Resolutions of Iftaa' Board



Resolutions of Iftaa' Board

Resolution No.(318): "Ruling when the Donor Stipulates Replacing the Waqf with another"

Date Added : 08-01-2023

Resolution No. (318), By The Board of Iftaa, Researches and Islamic Studies:

"Ruling when the Donor Stipulates Replacing the Waqf with another"

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 the letter sent from His Excellency the Minister of Awqaf and Islamic affairs Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalayleh. It read as follows:

According to the Waqf deed presented by Mrs. X, she stipulated selling her endowed flat and building a mosque instead. A copy of this deed No.(1/93/5) (5/12/2006) issued by the Sharia Court of Shmesani area has been attached.

From an Islamic perspective, is the condition of this donor considered valid?

After deliberating, the Board decided what follows:

If the endower stipulated replacing the Waqf (Religious endowment) with another, through buying, selling or direct replacement, then this is approved on the level of fatwa and the judiciary based on the view of the Hanafi jurists who said that in such case the condition of the endower is considerable. It was mentioned in [Al-Fatawa Al-Hindiyah] and other Hanafi books: "If the endower said: "This land of mine is a Waqf for charity till the Day of Judgment provided that it is allowed for me to replace it with something else. It is considered a Waqf out of Istihsan (Application of discretion in legal matters) if the second Waqf was bought with the same price of the first. This view was also given in the book [Moheet Al-Sarkhasi]. Moreover, the second Waqf takes the same conditions of the first and there is no need to renew the conditions of the Waqf in the first place. This was also mentioned in [Fatawa Khadi Khan]. In addition, if the endower stipulated replacing the Waqf with another but didn`t specify that the latter should be a piece of land or a house and sold the first Waqf, then he/she is allowed to replace it with a Waqf of the same kind; a land  or a house. Similarly, if the donor didn`t specify a country, then the replacement may take place in the country of his choice. This view was mentioned in [Al-Kholasah]: "If the endower said that he/she should replace the Waqf with a house, then he/she isn`t allowed to replace it with a piece of land and vice-versa."

In conclusion, the Iftaa` Board is of the view that it is permissible to fulfill the condition of the endower, sell the abovementioned flat for the highest price, then use that amount to build a mosque instead. 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

Is it permissible to give multiple mudds (portions) of fidyah to a single person?

Yes, it is permissible to give multiple mudd of fidyah to a single person, because each day of fasting is considered an independent act of worship.

What is the ruling on applying perfume while fasting?

Applying perfume does not break the fast. However, it is better to avoid it, as fasting is a practice of simplicity and restraint, while perfume is a form of luxury.

What is the ruling on swallowing phlegm while fasting?

If a fasting person intentionally swallows phlegm, their fast is invalid, as it is possible to avoid it.
However, if they swallow it unintentionally, their fast remains valid.
Phlegm is impure and should be avoided.

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.