Resolutions of Iftaa' Board



Resolutions of Iftaa' Board

Resolution No.(131): “Virginity Test”

Date Added : 02-11-2015

 

Resolution No.(131),(9/2009): “On Virginity Test”

Date: 1/8/1430 AH, corresponding to 23/7/2009 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 third session held on the above date, the Board of Iftaa` reviewed the news reported by some local newspapers that the Director of the National Center for Forensic Medicine stated that large numbers of girls have visited the Center to make sure that they are virgins.

We have asked him about that piece of news through an official letter, and he said that it was inaccurate and that such a test is conducted only upon the request of judicial bodies when they have a case that requires such a thing, and the judge needs to know the truth, so he asks for a report in this regard from the Center. No suitor has ever asked his finance to undergo such an examination. Based on what the Director of the Center said, the Iftaa` Board holds that conducting such a test is permissible when demanded by judicial bodies, and that isn`t considered an accusation to honorable women. However, it should be conducted by a female doctor.

Conducting such a test upon the request of the suitor-although the Director of the Center confirmed it has never happened-is prohibited and the same rule applies to the request itself. This is because uncovering the private parts of men and women is permissible only in case of necessity or dire need as is  the situation mentioned by Center`s Director.

The Board confirms that our society is too honorable and noble to treat young women in such a disrespectful manner, because their honor and pride doesn`t tolerate  such humiliation. On our part, we warn against circulating any piece of news that could stigmatize our Islamic nation and we remind people that Allah Says (what means): “Those who love (to see) scandal published broadcast among the Believers, will have a grievous Penalty in this life and in the Hereafter: God knows, and ye know not” {An-Noor/19}. And Allah Knows Best.

 

 

 

Chairman of the Iftaa` Board, Grand Mufti of Jordan,

Dr. Nooh al-Qhodah

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

Sheikh Abdulkareem al-Khasawneh/ Member
Sheikh Sa`eid Hijjawi/ Member
Dr. Muhammad Khair Al-'Eisa/Member
Judge Sari Attia/Member 
Dr. Abdul-Rahman Ibdah/Member
Dr. Muhammad Aiqla Al-Ibrahim/Member
Dr. Abdul Naser Abu Al-Basal/Member
Excutive Secretary of The Iftaa' Board Dr. Muhammad Al-Khalyla 

 

 

Decision Number [ Previous | Next ]


Summarized Fatawaa

What is the ruling on using the *subḥah* (prayer beads) to count during *tasbīḥ* and *dhikr*?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
It is recommended to use the ordinary or electronic subḥah (prayer beads or counter) to count tasbīḥ, dhikr, and istighfār, because it helps one to remember Allah. Many reports have been transmitted from the Companions and the Followers (tābiʿūn) showing that they continued to use strings of date pits as an aid to dhikr and tasbīḥ.
It is one of the lawful means of worship. Indeed, what is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), namely that he counted tasbīḥ on his right hand, shows that it is permissible to count tasbīḥ with whatever helps a Muslim keep track of the number. There is therefore no basis for calling it an innovation (bidʿah), and we know of no jurist who said so.
Al-Ḥāfiẓ al-Suyūṭī (may Allah have mercy on him) wrote a dedicated treatise on the subject titled al-Minḥah fī al-Subḥah, printed within al-Ḥāwī li’l-Fatāwī (vol. 4–6).
Shaykh al-Islām Imam Ibn Ḥajar al-Haytamī (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked: Does the subḥah have a basis in the Sunnah? He replied: “Yes, and al-Ḥāfiẓ al-Suyūṭī wrote on this. Among the evidence is what is authentically reported from Ibn ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with them both): ‘I saw the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) counting tasbīḥ on his hand.’ Ibn Abī Shaybah, Abū Dāwūd, and al-Tirmidhī also narrated: ‘Hold fast to tasbīḥ, tahlīl, and taqdīs, and do not be heedless, lest you forget the affirmation of Allah’s oneness (tawḥīd). Count them on the fingertips, for they will be questioned and made to speak.’ Counting tasbīḥ with pebbles, date pits, and a knotted string has also been reported from a group of the Companions and those after them. Some scholars held that counting on the fingertips is better than the subḥah, based on the ḥadīth of Ibn ʿUmar. Others distinguished, saying: if the one reciting is safe from miscounting, counting on the fingertips is better; otherwise the subḥah is better.” [al-Fatāwā al-Fiqhiyyah al-Kubrā, Vol.1/p.152]. And Allah Almighty knows best.

What is the ruling on making up the regular pre-Dhuhr *sunnah* (*al-sunnah al-rātibah al-qabliyyah*) for one who missed it in the Dhuhr prayer?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
Every timed supererogatory prayer (nāfilah) is recommended (mandūb) to be made up if its time passes. As for a nāfilah that precedes the obligatory prayer, performing it before the farḍ is a matter of proper etiquette (adab); if it is prayed after the farḍ, it is still considered adāʾ (performed within its time). If the time of the farḍ has ended, it is recommended to make up (qaḍāʾ) the nāfilah for one who did not pray it.
Whoever misses the sunnah before Dhuhr, whether with an excuse or without one, it is recommended for him to pray it after the obligatory Dhuhr prayer, within the time of Dhuhr, even at its end, and it counts as adāʾ, not qaḍāʾ. It is also recommended for one who missed the pre-Dhuhr sunnah to pray it before the post-Dhuhr sunnah, in observance of the proper order. It is stated in ʿUmdat al-Sālik wa ʿUddat al-Nāsik (Vol.1/p.60): "What precedes the obligatory prayer has the same time as the obligatory prayer, and performing it before the farḍ is a matter of etiquette; after it, it is adāʾ. What follows the farḍ has its time begin with the performance of the farḍ and end with the end of its time."
If the time of Dhuhr has ended, it is recommended for him to pray both the pre- and post-Dhuhr sunnahs, and they count as qaḍāʾ for both. It is stated in ʿUmdat al-Sālik (1/61): "Every timed nafl, such as the ʿĪd prayer, Duha, Witr, and the regular rawātib of the obligatory prayers, if it is missed, it is recommended to make it up forever." And Allah Almighty knows best.

What is the ruling on swearing on the Holy Quran and breaking that oath?

It is impermissible to swear on the Holy Quran in vain, and it is also impermissible to subject it to such an act since breaking the oath after swearing on the Quran entails an expiation.

Someone wiped over his shoes after wearing them in a state of purity, then took them off and prayed without them?

Ablution is not invalidated by taking off leather socks or shoes after wiping over them. However, whoever takes them off after wiping must wash his feet only. If he prayed without washing his feet, he must wash his feet and repeat the prayer. And Allah the Almighty knows best.