Resolutions of Iftaa' Board



Resolutions of Iftaa' Board

Resolution No.(203): "Ruling on Giving the Imam and the Mo`azin a Bonus from the Revenue of an Endowment (2014)

Date Added : 05-10-2015

Resolution  No.(203) (13/2014), by The Board of Iftaa', Researches and Islamic Studies:

 "Ruling on Giving the Imam and the Mo`azin a Bonus from the Revenue of an Endowment (2014)"

Date: (25/Shawal/1435 A.H); corresponding to (21/8/2014 A.D)

 

All praise is due to Allah, peace and blessings be upon Prophet Mohammad and upon his family and companions:

The Board of Iftaa`, Research and Islamic Studies reviewed, in its tenth session held on Thursday (25/Shawal/1435 A.H)-(21/8/2014 A.D), the formal letter of His Eminence, the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Religious Endowments, and it reads as follows:

Would Your Grace clarify the Sharee`ah ruling on the permissibility of paying a monthly bonus to the Imam and the Mo`azin of Al-Bahir Mosque from the revenue of the stores located under it ?

After careful study and deliberation, the Board decided what follows:

There is no harm in paying a bonus to both from the revenue of this

blessed endowment (Waqf) in line with the condition made by the Waqif (Founder of the Waqf) mentioned in the enclosed document of the Waqf: “The revenue of this building is to be completely spent in favor of Al-Bahir`s mosque, and at the disposal of the committee in charge of it.”

In other words, the mosque`s committee enjoys the authority of determining the channels of disbursement that it believes to be in the best interest of the mosque. Accordingly, it is Islamicaly and rationally acceptable for the committee to regard paying the bonus as an apparent interest of the mosque`s since it encourages both of them to exert all their efforts in serving the prayer performers and delivering the message of the mosque honestly and sincerely through making use of being devoted and self-sufficient. Nevertheless, it is imperative that coordination is established with the Ministry of Religious Endowments in order to obtain the special permit since it enjoys the general guardianship over all the Awqaf (Endowments), and in order for this matter to be done in line with the blessings of the officials in charge and with complete honesty, Allah willing. And Allah Knows Best.

Head of the Iftaa` Board, The Mufti General of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, His Grace Sheikh Abdulkareem Al-Khasawneh.

Dr. Yahia Al-Botoosh/ Member

His Eminence, Sheikh Sa`ied Hijjawi/ Member

Dr. Mohammad Khair Al-Essa/ Member

Prof. Abduln`nassir Abu Al Bass`al/ Member

Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalayleh/ Member

Dr. Mohammad Al-Zou`bi/ Member

 

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Summarized Fatawaa

What is the ruling on giving Zakat al-Fitr in cash?

The default ruling is that Zakat al-Fitr should be given as the staple food of the land. In Jordan, for example, the staple food is wheat or rice, and the amount of Zakat al-Fitr is 2,500 grams per person. It is easy to give this amount of rice to the poor and needy, and this is the correct ruling according to all Islamic schools of thought.
However, Hanafi scholars have permitted giving Zakat al-Fitr as monetary value, considering it more beneficial for the poor and easier for the giver.

There are olive trees within the precincts of the mosque, and my father covers the costs of electricity, water, and other needs of the mosque. Is it permissible for him to take the olive harvest?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
If trees and fruit-bearing crops are planted in a mosque for the mosque itself, they may only be spent on the mosque’s interests. If they were planted for the public way (musabbalah), that is, for the general public, then any Muslim who enters the mosque may eat from them. If the planter’s intention is unknown, they are treated like those dedicated for public use, wherever custom has so run.
It is stated in Tuḥfat al-Muḥtāj (Vol.6/p.295): “The fruit of a tree planted for the mosque within it is not freely permitted without compensation. Rather, the imam spends its equivalent value on the mosque’s interests. The tree left its planter’s ownership here without any verbal declaration because of the evident indication. The case of planting it for the mosque excludes planting it as musabbalah, in which case eating from it without compensation is permissible, and likewise if his intention is unknown, where custom has so run. The tree may be uprooted from the mosque if the imam sees fit. Indeed, if he makes the plot a mosque while a tree stands in it, the imam may uproot it, even if the endower included it within the endowment (waqf).”
The father is a donor (mutabarriʿ), so he is not entitled to take anything in return for his donation to the mosque.
The Ministry of Awqāf is the body that supervises the affairs of endowments, so it must be consulted and the Sharīʿah and administrative instructions regulating such matters must be considered. And Allah Almighty knows best.

I`m a pious Muslim woman, but my husband isn`t, what should I do?

You should exercise patience, make supplication that Allah guides him to the straight path, and keep advising him kindly.

Does sacrificing one sheep avail for the entire household?

In the Name of Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
Offering an Udhiyah (sacrificial offering) is a communal Sunnah (Sunnah Kifayah) for members of the same household, provided that their financial maintenance is undertaken by a single provider. By "communal Sunnah," we mean that when one person performs it, the religious recommendation is fulfilled on behalf of the entire household, though the spiritual reward itself belongs uniquely to the one who offered it.
 
Therefore, if any member of the household performs the sacrifice—even if it is someone who is not legally responsible for the household's expenses, such as the wife or one of the children—the recommendation is fulfilled for everyone in that home. However, the reward does not automatically extend to the other members unless the person offering the sacrifice explicitly intends to share the reward with them—similar to how performing a funeral prayer (Janazah) fulfills the communal obligation for everyone, yet the specific reward is earned by those who actually prayed.
 
Additionally, a single sacrifice is sufficient for a man who is married to more than one wife. And Allah the Almighty Knows Best.