عربي
Home


Board of Ifta’, Islamic Studies and Research:



Iftaa' Department


          The Ifta’ Law number (60) of the year 2006, and the modifying Law number (4) of the year 2009 state that a Board is to be established in the Kingdom and called “Board of Iftaa’, Islamic Studies and Research,” and that the General Mufti (who is now Shaikh Abdel Kareem El-Khasawneh) is the Head of the Board. The following are members:

  1. One judge from the Religious (Sharee’ah) Appeal Court to be named by the Supreme Judge (presently: Judge Wasef Al-Bakry)
  2. One faculty member from a Sharee’ah College in one Government University in Jordan who is a specialist in Islamic Jurisprudence (presently: Dr. Muhammad Al-Qudhah)
  3. Mufti of the Jordanian Military Forces (presently: Dr. Yahya Al-Btoush).
  4. Mufti of the Capital Amman (presently: Dr. Muhammad Al-Zu’bi)
  5. One scholar from the Ministry of Awqaf  and and Islamic Affairs, who is a specialist in the sciences of Jurisprudence and to be named by the minister—presently, Dr. Muhammad Nouh Al-Qudha.
  6. Five scholars specialists in Sharee’h sciences, who are presently:
  • Dr. Ahmad Helayel, the Supreme Judge, Imam of the Royal Court
  • Sheikh Sa’eed Hajjawi
  • Professor Abdel Naser Abu El Basal
  • Dr. Muhammad Al-Khalayleh
  • Dr. Muhammad Khair ‘Eisa

All these are appointed by a decision of the cabinet based on the General Mufti’s nomination. It is a condition that each of them must be a well known scholar who has research and studies in Islamic sciences, and must have had a university degree in Islamic Studies since fifteen years as a minimum.

The Vice President

          The law states that the board elects from among its members a vice president. Presently Dr. Ahmad Helayel has been elected as Vice President.

Board Term

                        The board serves for four years that can be renewed.

            The board conceives the following tasks and rights

  1. Set the general policy of Iftaa’ in the Kingdom.
  2. Oversee general affairs that need Ijtihad, especially in matters that need research and study in jurisprudence doctrines, and issues referred to the department of Iftaa’ by any official party.
  3. Explain the religious stand on emerging issues of public affairs that need Ijtihad (to explain the religious stand on a matter), and on issues that need research and study in jurisprudence doctrines, in addition to issues referred to the department by any official party.
  4. Issue religious answers (fatawa) to questions referred to it.
  5. Revise any draft laws and regulations referred to the Board to determine the religious opinion.
  6. Review scholarly papers presented by Sharee’ah scholars recruited by the Board or by the General Mufti and in accordance with regulations issued for this purpose.
  7. Appoint Muftis in the Department and in governorates as nominated by the General Mufti
  8. The Iftaa’ Board assumes the authorities of the Cabinet in issues related to employees of the General Iftaa’ Department.

Terminating Membership

The membership of any member will terminate in the following cases:

  1. Death
  2. Resignation
  3. Absence from three successive meetings with no acceptable excuse.

Board Meetings and Decisions:

The Board meets once every month at least, and whenever needed, upon an invitation by its president—or the vice if absent. The meeting is legal if two thirds of the members attend with either the president or the vice president. The Board makes decisions by a majority vote and if votes are even, the president’s vote wins.

The Board Secretary:

The Mufti appoints one Mufti to serve as a secretary for the Board. Presently, the secretary is Dr. Jameel Abu Sarah.

 

 

Summarized Fatawaa

We collect funds from mosques and other sources, saying: "For the poor, the needy, widows, orphans, and those who do not beg insistently." After paying the stipends of the families registered with the Zakat Committee, an amount exceeding 6,000 dinars remained. Is it permissible for me to save it for upcoming months when I may not be able to collect the stipends?

These funds are received by the committee as representatives of the zakat payers to deliver zakat to those entitled to it. It is well-known that delaying zakat while being able to pay it is not permissible. Imam Al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "Zakat must be paid immediately if one is able to do so, by the presence of wealth and the eligible categories." [Al-Minhaj] Therefore, the committee must distribute the zakat to the eligible recipients without installment payments or using it to purchase material goods for them, as the committee does not have authority over the poor to allocate it in this way. And Allah Knows Best.

It was found out that a man divorced his wife for the third time in 2005, but they continued cohabiting as man and wife. However, when they realized that what they were doing was unlawful, they came the Iftaa` Department in 2009 and were told that they can`t be together. What is the position of Sharia on this couple?

All perfect praise be to Allah the Lord of the Worlds. May His peace and blessings be upon Prophet Mohammad and upon all his family and companions.
Her Iddah* period starts after the third divorce. As for the continued cohabitation, it is unlawful because being ignorant about the rulings of Sharia while in Dar Al-Islam* is no valid excuse. If a baby came as the fruit of this unlawful consummation of marriage, then a judge of Sharia has the final say in this regard because lineage is a serious matter. And Allah The Almighty Knows Best.
* ʿIddah: a specified period of time that must elapse before a Muslim widow or divorcee may legitimately remarry. The Qurʾān (Sura,2/verse,228) prescribes that a menstruating woman have three monthly periods before contracting a new marriage; the required delay for a nonmenstruating woman is three lunar months.
* Dar Al-Islam: designates a territory where Muslims are free to practice their religion, though this often implies the implementation of Islamic law, whereas Dar al-Harb represents those lands ruled by non-believers

What is the ruling on swearing a false oath by the Holy Quran?

Swearing a false oath by the Holy Quran dips the oath-taker in Hellfire, and one who had done so should turn to Allah in repentance, seek His forgiveness, give back rights to whom they belong, and pay the oath expiation.

What is permissible for the husband to do as far as having sex with his wife is concerned?

The couple are free to enjoy each other sexually provided that they don`t do it during menses. It is also forbidden for the husband to enjoy the wife from her anus.

See More