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Resolutions of Iftaa' Board

Resolution No.(215): ”Conditions that Permit Kidney Donation”

Date Added : 05-10-2015

Resolution No.(215), (5/2015) by the Board of Iftaa`, Research and Islamic Studies:

”Conditions that Permit Kidney Donation”

Date: 21/Ramadan/1436 AH, corresponding to 8/7/2015 AD.

 

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of The Worlds; and may His blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Mohammad and upon all his family and companions.

The Board of Iftaa`, Research and Islamic Studies reviewed, on its 7th session held on the above date, the questions concerning the permissibility of kidney donation.

After thorough study and deliberation, the Board decided the following:

Kidney donation is permissible so long as the Sharia conditions stipulated in this regard are met. Not only that, but the Board believes that a person who does so with the intention of doing good to a patient will receive a reward from Allah, The Almighty. Allah Says in this regard {what means}: “and if any one saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of the whole people.” {Al-Mai`dah/32}.

The Sharia conditions in this regard are:

First: The donor should have complete capacity, with making sure of his willingness to do so and that he isn`t being used; particularly if that person is a woman.

Second: It has been medically proven that the kidney transplant is a success and useful to the patient, and that the donor`s health won`t be jeopardized, because the Sharia maxim states: “Harm shouldn`t be eliminated with a reciprocal harm.” Therefore, specialized expert doctors must be sure with certainty about the success of this procedure in every case.

Third: There should be no material benefit behind this donation, and this should be ascertained through the medical, legal, and supervisory bodies. They have the right to confine the donation in accordance with the degree of kinship that they see fit. This depends on the facts that they arrive at, and what they see fit for making benefit and warding off harm.

Fourth: All other treatments and medical procedures have been tested. And Allah Knows Best.

 

The Iftaa` Board

The Grand Mufti of Jordan/ Sheikh Abdulkareem Al-Khasawneh/ Chairman

Vice-Chairman of the Iftaa` Board/Prof. Ahmad Hilayel

Dr. Hail Abdulhafeez/ Member        Sheilh Sa`id Hijjawi/ Member

Dr. Yahia Al-Botoush/ Member        Dr. Mohammad Khair Al-Esa/ Member

Dr. Wasif Al-Bakri/ Member                         Prof. Mohammad Al-Qodat/ Member

Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalayleh/ Member   Dr. Mohammad Al-Zo`bi/ Member

 

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Summarized Fatawaa

What is the ruling on waiving a debt owed by a debtor and counting it toward zakāh?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
Waiving a debt owed by a debtor, with the intention of counting it toward zakāh, does not fulfill the zakāh obligation. Rather, it constitutes an ordinary act of charity, for which Allah rewards the giver generously — since one of the conditions for the validity of zakāh is that the person paying it must form the intention of zakāh at the actual moment the wealth is paid out. In this case, the debt has already been established as a standing obligation upon the borrower, so it is not valid to simply redirect the intention toward zakāh after the fact.
It is preferable, instead, for the creditor to first collect the debt from the debtor, and then return to him the amount of money he is required to pay as zakāh — or a portion of it — if the debtor happens to fall under one of the eight categories that Allah, the Exalted, has commanded be given from zakāh.
It is stated in ‘Umdat as-Sālik, from the books of the Shāfi‘ī school: "If someone gives [money] to a poor person, stipulating that the recipient return it to him in payment of a debt owed to him, or says, 'I am making what you owe me into zakāh, so take it [as such]' — this is not valid. But if he gives it to him with the [unstated] intention that the recipient will use it to repay him, or says, 'Repay what you owe me, so that I may [then separately] give it to you as zakāh,' or the debtor himself says, 'Give it to me, so that I may [then] repay you with it' — this is valid, and there is no binding obligation for the recipient to actually fulfill this [informal understanding]." And Allah, the Exalted, knows best.

Which takes precedence: the 'aqīqah or the uḍḥiyyah?

All praise is due to Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
The 'aqīqah is an act of worship through which a servant draws closer to Allah the Almighty in gratitude for the blessing of a newborn child. It is a confirmed Sunnah for those who are financially capable, and Allah does not burden any soul beyond what it can bear.
However, the uḍḥiyyah takes precedence, as it is a confirmed Sunnah established from the Prophet ﷺ through stronger and more numerous narrations — indeed, the Ḥanafī scholars hold it to be obligatory. Furthermore, its time is narrow and limited, expiring with the passing of the days of Eid, whereas the 'aqīqah may be delayed until one becomes financially capable of performing it.
And Allah Almighty knows best.

What is the ruling on vomiting, and does it invalidate ablution?

Vomit is impure (najis). Its exit is not considered one of the nullifiers of ablution. However, the mouth must be washed and purified from it, and any that gets on clothing or the body must be washed for prayer, because prayer is not valid with impurity present on the body or clothing. And Allah the Almighty knows best.

Is it permissible to offer an Udhiyah on behalf of the deceased?

In the Name of Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
Offering an Udhiyah (sacrificial animal) on behalf of a deceased person is permissible. This is the official position of the Hanbali school (as stated in Kashshaf al-Qina’ by al-Bahuti,Vol.6/P.428) and was also upheld by the prominent Shafi'i scholar Al-’Abbadi (mentioned in Bidayat al-Muhtaj by Ibn Qadi Shuhbah,Vol. 4/P.358). It has likewise been narrated as a valid view among some Maliki and Hanafi scholars.
 
In fact, Imam Abu Dawud dedicated an entire chapter in his Sunan collection entitled, "Chapter on Sacrificing on Behalf of the Deceased." In it, he recorded a narration from Hanash, who said: "I saw 'Ali sacrificing two rams, so I asked him, 'What is this?' He replied, 'The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded me to offer a sacrifice on his behalf, so I am sacrificing on his behalf.'"
 
Imam Abu Dawud also narrated from Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "O Allah, this is from You, for You, and on behalf of Muhammad and his Ummah (community). In the Name of Allah, and Allah is the Greatest," and he then slaughtered the animal.
 
The textual evidence here lies in the fact that our Master, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), offered a sacrifice on behalf of his entire community—and it is well-established that his community includes those who have already passed away.
 
Furthermore, there is an abundance of sacred texts demonstrating that the rewards of righteous deeds reach the deceased. For instance, it is permissible to fast on behalf of a deceased person who passed away with missed obligatory fasts, and it is equally permissible to perform Hajj on their behalf, both of which are firmly established in authentic Hadiths. Therefore, if the reward of fasting (which is a purely physical act of worship) and Hajj (which is a joint physical and financial act of worship) can reach the deceased, then the reward of an Udhiyah reaches them with greater reason (by way of A Fortiori argument). This is because it is a purely financial act of worship, falling under the general category of charity (Sadaqah).
 
Additionally, scholars have reached a consensus (Ijma') that the rewards of charity reach the deceased, and since the Udhiyah is inherently an act of charity, it falls under the same ruling. Consequently, based on all the aforementioned evidence, we hold the view that offering a sacrifice on behalf of the deceased is entirely permissible. And Allah the Almighty Knows Best.

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