Resolutions of Iftaa' Board



Resolutions of Iftaa' Board

Resolution No.(53): “ Ruling on Awards Offered by the Islamic Bank in Accordance with a Particular Mechanism“

Date Added : 02-11-2015

 

Resolution No.(53): "Ruling on Awards Offered by the Islamic Bank in Accordance with a Particular Mechanism“

Date: 8/8/1422 AH corresponding to 24/10/2001 AD

 

The Board recieved the following question:

What is the ruling when the Islamic Bank offers incentive awards to clients, who have investment accounts, in accordance with a particular mechanism (volume of the account, duration, added sums, and stability of the account)? How can we define the relation between the above clients and the Islamic Bank in light of these awards: a contract or an independent initiative on the part of the bank? If it is a contract, is it binding or not?

Answer: All success is due to Allah.

The Board of Iftaa` is of the view that it is permissible for the executive board of the Islamic Bank to distribute cash or in-kind incentive awards on these clients, and to cover their expenses in Hajj (pilgrimage) or Umrah (minor pilgrimage) or the like, if it is entitled to do so, provided that these awards are covered from the bank`s own earnings.

Moreover, it is impermissible for the bank to cover these awards from the total of the investment profits because this entails giving a portion from the share of the owners of these accounts as a sort of contribution, and this is forbidden in Sharia because the Mudarib (bank) isn`t allowed to give from the money of the Mudarabah (co-partnership), except with the permission of the owners (clients who have investment accounts). If they allow that, then it is permissible for the bank to cover these awards from its overall profit. In this case, offering these awards is considered a donation/grant on the part of the bank, and becomes a binding promise if it had made an announcement about that earlier. In addition, it can`t be considered a condition in the Mudarabah contract between the bank and the owners of the investment accounts because some of them may receive awards; whereas, others may not.

In this case, the board of directors enjoys the authority to lay down the legal terms and regulations pertaining to giving these awards (volume of the account, duration, added sums, and withdrawals), and to determine the type of the investment account (savings, deferred etc.) eligible for that, whether to all clients or to some of them.

Moreover, it isn`t permissible for the bank to distribute these awards on the owners of credit accounts (current accounts) for there is a suspicion of Riba (usury) similar to the ruling on loans because every loan that leads to a benefit is unlawful.

Based on the aforementioned, it is obvious that the relation between the Islamic Bank and the investors in light of these awards isn`t contractual, rather, it is an individual initiative undertaken by the free will of the Bank`s Administration. And Allah Knows Best.

Iftaa` Board
Chairman of the Iftaa` Board, Chief Justice, Izz Al-Deen Al-Tamimi
            Dr. Mohammad Abu Yahia
           Dr. Abdulsalam Al-Abbadi
    Dr. Yousef Gheezaan
Dr. Wasif Al-Bakhri
   Sheikh Saeid Hijjawi
        Sheikh Na`eim Mojahid

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Summarized Fatawaa

Does passing wind, from the anus without a smell, invalidate prayer?

If a person is certain of having passed wind even if it was with no smell, then both his/her ablution and prayer are invalidated, thus he/she should remake ablution and re-perform prayer.

What is the ruling on the follower`s prayer if the Imam stands for a fifth rak`ah?

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
If the Imam stands up for an extra unit (rak‘ah) of prayer out of forgetfulness, he must return to the sitting position as soon as he remembers, and he should perform the prostration of forgetfulness (Sujud al-Sahw). It is the duty of the congregants (Ma’mumin) behind him to remind him. However, if the Imam is in a state of doubt regarding the extra unit (and not certainty), it is not permissible for him to return.
 
As for the congregants: anyone who is certain that the Imam has stood for an extra unit is forbidden from following him. In this case, the follower has two choices: either intend to separate from the Imam (Mufaraqah) and finish the prayer alone, or wait for the Imam in the sitting position and perform the final salams with him—the latter being the preferred option. If a follower knowingly follows the Imam into an extra unit, their prayer becomes invalid. However, if a follower is in doubt and not certain of the mistake, they must continue following the Imam, as the Imam was appointed to be followed.
 
It is stated in Al-Majmu’ (Vol.4/P.145): 'If [the Imam] stands for a fifth rak‘ah, the follower should not follow him, even if it is assumed that the Imam might have omitted a pillar from a previous unit; because if the reality is known, following him is impermissible since the follower has certainly completed their own prayer. Even if the follower had missed a previous unit (Masbuq) or was in doubt about performing a pillar like the Fatihah, and the Imam stood for the fifth, it is not permissible for the latecomer to follow him in it. This is because we know that this unit is not counted for the Imam and that he is mistaken in performing it.' And Allah the Exalted knows best.

What is the ruling on a person in a state of major impurity (junub) or a menstruating woman (ha'id) reciting the Quran from memory?

It is not permissible for a menstruating woman, a postpartum woman, or a person in a state of major impurity to recite anything from the Quran, whether from memory, from the Quran, from a phone, or a computer. It is also not permissible for them to touch the Quran, based on what was reported from Ali bin Abi Talib that the Prophet (peace be upon him) was not prevented from anything regarding the Quran except major impurity (janabah). (Reported by al-Tirmidhi who said it is a hasan sahih hadith). Menstruation and postpartum bleeding are analogous to major impurity (janabah) as they are all major impurities (hadath akbar).
For those mentioned, it is permissible to mention Allah and supplicate even with verses from the Quran, provided they do not intend them as recitation of the Quran, but intend them as remembrance (dhikr) or supplication (du'a). And Allah the Almighty knows best.

Is it permissible to combine and shorten prayers at home before traveling?

It is impermissible to combine and shorten prayers at home before traveling because a person is called a traveler once he/she departs the borders of his/her country, and offering prayer that way was originally intended to exempt a traveler. And Allah Knows Best.