Resolutions of Iftaa' Board



Resolutions of Iftaa' Board

Resolution No.(133): “Ruling on Subscribing to Social Security”

Date Added : 27-10-2015

 

Resolution No.(133),(11/2009) by the Board of Iftaa`, Research and Islamic Studies:

“Ruling on Subscribing to Social Security”

Date: 1/8/1430 AH, corresponding to 23/7/2009 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.

During its third session held on the above given date, the Board reviewed the ruling of Sharia as regards subscribing to voluntary social security.

After thorough studying and deliberating, the Board decided:
Ruling on subscribing to social security was referred to the Board upon the making of the law pertaining to social security. At that time, the Board considered it permissible based on the following:
1- The Social Security Fund is part of the public treasury and giving money to it is a sort of donation or contribution to enrich that treasury which is beneficial to all Muslims.
2- In Islamic Sharia it is obligatory that the public treasury provides for the poor old citizen who can`t provide for himself. The Board mentioned what Umar (May Allah be pleased with him) said when he saw one of the people of the book begging. He said: “We haven’t been fair to you; we took Jizyah (a kind of tax) from you when you were young and didn`t provide for you when you got old”. Therefore, he ordered that he receives a maintenance from the public treasury.
3- Due to the fact that the public treasury can`t provide for every poor old person, the social security law was made. This means that the Social Security Fund is obligated to provide for every poor old person who subscribed to it when he was young. This subscription makes it lawful for  him (beneficiary) to receive a maintenance from that Fund.
4- When a citizen reaches the age of retirement and is given a salary from that Fund, if he is poor, then he is permitted to spend it on himself, but if he is rich, then he should give it to the needy.
5- The Board ascertains the content of its above resolution which was issued upon legislating the Social Security Law.

As a result, it is permissible to subscribe to voluntary social security within the aforementioned criteria. And Allah Knows Best.
    

 

Chairman of the Iftaa` Board, Grand Mufti of Jordan, Dr. Nooh al-Qhodat

Vice Chairman of the Iftaa` Board, 

Dr. Ahmad Hilayel

Sheikh Abdulkareem al-Khasawneh/ Member

Sheikh Sa`eid Hijjawi/ Member

Dr. Mohammad Khair al-Eesa/ Member

Judge Sari al-Ass`ad/ Member

Dr. Abdurahamn Ibbdah/ Member

Dr. Mohammad Okla/ Member

Dr. Abdunnasir Abulbasal/ Member

 

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Summarized Fatawaa

What is the virtue of performing ‘Umrah in Ramadan?

Ibn ‘Abbas narrated: "When the Prophet ﷺ returned from his Hajj, he said to Umm Sinan Al-Ansariyyah: ‘What prevented you from performing Hajj?’ She replied: ‘Abu So-and-so (referring to her husband) had two camels—he performed Hajj on one of them, and the other was used to irrigate our land.’ The Prophet ﷺ then said: ‘Performing ‘Umrah in Ramadan is equivalent to Hajj with me.’" [Narrated by Al-Bukhari]
The Prophet ﷺ also said: "An ‘Umrah in Ramadan is equivalent to a Hajj." [Narrated by Al-Tirmidhi]
For those who miss the opportunity to perform ‘Umrah in Ramadan, there are many other ways to earn great rewards. One of them is praying Fajr in congregation, then remaining in the mosque remembering Allah until sunrise, and praying two rak‘ahs.
The Prophet ﷺ said: "Whoever prays Fajr in congregation, then sits remembering Allah until the sun rises, and then prays two rak‘ahs, will receive the reward of a complete Hajj and ‘Umrah—complete, complete, complete." [Narrated by Al-Tirmidhi]

What is the ruling on performing dry ablution (tayammum) instead of the ritual bath due to severe cold?

Whoever is sick such that he cannot use water, or finds the water cold and heating it is not possible, and the person would be harmed by using cold water, it is permissible for him to perform tayammum. He must make up what he prayed with tayammum, because this is a place where there is water. And Allah the Almighty knows best.

What is the ruling on selling sacrificial animals (udhiyah) described with specific attributes and authorizing an agent to slaughter them?

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
Selling sacrificial animals (udhiyah) that are described with specific attributes is permissible. This falls under the category of a salam sale (forward sale) if conducted using the terminology of salam, and under the category of a regular sale if not using the terminology of salam.
 
As for authorizing the seller to slaughter the sacrificial animal, the basic principle is that it is permissible, because the agent (wakil) stands in the place of the principal (muwakkil) in achieving his objective. This is a contract that the principal (the buyer) is entitled to perform himself, so authorizing another (the seller) to do so on his behalf is valid.
 
However, it is a condition for authorization to slaughter that the intention (niyyah) is present either at the time of slaughter or at the time of handing over the sacrificial animal to the agent. The basic principle is that the sacrificial animal must be specifically designated, as it is an act of worship. It is not required to designate it at the time of slaughter; rather, it is valid to do so before that.
 
It is permissible for the principal either to delegate the intention to the agent or to formulate it himself when authorizing the agent to slaughter. However, the sacrificial animal must be designated, even if at the time of slaughter, by the agent.
 
It is obligatory to designate the sacrificial animals so that each person offering a sacrifice receives his own specific animal. Therefore, charitable organizations and companies must take this into consideration and establish a specific mechanism that ensures no mixing of sacrificial animals occurs, so that each person offering a sacrifice receives his own designated animal. And Allah Almighty knows best.

What is the ruling of Islamic Law on performing prayer on the upper floors of al-Masjid al-Ḥarām?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
Facing the actual structure of the Ka‘bah (‘ayn al-Ka‘bah) is one of the conditions for the validity of the prayer. The scholars have clarified what is meant by "the actual structure of the Ka‘bah."
Imam ash-Sharwānī (raḥimahullāh) said: "What is meant by its ‘ayn (actual structure) is its physical body, or the airspace directly aligned with it — if the person praying is not inside it. But if he is inside it, then the airspace alone does not suffice; rather, the actual physical structure must be faced, such that even if he faces a projecting part of it measuring roughly two-thirds of a dhirā‘ (cubit) or more, this would be sufficient." [Ḥāshiyat ash-Sharwānī ‘alā Tuḥfat al-Muḥtāj, Vol.1/P.484]
Sheikh al-Qulyūbī (raḥimahullāh) said: "Unlike one who prays outside it — i.e., outside the Ka‘bah — for him the airspace (directly above it) suffices, even if he is higher than it, or even if he is at the location where it (hypothetically) has been demolished." [Ḥāshiyat al-Qulyūbī ‘alā Sharḥ al-Minhāj,  Vol.1/P.154]
Accordingly, the prayer is valid on the upper floors of al-Masjid al-Ḥarām, even though these floors are higher than the roof of the Ka‘bah itself. And Allah, the Exalted, knows best.