Resolutions of Iftaa' Board



Resolutions of Iftaa' Board

Resolution No.(97): “Sharia Ruling on Bahai and Druze Sects“

Date Added : 02-11-2015

 

Resolution No.(97) by the Board of Iftaa`, Research and Islamic Studies:

“Sharia Ruling on Bahai and Druze Sects“

Date: 1/2/1427AH, corresponding to 1/3/2006.

 

 

Question:

What is the ruling of Islamic Sharia on the Bahai and Druze sects and the reasons for not recognizing them as two religions?

Answer: All success is due to Allah.

Islamic Sharia rests on values of tolerance, justice, and recognition of the other. It also promotes cooperation among different nations regardless of  creed, language, and faith. Allah The Almighty Says {What means}: “O mankind! Lo! We have created you male and female, and have made you nations and tribes that ye may know one another. Lo! the noblest of you, in the sight of Allah, is the best in conduct. Lo! Allah is Knower, Aware.” {Al-Hujurat/13}. This is the approach which the Prophet (PBUH) and his companions have followed when dealing with non-Muslims.  

As a result, they were granted complete freedom of faith, freedom to perform their religious ceremonies, and their places of worship were protected. Many provisions derived from the Quran and the Sunnah make protecting the rights of non-Muslims in a Muslim community an obligation. The Prophet (PBUH) was reported to having said: “Whoever harms a Dhimmi (a non-Muslim living in a Muslim community), he has harmed me” This Hadith was never narrated by any Muslim scholar. Ibn Al-Qayim said in his book [Al-Manar Al-Moneef, pp.98]: “This Hadith is fabricated”, so the following Hadith suffices as an evidence supporting the above idea: Safwan reported from a number of Companions of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) on the authority of their fathers who were relatives of each other. The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: ”Beware, if anyone wrongs a contracting man, or diminishes his right, or forces him to work beyond his capacity, or takes from him anything without his consent, I shall plead for him on the Day of Judgment.” {Sunan abi Dawood}.

 

Through Ijtihad {independent reasoning}, Muslim scholars have agreed that non-Muslims shall enjoy the same rights and duties of Muslims. However, since Islam is the seal of heavenly messages and Mohammad (PBUH) is the seal of all Messengers, and since the Bahai sect is based on the idea of believing in the prophecy of its founder (Al-Baha`), then recognizing it as a heavenly faith contradicts the creed of Islam and its rulings. 

As regards the Druze sect in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, they are treated on equal footing with Muslims based on the Ijtihad agreed upon by the Sharia courts which rule on basis of Islamic Sharia as stipulated in article (106) of the Jordanian Constitution. And Allah Knows Best.

 

Iftaa` Board
Chairman of the Iftaa` Board, Chief Justice, Dr. Ahmad Hilayel
Dr. AbdulMajeed Al-Salaheen
Dr. Abdulsalam Al-Abbadi
Dr. Yousef Ghyzaan
Dr. Wasif Al-Bakhri
Dr. Abdukareem Al-Khasawneh
Sheikh Sae`id Hijjawi
Sheikh Nae`im Mujahid

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Summarized Fatawaa

What is the ruling on giving the expiation of an oath (Kaffarat al-Yamin) to a charity that feeds the poor?

 

 

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.

It is allowed for a Muslim to appoint a proxy (agent) to distribute the expiation (Kaffarah) on their behalf. Our jurists have explicitly stated the permissibility of delegation (Tawkil) in the distribution of Zakat, Kaffarah, and vows (Nadr).

It is stated in Mughni al-Muhtaj (Vol.3/P.237): 'One has the right to pay the Zakat of their wealth personally... and they also have the right to delegate it.' And Allah the Exalted knows best.

Which is better for a traveler: fasting or breaking the fast?

Fasting is better, unless it causes hardship—in that case, breaking the fast is better.

Is a woman`s prayer considered invalid if non-Mahrams (marriageable men) saw her offering it?

A woman`s prayer isn`t invalidated if non-Mahrams saw her offering it, but she had better pray in isolation.

How should the sacrifice (udhiyah) be distributed?

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
It is obligatory to give the poor a portion of the meat from a voluntary sacrifice (Udhiyah al-Tatawwu’), which should not be less than approximately half a kilogram of raw meat. Other parts do not suffice for this obligation, such as the liver, tripe, or intestines.
It is Sunnah for the one offering the sacrifice to divide it into thirds: one-third for himself and his household to eat, one-third to be given as charity to the poor, and one-third to be given as a gift to friends and neighbors, even if they are wealthy. And Allah the Almighty knows best.