Resolutions of Iftaa' Board



Resolutions of Iftaa' Board

Resolution No.(121),(8/2008): “Proposed Amendments to the Draft Bill of Licensing and Regulating Artificial Insemination Centers“

Date Added : 02-11-2015

 

Resolution No.(121),(8/2008): “Proposed Amendments to the Draft Bill of Licensing and Regulating Artificial Insemination Centers“

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.

On the above date, the Board reviewed the letter of the Director of the Awqaf Funds Development Foundation, No.5/5/3/321, 19/2/2007 AH, 12/1/1429 AD, whereby he asked the Iftaa` Board to clarify the ruling of Sharia regarding the draft bill of licensing and regulating Artificial Insemination centers.

 

After thorough researching and deliberating, the Board made the following remarks:

 

First: Article (10), paragraph (1) which pertains to the regulations to be adhered to by the licensed center in accordance to the provisions of this law, and reads: “Technology aiding in giving birth is the only means for giving birth after having established that natural conception is impossible, for at least one year, unless there is a pre-diagnosis indicating that the woman is barren, then the couple don`t wait for that period.“ The Board recommends deleting this paragraph since it isn`t permissible to provide technical aid for giving birth in case it has been established that both spouses, or one of them is sterile. Islamic Sharia forbids confirming sterility makes giving birth without the interference of a third party impossible, and any external interference in such situation.

 

The draft bill of birth giving aiding technologies for the year 2007, article (13), paragraph (D) states: 

As regards medical technologies, the following is banned:

 

D- Aiding in giving birth in case sterility of either spouses or one of them was established.

 

Second: Article (14), paragraph (2), which pertains to the preservation of embryos and sperms, states: “ The preservation of embryos for no more than five years, and sperms for no more than ten years for future birth giving in favor of both spouses and in accordance with the regulations and decisions pertaining to this law.“

The Board views that these periods are long and recommends limiting them to the time when the fertilization process succeeds and a healthy baby is born. Thus, this paragraph should be as follows: “The mingled sperms, or embryos shall be preserved through a written request submitted by the concerned husband, as regards the sperms, and both spouses as regards the embryos until the fertilization process succeeds and a healthy baby is born as a result. Extra sperms and embryos are left unattended until they perish." And Allah The Almighty Knows Best.

 

Chairman of the Iftaa` Board, The Grand Mufti O Jordan, Dr. Nooh Salman

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

                    Sheikh Abdulkareem Khasawneh

 Sheikh Sa`eid Hijjawi

               Dr. Mohammad Khair Al-Esaa

                                                                   Judge Sari Attieh

       Dr. Abdulrahaman Ibdah

   Dr. Mohammad Oklah

               Dr. Abdulnassir Abu al-Bassal

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

 

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Summarized Fatawaa

What is the Sharia basis of the Udhiyah?

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
The Sharia basis of the Udhiyah (sacrificial offering) is firmly established through the Quran, the Sunnah, and the Consensus (Ijma') of the Muslims:
1. Evidence from the Holy Quran
Allah the Exalted says {what means}: "And the camels and cattle We have appointed for you as among the symbols of Allah; for you therein is good." [Al-Hajj/36]. He also says {what means}: "So pray to your Lord and sacrifice [to Him alone]" [Al-Kawthar/2]. According to the most well-known scholarly interpretations of this verse, "prayer" refers to the Eid prayer, and "sacrifice" refers to the slaughtering of the Udhiyah.
2. Evidence from the Sunnah
Al-Bara' bin 'Azib (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said: "The first thing we start with on this day of ours is to pray, then we return and sacrifice. Whoever does that has followed our Sunnah, and whoever slaughters before [the prayer], it is merely meat he has provided for his family; it is not part of the ritual sacrifice in any way" [Reported by Bukhari & Muslim].
Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: "The Prophet ﷺ sacrificed two white rams with horns. He slaughtered them with his own hand, mentioned the name of Allah (Tasmiyah), and said the Takbir" [Reported by Bukhari & Muslim].
3. Evidence from Scholarly Consensus (Ijma')
The Muslims have reached a unanimous consensus on the Sharia basis of the Udhiyah, and no one among the scholars has disagreed with this. [Al-Sherbini, Mughni al-Muhtaj, Vol.6/P.122].And Allah the Exalted knows best.

What is the ruling on X-ray imaging while fasting in Ramadan?

X-ray imaging itself does not break the fast. However, if a person ingests a contrast agent or medication to enhance the imaging process through an open passage to the body cavity (jauf)—such as the mouth or rectum—then their fast is invalidated.

Is it permissible to purchase the Udhiyah on installments?

It is permissible to purchase the sacrificial animal (uḍḥiyyah) on installments or by borrowing its price. However, it is not recommended for the poor to do so, because they are not required to offer a sacrifice, and Allah does not burden a soul beyond its capacity. If doing so would lead to negligence in providing for one's dependents (nafaqah wājibah), then giving precedence to obligatory maintenance over borrowing to buy the sacrifice is appropriate. This is based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): "It is sufficient sin for a person to withhold food from those whom he is responsible to support."
 
Furthermore, the sacrifice is valid from one who has a debt, but it is preferable (awlā) to repay the debt first, especially if the debt is due immediately (ḥāll). And Allah Almighty knows best.

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.