Resolutions of Iftaa' Board



Resolutions of Iftaa' Board

Resolution No.(311): "The Amount of Zakat-ul-Fitr for the Year 1443"

Date Added : 07-04-2022

 

Resolution No.(311)(6/2022) by the Board of Iftaa`, Research and Islamic Studies: 

"The Amount of Zakat-ul-Fitr for the Year 1443"

Date: 6/Ramadan/1442 AH, corresponding to 18/4/2021 AD.

 

 

Praise be to the Lord of all worlds. Prayers and peace be upon our Prophet, Muhammad, his family and all of his companions.

On its fourth meeting held on the above date, the Board reviewed the amount of Zakat-ul-Fitr for this year (1443AH), corresponding to (6/4/2022), and after deliberations, it decided the following:

Zakat-ul-Fitr is a religious obligation and a manifestation of social solidarity that characterizes our tolerant Sharia; particularly in the blessed month of Ramadan; the month of righteousness, charity, and kindness. Therefore, it is an obligation upon every Muslim who owns extra provisions beyond his need and that of his dependents during the day and night of Eid-ul-Fitr. In other words, one father should pay for himself and for whom he supports, even for his baby who is born before the sunset of the last day of Ramadan as well as his poor parents whom he supports.

Ibn `Umar (May Allah Be Pleased with him narrated: "Allah's Messenger (Prayers and peace be upon him) made it incumbent on all the slave or free Muslims, male or female, to pay one Sa' of dates or barley as Zakat-ul-Fitr." {Related by Bukhari}.

Abu Sa'id Al-Khudri (May Allah Be Pleased with him) narrated: “We used to offer it (Zakat-ul-fitr) during the lifetime of the Prophet (Prayers and peace be upon him) as one sa’ of food or one sa' of dates, or one sa' of barley or one sa' of raisins’’ {Agreed upon}.

Therefore, the amount of Zakat-ul-Fitr is one Sa` of food {Sa` is approximately equal to (2.5 Kgs.)} to be given from the common food of the country. In the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the common food is wheat since bread is the main ingredient in our food.Therefore, Zakat-ul-Fitr is (2.5 Kgs.) of wheat on every person. It is also permissible to give the value of this amount in cash.

The Board estimates the value of the Sa` from the common food in Jordan as (1800 F.), and whoever wishes to pay more shall have a greater reward from Allah The Almighty, especially in light of the difficult living conditions caused by the corona virus pandemic. Here, it is worth reminding that Allah Helps the servant as long as he helps his brother.

The preferred time for giving Zakat-ul-Fitr is between the sunset of the last day of Ramadan and the E`ed prayer. However, it is  permissible to give it from the beginning of Ramadan. It is the duty of every Muslim to observe this ritual (Zakat-ul-Fitr) for it purifies the soul from any indecent acts. Therefore, it must be given on behalf of the child, who isn`t obliged to fast as well as the sick who is unable to fast. Ibn ’Abbas (May Allah be pleased with them) narrated: "The Messenger of Allah (Prayers and peace be upon him) enjoined Zakat-ul-fitr on the one who fasts (i.e. fasted during the month of Ramadan) to purify him from any indecent act or speech and to provide food for the needy" {Abu Dawoud}. Giving it to the poor makes them self-sufficient on the day of E`ed. Therefore, a Muslim should give it willingly and kindly.

The Board estimates the ransom (Saum Fidyah) for breaking fast by those unable to fast due to old age or sickness (people exempted from fasting), as 1 JD at the minimum for each missed day, and whoever wishes to give more shall receive a greater reward from Allah The Almighty.

We pray that Allah The Almighty Accepts our acts of devotion and Erases our sins. And Allah The Almighty Knows Best.

 

 

Grand Mufti of Jordan, Sheikh Abdulkareem Al-Khasawneh

Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalayleh/ Member

Prof. Mahmoud Al-Sartawi/ Member

Sheikh Sa`eid Hijjawi/ Member

Prof. Amjad Rasheed/ Member

Dr. Jameel Khatatbeh/ Member

Dr. Majed Al-Darawsheh/ Member

Dr. Ahmad Al-Hasanat/ Member

Dr. Mohammad al-Zou`bi/ Member

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Summarized Fatawaa

Is it permissible for one to give the Zakah (obligatory charity) to his indebted brother?

It is permissible for one to give the Zakah to his brother if he was indebted, or poor.

What are the conditions for the validity of the slaughtering process according to Sharia?

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
Regarding the Sharia-mandated conditions for the validity of the slaughtering process (Adh-Dhabh), they are as follows:
 
The Identity of the Slaughterer: The person performing the slaughter must be either a Muslim or from the People of the Book (Christian or Jewish).
 
The Required Cuts: Both the trachea (windpipe/breathing passage) and the esophagus (food passage) must be completely severed.
 
Stability of Life: The animal must possess stable life at the start of the slaughtering process. This is identified by clear signs, such as vigorous movement or the forceful gushing of blood after the throat and esophagus are cut.
 
The Tool of Slaughter: The tool used must be sharp, capable of cutting or piercing by its edge and not by its sheer weight or blunt force.
 
And Allah the Almighty knows best.

What is the ruling of Islamic Law on making up missed voluntary prayers?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
It is recommended for a Muslim to make up any missed voluntary prayers — whether the regular Sunnah prayers (rawātib), the witr prayer, or his personal devotional routine (wird). As for voluntary prayers that are tied to a specific cause or occasion — such as the eclipse prayers (kusūf and khusūf) — these are not made up once their time has passed.
Shaykh al-Islām Imām al-Nawawī, may Allah have mercy upon him, stated: "The correct view in our school is that making up the regular voluntary prayers is recommended." [Al-Majmūʿ, Vol. 4/P.43] And Allah the Almighty knows best.

What is the ruling on someone who possesses gold with the intention of saving/hoarding it, and owns nothing else — is he obligated to sell a portion of it in order to pay the zakāh due on it?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
Zakāh becomes immediately obligatory on cash, and likewise on gold — that which is not designated for a woman's personal adornment— once both reach the niṣāb (minimum threshold liable for zakah) and a full ḥawl (lunar year) has passed over them. It is not permissible to delay payment when it is genuinely possible to pay — meaning, when the wealth and the eligible recipients are both available. It is stated in Mughnī al-Muḥtāj (Vol.2/p.129): "Zakāh is obligatory immediately once it becomes feasible to pay it, meaning when the wealth and the eligible recipients are both present."
The one paying zakāh must discharge the obligatory zakāh due on saved (hoarded) gold either from the gold itself, or from its equivalent monetary value, in the event that no other funds are available — since paying from the gold itself is the original default (al-aṣl). It becomes permissible to pay from other funds instead only because zakāh is built upon the principle of ease and leniency, as stated in Asnā al-Maṭālib (Vol.1/p.366): "When a full ḥawl has elapsed on wealth other than trade goods... zakāh attaches to the actual asset itself (al-‘ayn), and the poor effectively become partners in it — even, for example, [becoming partners] in camels through the value of a sheep [owed as zakāh on them]... Paying from other wealth is permitted only because zakāh is built upon the principle of ease and leniency."
Accordingly: the one paying zakāh must discharge it either from the actual saved gold itself, or by selling a portion of the gold equal to the amount of zakāh owed. He may also borrow money to pay the zakāh, or pay the zakāh in installments before the ḥawl is complete [as an advance payment]. And Allah, the Exalted, knows best.