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Resolutions of Iftaa' Board


Resolutions of Iftaa' Board

Date Added : 27-10-2015

Resolution No.(137),(2/2010):

"Ruling on Praying in the Mosque Sitting on a Chair"

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 following question:
What is the ruling of Sharia on praying in the mosque while sitting on a chair and the harm that could result from that on other prayer performers?
After thorough studying and deliberating, the Board decided what follows:
Prayer is one of the pillars of Islam and Allah has commanded Muslims to guard it. He Says (what means): "Guard strictly your (habit of) prayers, especially the Middle Prayer; and stand before God in a devout (frame of mind)." {Al-Baqarah/238}. 
Guarding prayer means that a Muslim is obliged to observe all its pillars and conditions such as standing, bowing down (Ruku`) and prostrating (Sujood). Muslim scholars have agreed that standing, for the person who is able to do it, is a pillar in obligatory prayer, and not observing it renders his prayer invalid. Therefore, one who offers obligatory prayer sitting on a chair while he is able to stand, his prayer is considered invalid.
However, Allah The Almighty Has Imposed no difficulties on His slaves. He says (what means): "And strive in His cause as ye ought to strive, (with sincerity and under discipline). He has chosen you, and has imposed no difficulties on you in religion; it is the cult of your father Abraham. It is He Who has named you Muslims, both before and in this (Revelation); that the Apostle may be a witness for you, and ye be witnesses for mankind! So establish regular Prayer, give regular Charity, and hold fast to God! He is your Protector - the Best to protect and the Best to help!" {Al-Hajj/78}. Allah Has Connected burdening His slaves with their capacity. He Says (what means): "on no soul doth God place a burden greater than it could bear" {Al-Baqrah/286}. In addition, Imran bin Husain: had piles, so I asked the Prophet (PBUH) about the prayer. he said: "Pray while standing and if you can't, pray while sitting and if you cannot do even that, then pray Lying on your side." {Bukhari}.
The above indicates that virtue is made from necessity, and that necessity is assessed according to its degree.
 Therefore, one who can pray standing isn`t permitted to pray sitting on a chair or the like, and the same rule applies to the rest of the pillars. However, if he has a sound reason to leave standing and sit on a chair, then this excuse doesn`t make it permissible for him not to offer Ruku` and Sujood in their proper manner while sitting. 
If he has a sound reason for not performing Ruku` and Sujood in a proper manner, then this excuse doesn`t make it permissible for him to leave standing and sit down on the chair. Rather, he is obliged to stand and sit on the chair while performing them.
What a praying person is able to do, he is obligated to do and what he is unable to do, he should do by nodding his head while sitting on the chair, but he should make the prostration lower than the bowing. This is based on the command of the Prophet (PBUH): "do what I command you to the best of your ability and capacity". {Bukhari}.
Al-Imam An-Nawai said: "Our fellow scholars said: not being able to stand isn`t a condition in inability, nor is experiencing the least hardship. What counts is evident hardship. So, if the praying person feared severe hardship, complications of an illness, or the like, or if he was afraid to drown when on board of a ship or become dizzy, then it is permissible for him to pray while sitting, and he doesn`t have to repeat the prayer." Al-Majmo`a (vol.4/pp.310). Kindly refer to the book {Nail Al-Ottar, vol.5/pp.202} for Al-Shokanii.
Some scholars said that inability means hardship that causes the praying person to lose humble submissiveness in his prayer. Imam Al-Haramain stated, "Inability that counts is when standing in prayer leads to hardship that causes the praying person to lose his humble submissiveness" {Al-Majmou`, vol.4/pp.310}.
However, if the praying person had no choice but to pray sitting on a chair, then he should make the rear legs of the chair aligned with the legs of the congregation. It is noteworthy that at the early stages of Islam, Muslims didn`t use to have chairs, so they should be used only when needed. Moreover, people praying sitting on chairs shouldn`t place them in the middle of the rows so as not to disturb the other prayer performers. It is better to place them at one end of the row, or at the back rows at the rear of the mosque. We prefer the rear end of the mosque in order to spare the praying persons the harm. We should note that these people who are praying sitting are following the Imam, even if there is a distance between them and the last row, because they are still in the mosque. Moreover, Muslim scholars have stated that their prayer is correct so long as they are in the mosque and following the Imam in every pillar of the prayer. And Allah Knows Best.

 

 

Chairman 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

                                                    Dr. Ahmad Al-Hasanat/ Executive Secretary of the Iftaa Board

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Summarized Fatawaa

Is it incumbent on a wife whose husband hasn`t gone to bed with her(for sexual intercourse) for many years to observe `Iddah(waiting period) upon his death?

Upon the death of the husband, a wife is obliged to observe the `Iddah even if he hadn`t slept with her because she inherits him.

Is it permissible for a father to divide his property amongst his children except one under the pretext that he has paid for the latter`s tuition? This is knowing that his other children were given the opportunity to pursue their education but didn`t because they were educationally poor. Moreover, is he allowed to give his other children who have helped him with growing his business?

All perfect praise be to Allah the Lord of the Worlds. May Allah`s peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Mohammad and upon all his family and companions.
The father should be just between his children as regards gifts, in case they had similar circumstances. However, if any had a special merit, then it is permissible for the father to take that into account to be just. For example, giving his children who have helped in making his fortune and received no reward for that or giving the little ones because they haven`t taken as much as the older ones or giving the sick child who is unable to make a living. The most important thing is achieving justice. Moreover, the father is not interdicted by any of his children, and he is free to do whatever he wants with his money and Allah will call him to account as regards observing justice between his children. And Allah The Almighty Knows Best.

A woman died at the age of ninety. Her living children are nine: two sons and two daughters. The youngest of her grandchildren, from her son who passed away one year before her, is aged thirty-two. Are these grandchildren entitled to the obligatory bequest although they are aged thirty-two and above?

All perfect praise be to Allah the Lord of the Worlds. May His peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Mohammad and upon all his family and companions.
A Muslim isn`t obligated to leave a bequest to his grandchildren whose father had passed away; rather, this act is recommended. Therefore, if he left a bequest whereby they get less than one third of the estate then Allah will reward him for that. However, if he left no bequest for them then they get nothing because their paternal uncles are alive and they are closer to the deceased and more entitled to inherit him. This is the position of the four schools of Islamic jurisprudence. However, the Personal Status Law didn`t adopt this position; rather, it gave them the same amount to which their father is entitled when alive but his father or mother are dead; provided that it doesn`t exceed one third of the estate. Therefore, we advise them (Grandchildren) to relinquish this share of the inheritance. If not, then we advise their paternal uncles to overlook the amounts taken from their shares and given to their paternal nephews. And Allah The Almighty Knows Best.

Is it permissible for the person who wants to travel from the United Arab Emirates to Jordan during the day in Ramadan to break his fast before leaving his country; knowing that he had embarked on journey half an hour after dawn?

Praise be to Allah the Lord of the Worlds.

The person who made the intention to embark on journey after dawn must observe fast for that day, because it became an obligation on him before engaging on journey. However, if he experienced unbearable hardship while on travel, then he is permitted to break his fast, but he must make up for the missed day. And Allah The Almighty Knows Best.

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