عربي
Home


Resolutions of Iftaa' Board


Resolutions of Iftaa' Board

Resolution No.(124): “The Penalty Clause in Debts“

Date Added : 27-10-2015

 

Resolution No.(124),(11/2008): “The Penalty Clause in Debts“

Date:29/11/1429 AH, corresponding to 27/11/2008 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 seventh session held on the above given date, the Iftaa` Board reviewed the penalty clause stated in some of the contracts that it had reviewed.

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

Giving the creditor the power to receive pecuniary charge and to claim it in case the debtor failed to repay him is called the penalty clause. This provision is invalid and renders the contract invalid, because it is from the Riba (usury/interest) of Jahilliyaah (the days and traditions of ignorance), and it is forbidden as stated in the Holy Quran. Whereas, Allah Says (what means): “but God hath permitted trade and forbidden usury.” (Al-Baqarah/275).

Receiving a pecuniary charge from the debtor in case of delay in payment is tantamount to stipulating it upon the conclusion of the contract. This is because it is the kind of Riba that the Arabs used to have at that time. They used to tell a debtor, “You either settle the debt, or add an interest.” {Kindly refer to Tafseer At-Tabari vol.3, pp.275}.

The penalty clause is an increase on the original value of the debt against delay in repayment. This increase is forbidden and invalid, whether it was stipulated in the contract such as the penalty clause, or was stipulated upon the deadline of the repayment.

Therefore, the penalty clause pertaining to debt settlement is parallel to acknowledging Riba upon concluding the contract, and this is forbidden in Islamic Sharia. And Allah Knows Best.

 

Chairman of the Iftaa` Board, the Grand Mufti of Jordan/ Dr. Nooh Al-Qodat

Vice Chairman of  the Iftaa` Board, Dr. Ahmad Hilayel/ Member

Sheikh Abdul-Kareem Al-Khsawneh/Member

Dr. Sa`eid Hijjawi/  Member

                   Dr. Mohammad Khair Al-Essa/ Member

                                                              Judge Sari Attieh/ Member

          Dr. Abdurahman Ibdaah/ Member

       Dr. Mohammad Oklah/ Member

               Dr. Abdunnasser Abulbasal/ Member

                                            Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalayleh/ Executive Secretary of the Iftaa Board        

 

Decision Number [ Previous | Next ]


Summarized Fatawaa

What is the ruling on undoing braids of hair during the ritual bath?

It is not a condition to undo braids if the water reaches all the hair and penetrates to its base. If the water does not reach except by undoing the braids, then it is obligatory to undo them for the water to reach. And Allah the Almighty knows best.

What is the ruling on eating from one`s Udhiyah?

In the Name of Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
The Udhiyah (sacrificial offering) is divided into two categories: the vowed sacrifice (Al-Mandhurah) and the voluntary sacrifice (Al-Tatawwu').
 
First: The Vowed Sacrifice (Al-Mandhurah)
This refers to a sacrifice that has become strictly obligatory due to a formal vow (Nadr). It is completely impermissible for the person offering it, or any members of their family whom they are financially obligated to maintain, to eat any of its meat or fat. Furthermore, it is unlawful for them to personally benefit from its hide, wool, or any other part of it. If they happen to eat any portion of it, the offerer is legally obligated to give an equivalent amount of meat or its monetary value to charity. (As noted in Tuhfat al-Muhtaj by Imam Ibn Hajar al-Haytami,Vol. 9/P.364).
 
Second: The Voluntary Sacrifice (Al-Tatawwu’)
This is a recommended, non-obligatory sacrifice. The person offering it is fully permitted to eat from its meat, distribute portions as charity to the poor, and give pieces as gifts to those who are well-off. However, it remains a mandatory requirement to donate at least a minor portion of it to charity; this should not be less than approximately half a kilogram of raw, uncooked meat. And Allah the Almighty Knows Best.

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.

Does sacrificing one sheep avail for the entire household?

In the Name of Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
Offering an Udhiyah (sacrificial offering) is a communal Sunnah (Sunnah Kifayah) for members of the same household, provided that their financial maintenance is undertaken by a single provider. By "communal Sunnah," we mean that when one person performs it, the religious recommendation is fulfilled on behalf of the entire household, though the spiritual reward itself belongs uniquely to the one who offered it.
 
Therefore, if any member of the household performs the sacrifice—even if it is someone who is not legally responsible for the household's expenses, such as the wife or one of the children—the recommendation is fulfilled for everyone in that home. However, the reward does not automatically extend to the other members unless the person offering the sacrifice explicitly intends to share the reward with them—similar to how performing a funeral prayer (Janazah) fulfills the communal obligation for everyone, yet the specific reward is earned by those who actually prayed.
 
Additionally, a single sacrifice is sufficient for a man who is married to more than one wife. And Allah the Almighty Knows Best.

See More