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 required of one who doubts the number of rakʿāt during prayer?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
If a person doubts the number of rakʿāt he has prayed, he should build upon the lesser number, as that is what he is certain of. He should then perform the prostration of forgetfulness (sujūd al-sahw) before the final salām at the end of the prayer. ʿAṭāʾ ibn Yasār narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "When any one of you is in doubt during his prayer and does not know whether he has prayed three rakʿāt or four, let him pray one more rakʿah and then perform two prostrations while seated before the salām. If the rakʿah he prayed was a fifth, these two prostrations will make it even; and if it was the fourth, then the two prostrations serve as a humiliation for the devil." (Reported by Abū Dāwūd.)
It is stated in al-Muqaddimah al-Ḥaḍramiyyah — one of the foundational texts of the Shāfiʿī school: "If one doubts whether he has prayed three rakʿāt or four, he is obliged to build upon the lesser number."
However, if such doubt recurs repeatedly and reaches the level of obsessive whispering (waswasah), he should not build upon the lesser number in that case — rather, he should build upon the greater number. And Allah the Almighty knows best.

What is the ruling on making up the regular *rawātib* (sunnah) prayers together with a missed obligatory prayer?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
It is obligatory to make up (qaḍāʾ) a missed obligatory prayer (farḍ). As for the timed supererogatory prayers (al-sunan al-muʾaqqatah) or the regular rawātib prayers, it is recommended (mandūb) to make them up, even if a long time has passed. Ibn Ḥajar (may Allah have mercy on him) said in his Fatāwā: "It is established in our school that it is sunnah to make up the timed voluntary prayers, by night or by day, even if congregation is not prescribed for them, whether much time has passed or little."
Accordingly, it is recommended to make up the sunan together with the obligatory prayer. And Allah Almighty knows best.
________________________________________
Note on terminology: Al-nawāfil al-muʾaqqatah (timed voluntary prayers) refers to supererogatory prayers tied to a specific time or cause, such as the rawātib (regular prayers before and after the obligatory ones), Duha, and the like. The ruling given here reflects the Shāfiʿī position.

Does smoking break the fast?

Yes, smoking breaks the fast because smoke particles intentionally enter the lungs, which are considered part of the body cavity (jauf).

What is the ruling on swallowing phlegm while fasting?

If a fasting person intentionally swallows phlegm, their fast is invalid, as it is possible to avoid it.
However, if they swallow it unintentionally, their fast remains valid.
Phlegm is impure and should be avoided.