Resolutions of Iftaa' Board



Resolutions of Iftaa' Board

Resolution No.(136): “Ruling on Taking Stimulants in Sport"

Date Added : 27-10-2015

Resolution No.(136),(1/2010): “Ruling on Taking Stimulants in Sport"

Date: 25/3/1431 AH, corresponding to 11/3/2010 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 first session held on the above given date, the Board reviewed the question pertaining to the ruling of Sharia on taking stimulants in sport.

After thorough studying and deliberating, the Board arrived at the following:

The general provisions of Islamic Sharia demand preserving the five necessities: religion, life, property, the mind and progeny. Therefore, taking stimulants by athletes is forbidden for the following evidences:

First: The most elevated motto in sport is straightening the body, warding off harm from it and showing its points of strength and energy. It is permissible to practice sport for recreational purposes so long as it is done within the limits prescribed in Sharia. It has been proven that the Prophet (PBUH) raced his wife Aisha (May Allah be pleased with her), wrestled with a disbeliever called Rukanah, rode horses and camels…etc.

Second: Upon considering the benefits and repercussions of taking these stimulants, we realize that they are absolutely of no use to the person taking them, as they lead to damaging his body and mind. In principle, one`s body should be strong and energetic, but once stimulants enter it they turn benefit into harm; therefore, using them contradicts with the general rules of Islamic Sharia which stipulate warding off harm.

Third: One of the rules of Sharia states that whatever is proven harmful to be forbidden as a result, and this applies to these stimulants. Provisions from the Quran and the Sunnah have clearly forbidden some substances that inflict harm on the body, the religion and the society, such as wine. Other substances were forbidden on basis of the negative repercussions resulting from taking them.

Fourth: Stimulants in sport represent an act of aggression against the divine natural disposition upon which Allah has created man; they harm his health and change the nature of his body. Allah, The Almighty, Says (What means): “I will mislead them, and I will create in them false desires; I will order them to slit the ears of cattle, and to deface the (fair) nature created by God.” {An-Nisa`/119}. Changing Allah`s Creation includes every act that leads to changing man`s image.

Fifth: Taking stimulants in sport leads to many chronic, incurable and fatal diseases, and Allah, The Almighty, Has Forbidden that a person kills himself. Whereas, He Says (what means): “O ye who believe! Eat not up your property among yourselves in vanities: But let there be amongst you Traffic and trade by mutual good-will: Nor kill (or destroy) yourselves: for verily God hath been to you Most Merciful.” {At-Tawbah/119}. Also, the Prophet (PBUH) said: “Whoever cheats, he is not one of us." {Muslim}.

Sixth: Taking simulants give the athletes who uses this kind of drugs a fake appearance and to be in shape while he is not and this is considered turning lies to facts. Since, in this regard, Allah, The Exalted Ordered us to avoid lying and deceit whereas He Said (What means): "O ye who believe! Be careful of your duty to Allah, and be with the truthful." [At-Tawbeh/119], as well as, The Prophet (PBUH) said (What means): "And he who treats us dishonestly does not belong to us.” [Related by Moslim].

Seventh: This ruling is in conformity with the international laws and regulations, which ban using such stimulants. And Allah, The Almighty Knows Best.

 

Chairperson of the Iftaa` Board, Grand Mufti of Jordan, Dr. Abdulkareem Al-Khasawneh

Vice Chairman of the Iftaa` Board,

                                                          Dr. Ahmad Hilayel

                                                          Dr. Yahia al-Botoosh/ Member

                                                          Sheikh Sa`eid Hijjawi/ Member

          Dr. Mohammad Khair al-Eesa/ Member

                                                          Judge Sari Atieh/ Member

 Dr. Abdurahamn Ibbdah/ Member

                                                          Dr. Mohammad Okla/ Member

     Dr. Abdunnasir Abulbasal/ Member

           Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalayleh/ Member

           Dr. Mohammad al-Gharaibeh/ Member

 

Decision Number [ Previous | Next ]


Summarized Fatawaa

What is the ruling on congratulating others on the arrival of Ramadan?

Congratulating others on the arrival of Ramadan is permissible.
If someone does it to express their love for worship and the blessings of Ramadan, and congratulates their fellow Muslim, they have done something good.
The Prophet ﷺ said: "Shall I not tell you something that, if you do it, you will love one another? Spread peace (Salam) among yourselves." [Narrated by Muslim]
Giving Salam is a prayer for peace and safety.

What should one do if they see someone deliberately eating or drinking openly during Ramadan?

They must enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong. If they fear harm from that person, they should disapprove of it in their heart but avoid sitting with them if possible. It is also preferable to seek the help of the authorities to prevent them from doing so.

What is the ruling of Islamic Law regarding one who slaughters a ewe and it turns out to have been pregnant, and is it permissible to slaughter the ewe if one knows it is pregnant?

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
If a person slaughters a ewe and it turns out to have been pregnant, the fetus becomes lawful (ḥalāl) by virtue of its mother's slaughter (tabaʿan li-ummihā).
It is stated in Mughnī al-Muḥtāj (Vol.6/P.158): "A fetus found dead [after the mother's slaughter], or found alive but in a state resembling that of a slaughtered animal [i.e., dying shortly after], becomes lawful — whether or not it had grown fur — provided it is found in the womb of a mother that was lawfully slaughtered, whether her slaughter was by cutting the throat, or by an arrow or hunting dog sent after her. This is based on the ḥadīth: 'The slaughtering of the fetus is [effected by] the slaughtering of its mother' [narrated by al-Tirmidhī, who graded it ḥasan, and by Ibn Ḥibbān, who graded it ṣaḥīḥ] — meaning that the slaughter which rendered the mother lawful renders the fetus lawful as well, by virtue of following her; and because the fetus is one of her constituent parts, and her slaughter renders lawful all of her parts."
This ruling differs, however, from the case of one who knows from the outset that the ewe is pregnant [and intends to sacrifice her specifically as the udḥiyah while pregnant] — in which case, according to the Shāfi'ī school, she does not fulfill the requirement of a valid sacrifice.
It is stated in Ḥāshiyat al-Bujayrimī 'alā al-Khaṭīb (Vol.4/P.335): "A pregnant animal does not fulfill the requirement [of a valid sacrifice], and this is the authoritative position (al-mu'tamad), because pregnancy diminishes the quality of the meat. As for why such an animal is nevertheless counted as complete [i.e., fully valid] in matters of zakāh, that is because the intent there is reproduction (nasl), not the quality of the meat.". And Allah, the Most High, knows best.

What is the ruling of Islamic Law on participating in the prize draws (raffles) that commercial stores hold for their customers?

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
There is no objection to participating in the prize draws (raffles) that commercial stores hold for their customers, provided that the buyer's intention in purchasing is not merely to enter the competition without any need for what is bought — rather, the purchase must be genuinely intended for the item itself, and one must not pay more than the item's fair market price. This is because paying an amount above the market price would effectively be paying a fee to enter the prize draw, which would render it a form of gambling (qimār).
These prizes are, in essence, gifts that businesses offer through a random drawing (qur'ah) to those who purchase from them, as a means of encouraging sales, without the customer bearing any additional monetary cost for participation. So long as the aforementioned conditions are met, there is no objection to benefiting from the prize offered by the store, as it is considered a lawful prize from the viewpoint of Islamic Law.
It is stated in the resolutions of the "Jordanian Iftaa' Board" (Resolution No. 47), in the context of outlining the conditions for permissible prizes: "The price of the ticket [or item purchased] for the sake of the prize must not exceed its original price, so that there is no payment of money in exchange for participation in the draw." And Allah, the Most High, knows best.