Resolutions of Iftaa' Board



Resolutions of Iftaa' Board

Resolution No. (317): "Ruling on Deducting the Expenses of Receiving Mourners from the Estate of the Deceased"

Date Added : 04-01-2023

Resolution No. (317): "Ruling on Deducting the Expenses of Receiving Mourners from the Estate of the Deceased"

Date: (21 Jumada al-Ula, 1444 AH), corresponding to (15/12/2022 AD).

 

Praise be to Allah the Lord of the Worlds. May His peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Mohammad and upon all his family and companions.

In its fifteenth meeting held on the above date, the Board of Iftaa` reviewed question No.(224170) sent to the electronic website of the Iftaa` Department. It reads as follows:

Are the expenses of hospitality for receiving mourners, such as dates, water, chairs, and the like, to be taken from the estate of the deceased?

After deliberating, the Board decided what follows:

Expenses for preparing the deceased for burial should be paid from the estate whether he/she left wealth or not. As of the debts, they should be paid off from the deceased`s estate if he/she left any. If he/she didn`t , then it is recommended for the heirs to pay off the debts to clear the deceased from liability before Allah.

Other hospitality expenses-rented chairs, dates, water, food-shouldn`t be deducted from the estate of the deceased save with the approval of the adult discerning heirs since the approval of the minor heirs isn`t considerable. Otherwise, such expenses are to be covered by those receiving mourners and treating them with hospitality. In fact, honoring mourners isn`t among the rights to be collected from the estate of the deceased. However, it is part of good character and the strongest form of dutifulness to the deceased. The evidence on this is that the Abdullah b. Umar reported Allah's Apostle (PBUH) as saying: "The finest act of goodness is that a person should treat kindly the loved ones of his father." {Transmitted by Muslim}.

In any case, we recommend economizing expenses of receiving mourners so as not to make things difficult for the family of the deceased and deprive them from gifting the reward of good deeds to the deceased. 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

Prof. Adam Nooh Al-Qhodah/ Member

Dr. Jameel Khatatbeh/ Member

Dr. Ahmad Al-Hasanat/ Member

Dr. Mohammad Younes al-Zou`bi/ Member

 

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Summarized Fatawaa

What is the ruling on performing the Istikhara prayer after the Witr paryer?

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
The Istikhara prayer (Prayer for seeking guidance) is a Sunnah. It consists of two units (rak’ahs) performed outside of the obligatory prayers, after which the person supplicates with the traditionally narrated du’a. It is permissible to perform it before or after the Witr prayer, as the Istikhara prayer is recommended at all times except during the disliked times—the periods in which prayer is prohibited. This is because its specific reason (the Istikhara and supplication) occurs after the prayer itself, and any prayer with a subsequent reason is not permitted during the prohibited times. It should be noted that the two rak’ahs of Istikhara are not fulfilled by performing only one rak’ah, nor by a prostration of recitation (Sajdat al-Tilawah), nor by a funeral prayer (Janazah). And Allah the Exalted knows best.

What is the ruling on eating or drinking during the second Adhan?

It is not permissible to eat or drink during the second Adhan because it announces the break of dawn and the obligation to start fasting. Allah Almighty says {what means}:"and eat and drink until you can discern the white streak of dawn against the blackness of night." [Al-Baqarah/187].
Whoever eats or drinks during this time invalidates their fast, and they must refrain from eating for the rest of the day and make up for the missed fast later.

 

Can a person required to give kaffarah feed it to their own family members?

The kaffarah must be given to the poor and needy who are not financially dependent on the one giving the kaffarah.
If a person feeds it to their own family members, it does not count as kaffarah, and their obligation remains unfulfilled.

What is the ruling of Islamic Law on selling gold or silver in installments or for a differed price?

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
It is prohibited (haram) to sell gold or silver in installments or for a deferred price; rather, immediate hand-to-hand exchange (Taqabud) is mandatory, otherwise, it is considered usury (Riba). The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: 'Gold for gold, silver for silver, wheat for wheat, barley for barley, dates for dates, and salt for salt—like for like, hand to hand. Whoever increases or asks for an increase has engaged in Riba; the receiver and the giver are the same in this regard.' (Narrated by Muslim). Furthermore, when exchanging new gold for used gold, they must be of equal weight, or it falls into Riba.
 
The permissible solution (al-makhraj) is for the merchant to purchase the used gold for cash first, and then sell the new gold for cash in a separate transaction. However, the price must be paid during the sitting of the contract (Majlis al-Aqd) for both deals. Alternatively, the jeweler may take the used gold with the intent of remodeling or repairing it, and then charge a fee for the craftsmanship or repair work. And Allah the Exalted knows best."