Resolutions of Iftaa' Board



Resolutions of Iftaa' Board

Resolution No.(329): "Ruling on Exchanging a Waqf "

Date Added : 09-07-2025

Resolution No.(329) (5/2025) "Ruling on Exchanging a Waqf "

Date (27/Dhul-Hijjah/1446 AH), corresponding to (23/6/2025 CE)

 

All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, and peace and blessings be upon our Master Muhammad, and upon his family and companions.

In its fourth session held on the above date, the Board of Iftaa, Research and Islamic Studies considered the letter sent from His Excellency the Minister of Awqaf (Endowments), Islamic Affairs and Holy Sites, Dr. Muhammad Al-Khalayleh. The letter stated: "Attached herewith is a copy of the Awqaf Board`s Resolution No. (4/3/205) (20/3/2025 CE), regarding the request submitted by the heirs of M. H. to exchange the roof of the fuel station on which the Abu Al-Anbiya' Mosque (peace be upon him) is built, located on plot number (115), basin number (45) of Al-Humraniya lands in Amman, with plot number (972), basin number (44) of Umm Suwaywinah lands in Amman. This is due to reasons related to the disapproval of the relevant authorities to renew the license for the station, which is in violation of the regulations, and the mosque's location on top of the station's fuel tanks. I request a clarification of the Sharia opinion regarding the issuance of a document for exchanging the Waqf."

After research, study, and deliberation, the Board resolved the following:

The established principle among jurists is that a Waqf (An endowed property) may not be sold, gifted, or exchanged, because it has passed out of the ownership of the endower, and thus he is not permitted to dispose of it in any way that would nullify its benefit.

Furthermore, if land is endowed and becomes a mosque, thereby acquiring the status of a mosque (Masjidiyyah), it is not permissible to exchange it under any circumstances according to the majority of jurists, due to the permanence of its mosque status. However, some jurists permitted the exchange of a mosque if its intended benefits become impaired, such as it becoming too small for its community and impossible to expand, or due to the dilapidation of the area or neighborhood where it is located.

Accordingly, the Board, after careful consideration, views that, in order to achieve the benefit of the Waqf and the public interest, and to avert the harm and great danger to worshippers and frequenters of the mosque due to its location above a fuel station – a situation that could effectively negate its benefit – there is no sin in exchanging the Waqf. And Allah The Almighty Knows Best.

 

Chairperson of Iftaa` Board

Grand Mufti of Jordan,

Dr. Ahmad Al-Hasanat

Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalayleh/ Member

Prof. Mahmood Al-Sartawi/ Member

Dr. Zaid Ibrahim Al-Kilani/ Member

Sheikh Sa`eid Al-Hijjawi/ Member

Dr. Hasan Makhatreh/ Member

Judge Fares Foraihat/ Member

Prof. Adam Nooh Al-Qhodat/ Member

Prof. Amjad Rasheed/ Member

Dr. Waleed Al-Shaweesh/ Member

Dr. Mohammad Younis Al-Zou`bi/ Member

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Summarized Fatawaa

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.

What is the ruling on giving Zakah (obligatory charity) to one`s relatives?

It is impermissible to pay Zakah to one`s origins (parents and grandparents) because providing for them is an obligation on their branches (sons and daughters) if they were poor, but it is permissible to give some of the Zakah money to relatives whose provision isn`t due on the giver of the Zakah.

What is the recommended supplication (Du'a) upon breaking the fast, and is it recited before or after breaking it?

 
All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
It is recommended (Mustahabb) for a fasting person to recite upon breaking the fast—that is, immediately after eating or drinking—the supplication: "Allahumma laka sumtu wa 'ala rizqika aftartu" (O Allah, for You I have fasted, and with Your provision I have broken my fast).
 
This is because our master, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), used to say this. The narration was recorded by Abu Dawud with a good (Hasan) chain of transmission, albeit in a Mursal form (a narration where a Successor reports directly from the Prophet). Shaykh al-Islam Imam Ibn Hajar al-Haytami (may Allah have mercy upon him) stated: "Its Mursal status is inconsequential, as it pertains to virtuous deeds (Fada'il); furthermore, it was connected (Mawsul) through another chain of transmission." [Tuhfat al-Muhtaj, Vol.3/P.425]
 
It is also recommended to recite: "Dhahaba al-dhama'u wa ibtallat al-'uruqu wa thabata al-ajru in sha' Allah" (The thirst has gone, the veins are moistened, and the reward is confirmed, if Allah wills).
 
This was recorded by Abu Dawud with a good (Hasan) chain. Our leading jurists (Imams) have explicitly stated that it is recommended for the fasting person to combine both supplications.
 
Imam al-Bajuri (may Allah have mercy upon him) stated:
 
 
"And his saying following his breaking of the fast—that is, it is recommended to say: 'O Allah, for You I have fasted, upon Your provision I have broken my fast, in You I have believed, to You I have submitted, and upon You I have relied. The thirst has gone, the veins are moistened, and the reward is confirmed, if Allah wills. O You of vast bounty, forgive me. Praise be to Allah Who aided me so that I fasted, and provided for me so that I broke my fast. O Allah, grant us success in fasting, enable us to stand in night prayer during it, and aid us in it while people sleep, and admit us to Paradise in peace.'" [Hashiyat al-Bajuri, Vol.1/P.562]
 
Furthermore, the fasting person may supplicate with whatever good he or she wishes, for the supplication of a fasting person is answered. Al-Bayhaqi recorded on the authority of Anas ibn Malik that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Three supplications are not rejected: the supplication of a parent for his child, the supplication of a fasting person, and the supplication of a traveler." And Allah Almighty knows best.

What are the legal and religious consequences for a charitable organization in the event that a sacrificial animal is damaged or spoiled after slaughter?

All praise is due to Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
Charitable organizations entrusted with slaughtering sacrificial animals (uḍḥiyyah) and distributing their meat on behalf of their owners are obligated to safeguard the meat from spoilage, damage, theft, and any other harm. This is because such organizations act as agents (wukalā') on behalf of those offering the sacrifice, and an agent holds what is entrusted to them in trust (amānah) — whether they receive a wage for their work or act on a voluntary basis.
If the sacrificial animal is damaged after slaughter during the processes of packaging, transportation, or storage due to negligence or oversight — whether on the part of the organization's own staff overseeing the operation, or on the part of third parties contracted by the organization such as transport or shipping companies — then liability falls upon the negligent party, who is required to compensate for the value of the sacrifice. It is not permissible to cover such compensation from the organization's other donor funds.
However, if the damage to the sacrificial animal occurs without any negligence in its preservation and storage on the part of any party involved in the transportation, shipping, or storage process, and is instead attributable to force majeure circumstances beyond their control, then no financial liability is borne by any party in such a case. And Allah Almighty knows best.