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The Fatwa Approach Adopted at the General Ifta' De



Iftaa' Department


The Fatwa Approach Adopted at the General Iftaa' Department

The questions of Islamic jurisprudence are many and varied, and they touch every sphere of life and every human practice. The scholars of Islam have left us a vast legacy of rulings and legislation that illuminates people’s lives with the light of divine wisdom. Their juristic and legislative choices rest on a firm foundation of recognized sources of law: the Qur’an, the Sunnah, consensus, analogy, and considerations of public interest.

This juristic heritage has settled into four recognized schools of Islamic thought: the Ḥanafī, the Mālikī, the Shāfiʿī, and the Ḥanbalī. There is consensus that they are to be adopted and regarded as valid paths to attaining the pleasure of Allah the Mighty and Majestic and to safeguarding the interests of the land and its people.

Since the General Iftaa`Department is one link in the scholarly chain of the broader juristic movement, it chose to adopt one of the four schools as the point of departure and foundation for the juristic positions on which it issues fatwas. Through this adoption, it seeks to secure the great benefits and interests that the juristic movement has realized throughout Islamic history, foremost among them:

1. Safety before Allah the Mighty and Majestic on the Day of the Great Reckoning, so that we do not alter or change anything in Allah’s religion without His leave.

2. Realizing moderation, which is among the foundations of the Islamic Sharīʿah and one of the distinguishing features of this vast juristic legacy.

3. Safety from inconsistent opinions and anomalous views that cause disorder in intellectual and practical life.

4. Ensuring discipline in the issuance of fatwas and reducing unproductive disagreement as far as possible.

5. Helping muftis arrive at the Sharīʿah rulings by the easiest route. A lifetime would not suffice for a mufti who sought to exercise full ijtihād on every question put before him, so drawing upon earlier jurists is the indispensable solution.

The General Iftaa` Department chose the school of Imam al-Shāfiʿī as the foundation and point of departure for fatwas in our blessed land, for two reasons:

First: it is the most widespread school in our country throughout history, and taking account of the majority is an objective of the Sharīʿah.

Second: it is a moderate school that combined the principles of the school of ḥadīth and that of considered opinion. It produced juristic conclusions that have been, and remain, a means of serving the interests of the Ummah and uniting its word. Although this quality is found in the other schools as well, the school of Imam al-Shāfiʿī took the lead in it.

The Department’s commitment to issuing fatwas according to the Shāfiʿī school does not mean complete taqlīd (to follow the opinion of a scholar without knowing the evidence on which it is based) to the conclusions of the school’s jurists. Rather, the Department has an advanced approach to benefiting from the full range of positions of all the schools, within the following parameters:

1. New contemporary issues (nawāzil). If a matter concerns a new development of the age not addressed in the jurists’ rulings, or is a general matter affecting society or the entire Ummah, whether in financial transactions, medical issues, or other areas, the Department must prepare dedicated studies examining it in light of the Sharīʿah evidence and legal maxims, and weighing benefits against harms. It arrives at a Sharīʿah ruling that is presented to the Iftaāʾ Board for deliberation, leading to a formal decision on the matter.

2. Where the Shāfiʿī position no longer suits changed circumstances. If the Shāfiʿī position on a particular question does not suit changes of time, place, and the circumstances surrounding the questioner, for example where it would cause severe hardship or extreme difficulty, or where the underlying reason for which the Shāfiʿī jurists stipulated the position has changed, or where new scientific information or facts call for revisiting the juristic choice, in all these cases the Department re-examines the question in light of the legal maxims and the objectives of the Sharīʿah. It draws on the conclusions of all the Islamic schools to reach the ruling closest to the Sharīʿah’s objectives.

3. Personal status matters. In matters such as marriage, divorce, child custody, and inheritance, the Department relies on the Jordanian Personal Status Law and does not depart from it, so as to avoid any conflict between the Iftaāʾ institution and the Sharīʿah judiciary in the Kingdom. The law draws on the conclusions and opinions of Muslim jurists, selected on sound Sharīʿah principles and criteria by specialized committees.

Thus, the esteemed muftis handle the questions that reach them from the public through various channels, within a graduated sequence and a precise mechanism. It begins by determining which of the above categories the question falls under, and ends with the answer reaching the questioner as quickly as possible. Where delay occurs, it is only because of the detailed study the Department undertakes for dozens of questions each day. A mufti who knows that he is answerable before Allah the Mighty and Majestic for every word he writes will undoubtedly prefer deliberation and care over haste and hurried judgment.

And Allah is the Granter of success.

  

Summarized Fatawaa

Is it permissible for a woman to observe voluntary fast without her husband's permission?

A woman is not permitted to observe a voluntary fast (nafl) while her husband is present without his permission.

What is the ruling on one who wiped over his leather socks (*khuff*) while resident and then traveled, or wiped while traveling and then became resident? And likewise, what is the ruling on one who incurred a minor ritual impurity (*ḥadath aṣghar*) while resident, then traveled and wiped while traveling?

 

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
Whoever wipes over his leather socks (khuffayn) while resident and then travels, or wipes while traveling and then becomes resident, before a day and a night have passed in both cases, completes the wiping period of a resident. If he wipes while resident and then travels after a day and a night have passed, he must remove the socks, because the period has ended. Likewise, if he wipes while traveling and then becomes resident after a day and a night have passed, he must remove them as well.
Whoever breaks his wuḍūʾ while resident and then wipes while traveling takes the ruling of a traveler as regards the duration of wiping, so long as he does not become resident. It is stated in ʿUmdat al-Sālik wa ʿUddat al-Nāsik (Vol.1/p.15): “If he wipes over both [socks] or one of them while resident and then travels, or wipes while traveling and then becomes resident, or doubts whether he began the wiping while traveling or while resident, he completes only the wiping period of a resident. But if he broke his wuḍūʾ while resident and wiped while traveling, he completes the period of a traveler, whether or not the full time of a prayer had passed over him while resident.” And Allah Almighty knows best.

What is the ruling on a person in a state of major impurity (junub) walking or eating before performing the ritual bath?

It is from the Sunnah for a Muslim to hasten to perform the ritual bath for major impurity. However, if he delays it, he does not sin provided he does not miss the prayer. It is permissible for the junub to walk, eat, drink, and sleep. It is recommended for him to perform ablution before these actions to reduce the state of impurity, although the best is for him to perform the ritual bath. And Allah the Almighty knows best.

Is it permissible for a pious Muslim woman to stay with her husband who had quit praying out of laziness?

Quitting prayer is one of the major grave sins that come after disbelieving in Allah, but the wife of such a person isn`t considered divorced, rather, she should exert all her efforts in order to bring him back to the way of Islam. However, if his sin is likely to lure her from the way of Islam, then she had better separate from him by lawful means such as Mokhal`aa (When a wife pays a compensation for her husband in return for divorcing her). Moreover, if she exercises patience, and remains steadfast on her faith, then there is no harm in doing that.

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