Resolutions of Iftaa' Board



Resolutions of Iftaa' Board

Introduction by Grand Mufti Nooh Ali Salman Al-Qhodat

Date Added : 26-03-2024

Introduction 

 

All praise be to Allah, the Lord of all worlds, who said in His decisive Book: "So ask the people of the message if you do not know," and peace and blessings be upon our master Muhammad, who said: "Whoever Allah wants good for, He grants him understanding in religion." May Allah be pleased with the honorable companions, the pure household (Ahl al-Bayt), and the diligent scholars who continued the path after their Prophet, delivered the trust, spread the religion, educated the Muslims, and provided solutions to issues in accordance with the divine methodology they received from the Prophet, peace be upon him.

 

The Iftaa` Council in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan has been authorized to issue fatwas (religious rulings) on general issues, contemporary matters, and issues related to official entities. As for other matters, they are answered by the knowledgeable scholars based on the knowledge bestowed upon them by Allah.

 

The Iftaa` Law specifies that a number of scholars participate in this council due to their positions. This includes the Kingdom's Grand Mufti, the Mufti of the Jordan Armed Forces, the Mufti of the Capital, the dean of one of the Sharia faculties, a representative from the Ministry of Awqaf, Islamic Affairs and Sites, a representative from the Chief Justice Department, in addition to five reputable jurists known for their expertise in the scholarly circles.

 

Several esteemed scholars have taken turns as members of this council, where they discuss the presented issues and reach decisions through consensus or majority agreement.

 

Over the years, many issues related to people's lives have been addressed through these decisions. We wanted to gather and organize them, and present them in a printed book to facilitate reference and benefit for specialists, as well as to make it easier for students of knowledge to access them.

May Allah reward all those who participated in it with the best reward, have mercy on those who have passed away among them, bless the lives of those who remain, guide them, and make them beneficial for the Muslims.

And may Allah's blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and all his companions.

 

Grand Mufti, Dr. Nooh Ali Salman Al-Qhodat

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Summarized Fatawaa

Should a person feel pleased, or have a virtuous vision after offering Istikhara (guidance prayer) in order to do what he/she had offered it for?

The result of the Istikhaarah is not necessarily that a person sees something (in his dream), or feels pleased, but the most important result of the Istikhaarah is whether a person is enabled to do a given matter or not.

Is Zakah (obligatory charity) due on articles of merchandise even if they were stacked in the merchant`s stores for years?

Yes, Zakah is due on goods even if they were stacked in merchant`s stores for years, in this manner Islam struggle against monopoly.

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 of Islamic Law on obtaining financing from Islamic banks by bringing invoices in prior arrangement with the seller, then taking the cash after the financing is approved — with the purpose of settling debts and buying a car?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
It appears from the transaction described that its underlying purpose is to obtain cash through resorting to a legal artifice (ḥīlah/tawarruq-style trick), and it is not permissible to engage in such trickery or to coordinate with the various parties merely to obtain liquidity. This is because such artifices bring the sale closer in reality to a ribā-based (usurious) transaction, even if it outwardly appears otherwise.
The Prophet ﷺ said: "Do not commit what the Jews committed, thereby making lawful what Allah has made unlawful through the flimsiest of tricks." This was related by Ibn Baṭṭah in his book Ibṭāl al-Ḥiyal (p. 47), and many scholars have graded it as ḥasan (sound/acceptable).
We have already explained the impermissibility of engaging in such deceptive dealings with Islamic banks in Fatwa No. 516, so please refer to it. And Allah, the Exalted, knows best.