden?**

 

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
The waiting period of a widow who is not pregnant is four months and ten days, based on the saying of Allah Almighty (which means): “And those of you who die and leave wives behind, they shall wait concerning themselves for four months and ten days” [al-Baqarah/234]. If she is pregnant, her ʿiddah ends with the delivery of her child. The ʿiddah is calculated by lunar months and begins from the date of death.
If her ʿiddah ends before she learns of her husband’s death, or of his divorcing her, she does not observe the ʿiddah upon learning of it, because her ʿiddah has already ended.
It is stated in al-Bayān fī Madhhab al-Imām al-Shāfiʿī (Vol.11/p.41), one of the books of the Shāfiʿī school: “If a man divorces his wife, or dies while he is absent from her, her ʿiddah is from the time of the divorce or from the time of death. If she does not know of the divorce or the death until her ʿiddah period has ended, then her ʿiddah has ended. If she learns of it before the end of the ʿiddah period, she completes her ʿiddah counting from the time of the divorce or death.”
As for a woman who abandoned mourning throughout the ʿiddah while knowing that it is forbidden, she is sinful, although her ʿiddah has nonetheless ended. And Allah Almighty knows best.

How many rak‘ahs are there in Tarawih prayer?

The most complete form of Tarawih prayer consists of twenty rak‘ahs, excluding Shaf‘ and Witr. This is the opinion of the majority of scholars, both past and present, and it is the practiced tradition in the two Holy Mosques.
However, Tarawih is valid with any even number of rak‘ahs, even two rak‘ahs, as long as it is performed with the intention of Qiyam al-Ramadan.

What is the ruling on the follower`s prayer if the Imam stands for a fifth rak`ah?

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
If the Imam stands up for an extra unit (rak‘ah) of prayer out of forgetfulness, he must return to the sitting position as soon as he remembers, and he should perform the prostration of forgetfulness (Sujud al-Sahw). It is the duty of the congregants (Ma’mumin) behind him to remind him. However, if the Imam is in a state of doubt regarding the extra unit (and not certainty), it is not permissible for him to return.
 
As for the congregants: anyone who is certain that the Imam has stood for an extra unit is forbidden from following him. In this case, the follower has two choices: either intend to separate from the Imam (Mufaraqah) and finish the prayer alone, or wait for the Imam in the sitting position and perform the final salams with him—the latter being the preferred option. If a follower knowingly follows the Imam into an extra unit, their prayer becomes invalid. However, if a follower is in doubt and not certain of the mistake, they must continue following the Imam, as the Imam was appointed to be followed.
 
It is stated in Al-Majmu’ (Vol.4/P.145): 'If [the Imam] stands for a fifth rak‘ah, the follower should not follow him, even if it is assumed that the Imam might have omitted a pillar from a previous unit; because if the reality is known, following him is impermissible since the follower has certainly completed their own prayer. Even if the follower had missed a previous unit (Masbuq) or was in doubt about performing a pillar like the Fatihah, and the Imam stood for the fifth, it is not permissible for the latecomer to follow him in it. This is because we know that this unit is not counted for the Imam and that he is mistaken in performing it.' And Allah the Exalted knows best.