Resolutions of Iftaa' Board



Resolutions of Iftaa' Board

Resolution No.(143) (8/2010): "Ruling on Commissions Charged by Brokers In Money Laundering Operations"

Date Added : 02-11-2015

 

Resolution No.(143) (8/2010) by the Board of Iftaa`, Research and Islamic Studies:

"Ruling on Commissions Charged by Brokers In Money Laundering Operations"

Date: (7/5/1431 A.H), corresponding to (22/4/2010)AD.

 

 

All praise be to Allah, peace and blessings be upon Prophet Mohammad and upon his family and companions:

During its fourth session held on the above given date, the Board reviewed the following question:

What is the ruling on commissions charged by brokers in money laundering operations that take place in certain countries, and with their approval ?

After careful study and deliberation, the Board decided what follows:

“Money Laundering” is to transform illegally obtained gain into seemingly legitimate funds in order to hide its origin so that it looks as if it comes from a legitimate business. 

Money laundering is prohibited in Islamic Sha`ree`ah, because the money itself comes from an illegitimate source such as usury, gambling, drugs and wines, so the resulting profit is ill-gotten. Allah Says in the Holy Quran, (What means): “O ye who believe! Eat not up your property among yourselves in vanities: But let there be amongst you Traffic and trade by mutual good-will: Nor kill (or destroy) yourselves: for verily God hath been to you Most Merciful!” {An-Nis`sa/29}. This verse clarifies that it is wrong for a Muslim to waste a property whether it was in his name, or belongs to the community, or to the people over whom he has control. A Muslim is allowed to increase property by economic use (traffic and trade). We must be careful of our own and other people`s lives and commit no violence. Our violence to our own brethren is particularly preposterous, seeing that Allah has loved and showered His mercies on us and all His creatures.

 

Money laundering isn`t a trade because those who do it aren`t seeking profit, rather, they falsely seek to make it look like a legitimate business.

Undoubtedly, money laundering causes great damage to the national economy and leads to tax evasion which undermines the public treasury because the overhead revenues don`t cover the overhead expenses, and this undermines the state and strengthens the organized crime.

Accordingly, brokerage in such illegitimate operations is forbidden in Islamic law because it assists in committing that which is unlawful. Allah Says in this regard (What means): “Help ye one another in righteousness and piety, but help ye not one another in sin and rancour: fear Allah. for Allah is strict in punishment.” {Al-Mai`da/2}. Brokerage in this illegal activity assists in establishing that which is mendacious since every derivative of mendacity is equally mendacious, so the money resulting from it is tantamount to illegitimate gain.

The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan has fought this phenomenon, and so it issued the Counter Money Laundering Law No.(46/2007) which bans such a crime, counters it and regards it liable to punishment. And Allah Knows Best.

 

 

Head of the Iftaa` Board, The Mufti General of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, His Grace Sheikh Abdulkareem Al-Khasawneh

Vice Head of the Iftaa` Board, Dr. Ahmad Hilayel

Dr. Yahia Al-Botoosh/ Member

His Eminence, Sheikh Sa`ied Hijjawi/ Member

Dr. Mohammad Khair Al-Essa

Judge Sarrie Attieh

Dr. Abdulrahman Ibbdah/ Member

Dr. Mohammad Oklah/ Member

Dr. Abduln`nassir Abu Al Bass`al/ Member

Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalayleh/ Member

Dr. Mohammad Al-Gharaibeh/ Member

Executive Secretary of the Iftaa` Board, Dr. Ahmad Al-Ha`sanat

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Summarized Fatawaa

I work overtime after regular working hours and may become occupied with my phone or the work computer for personal matters — what is the ruling on this?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
It is obligatory upon an employee to abide by the instructions and regulations governing overtime hours, and equally obligatory to uphold honesty and avoid all forms of deception and dishonesty. Allah the Almighty says {what means}: "O you who have believed, be mindful of Allah and be with the truthful." [Al-Tawbah/ 119]
Whoever is assigned to work overtime must be present at his workplace — even if he has no specific tasks to carry out at that time. In such a case, he should strive as best he can to spend that time in a manner that benefits the institution he works for. If there is genuinely no work for him to do, there is no objection to occupying his time with something beneficial — such as reciting the Holy Qurʾān, reading, or listening to educational lessons — provided he has already completed all the responsibilities assigned to him.
If, however, he does have work to complete, he must spend that time fulfilling it. He may attend to phone calls or other personal matters to the extent that is customarily acceptable, as long as this does not result in delaying or postponing his work. If he delays his work on account of personal preoccupations, the wages he received for that wasted time are not lawfully his to keep, and he is obliged to return the equivalent amount to the institution by whatever means available to him. And Allah the Almighty knows best.

How many Rak`ahs (unit of prayer) are offered in Witr prayer?

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of The Worlds                                                                                                                                                                  Witr (an odd number prayer performed between Isha`a and Fajr) is offered with a minimum of one Rak`ah, and a maximum of eleven, but offering three Rak`ahs is the minimum of its complete form. And Allah Knows Best.

What is the ruling of Islamic Law on a fictitious marriage for the purpose of obtaining citizenship?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
There is no such thing in our noble sharīʿah as a "nominal" or "fictitious" marriage or divorce. Marriage and divorce are among the sacred ordinances of Allah, and it is not permissible to manipulate them or use them as a stratagem to obtain worldly gains.
The foundational purpose of a marriage contract is the permanence and continuity of the relationship between the spouses — to establish a family, and to bring forth righteous offspring. So sacred is this bond that Allah the Almighty Himself described it as a solemn covenant (mīthāq ghalīẓ), saying {what means}: "And if you wish to replace one wife with another and you have given one of them a great amount of wealth, do not take any of it back. Would you take it in injustice and manifest sin? And how could you take it while you have gone in unto each other and they have taken from you a solemn covenant?" [Al-Nisāʾ/ 20–21]
Accordingly, it is not permissible to resort to manipulation and deception in contracts that Allah, Mighty and Majestic, has described as a "solemn covenant" — all for the sake of material and worldly benefit. Marriage is built upon permanence and does not admit of a fixed time limit. If a time limit is stipulated in the contract, the contract is rendered invalid by the consensus of the jurists. Similarly, marriage is impermissible when there exists a mutual, concealed intention to limit its duration — even if no time limit is explicitly mentioned in the contract — for this constitutes a form of unlawful circumvention of the sharīʿah. This is to say nothing of the lying and deception that such conduct involves, the prohibition of which needs no elaboration. Lying, deception, and fraud for the purpose of obtaining worldly gains are among the gravest of sins.
If, however, the marriage contract is first concluded in a valid sharʿī manner and then registered civilly, it is sound and fully valid. And Allah the Almighty knows best.

If the menses lasted for over than 9 to 10 days, considered menstruation?

If the duration of the bleeding does not exceed fifteen days, it is all considered menstruation, even if the usual pattern changes.