Resolutions of Iftaa' Board



Resolutions of Iftaa' Board

Resolution No.(94): "Ruling on Cancelling A Waqf"

Date Added : 28-10-2015

 

Resolution No.(94) by the Board of Iftaa`, Research and Islamic Studies: 

“Ruling on Cancelling A Waqf“

Date: 3/8/1426 AH, corresponding to 7/9/2005 AD.

 

 

 

Question:

 

I want to take back a piece of land that I have endowed to the Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Sites since my children are living  with me and I have no other property that they can benefit from after my death?

Answer: All success is due to Allah.

The Board has reviewed the Waqf certificate, and after researching and deliberating, it determined that taking back the aforementioned Waqf (endowment) isn`t permissible because Waqf becomes binding once it is concluded, and this is the view of the majority of the Muslim scholars. However, Abu Hanifah believes that a Waqf becomes binding once a judge rules so, or if the person who endows says that it is an endowment effective after my death {a will}. Amongst the evidences that a Waqf is binding and can`t be cancelled are:

 

1- Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: "The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: "When a man dies, his deeds come to an end, except for three: A continuous charity, knowledge by which people derive benefit, pious son who prays for him."

[Muslim]. Muslims scholars have interpreted” A continuous charity “ as Waqf, and a Waqf can only be a continuous charity once it is binding and can`t be disposed of; otherwise, the meaning of continuity won`t be fulfilled.

2- Ibn Omar (May Allah Be Pleased with both of them) narrated: "When `Umar got a piece of land in Khaibar, he came to the Prophet (PBUH) saying, "I have got a piece of land, better than which I have never got. So what do you advise me regarding it?" The Prophet (PBUH) said: "If you wish you can keep it as an endowment to be used for charitable purposes." So, `Umar gave the land in charity (i.e. as an endowment on the condition that the land would neither be sold nor given as a present, nor bequeathed, (and its yield) would be used for the poor, the kinsmen, the emancipation of slaves, Jihad, and for guests and travelers; and its administrator could eat in a reasonable just manner, and he also could feed his friends without intending to be wealthy by its means." {Bukhari & Muslim}. In the narration of Bukhari: “Give it in charity (i.e. as an endowment) with its land and trees on the condition that the land and trees will neither be sold nor given as a present, nor bequeathed, but the fruits are to be spent in charity.“ This narration indicates that since the land and trees can neither be sold nor given as a present, nor bequeathed, this applies to the Waqf, in disagreement with the opinion of Abu Hanifah. Abu Yousef { A scholar in Islamic jurisprudence} said:  "Had this Hadith reached Abu Hanifah, he would have adopted it and revoked selling a Waqf."

3- Article three of the justice law states: “ Once the Waqf is concluded in its valid form, the endower`s ownership of it ceases, and the Waqf certificate becomes binding and can`t be cancelled, and the one/ones to whom it is endowed, or others can`t sell, give as a present, mortgage, or bequeath , and this is what a Waqf includes.

4- The judge or the ruler enjoys the authority of settling such dispute” in line with the provisions of the law and keeping the endowed estate as such. On its part, the Jordanian law has stipulated this in clause (A), Article (1243): “After the Waqf is concluded, it can`t be given as a present, bequeathed, or mortgaged, and it gets out of the endower`s possession, and can`t be possessed by others.” And the same point is stated in article (1159) where it reads: “There is neither preemption in Waqf (Shufa`h) nor annexation. “And Allah Knows Best.

 

 

 

Iftaa` Board

Chairman of the Iftaa` Board, Chief Justice, Izzaldeen Al-Tamimi

Dr. AbdulMajeed Al-Salaheen

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

Which is more excellent for a woman: to pray in the mosque or in her house?

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
Our Master the Prophet ﷺ said: 'It is more excellent for a woman to pray in her house than in her courtyard, and more excellent for her to pray in her private chamber than in her house.' Therefore, a woman’s adherence to her home and her refraining from going to the mosques—in obedience to the command of Allah the Exalted—attains a great reward and abundant recompense. Furthermore, women praying in congregation within their homes is better than their attendance at the mosques, based on the aforementioned Hadith. And Allah the Exalted knows best.

What is the ruling on making up missed prayers during prohibited times?

 

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
It is permissible to make up (qada’) missed prayers at any time, even during the periods when prayer is generally prohibited. The prayers that are forbidden and considered invalid during these times are 'absolute voluntary prayers' (nafl mutlaq)—which have no specific cause—and voluntary prayers whose cause follows the prayer itself, such as the Sunnah of entering Ihram or the Sunnah of the Istikharah prayer. Furthermore, no prayer is considered disliked (makruh) during these prohibited times when performed within the Meccan Sanctuary (Makkah al-Mukarramah).
 
It is stated in Bushra al-Karim (Vol.1/P.181), one of the Shafi’i texts: 'It is not forbidden to perform prayers that have a cause that is not delayed (i.e., the cause is preceding), such as making up a missed prayer (fa’itah)—even if it was a voluntary one—and the funeral prayer (janazah); or a cause that is simultaneous, such as the prayer for rain (istisqa’) or the eclipse prayer (kusuf)... and the Sunnah of wudu, the greeting of the mosque (tahiyyat al-masjid), the Sunnah of circumambulation (tawaf), the Sunnah of arrival, and the prostrations of recitation (tilawah) or thankfulness (shukr). These mentioned prayers and their like are not forbidden provided that one does not specifically intend (ta'ammud) to perform them during the disliked time because it is a disliked time. If one does so intentionally, it becomes forbidden, even if it is a mandatory makeup prayer that is due immediately; because in that case, one is acting in defiance of the Sharia. This is in contrast to when one does not specifically seek out that time, even if the prayer happens to fall within it, or if one seeks it for another purpose—such as delaying a funeral prayer to that time so that a larger number of people may pray over the deceased; in such cases, it is permissible and valid... And it is forbidden to perform prayers with no cause at all, like absolute nafl, or those with a delayed cause, such as the Istikharah prayer, the prayer for Ihram, the prayer for a need (hajah), the prayer before leaving the house, or the prayer before execution; because their causes occur after the prayer itself.' And Allah the Exalted knows best."

What is the ruling on undoing braids of hair during the ritual bath?

It is not a condition to undo braids if the water reaches all the hair and penetrates to its base. If the water does not reach except by undoing the braids, then it is obligatory to undo them for the water to reach. And Allah the Almighty knows best.

What is the ruling on selling sacrificial animals (udhiyah) described with specific attributes and authorizing an agent to slaughter them?

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
Selling sacrificial animals (udhiyah) that are described with specific attributes is permissible. This falls under the category of a salam sale (forward sale) if conducted using the terminology of salam, and under the category of a regular sale if not using the terminology of salam.
 
As for authorizing the seller to slaughter the sacrificial animal, the basic principle is that it is permissible, because the agent (wakil) stands in the place of the principal (muwakkil) in achieving his objective. This is a contract that the principal (the buyer) is entitled to perform himself, so authorizing another (the seller) to do so on his behalf is valid.
 
However, it is a condition for authorization to slaughter that the intention (niyyah) is present either at the time of slaughter or at the time of handing over the sacrificial animal to the agent. The basic principle is that the sacrificial animal must be specifically designated, as it is an act of worship. It is not required to designate it at the time of slaughter; rather, it is valid to do so before that.
 
It is permissible for the principal either to delegate the intention to the agent or to formulate it himself when authorizing the agent to slaughter. However, the sacrificial animal must be designated, even if at the time of slaughter, by the agent.
 
It is obligatory to designate the sacrificial animals so that each person offering a sacrifice receives his own specific animal. Therefore, charitable organizations and companies must take this into consideration and establish a specific mechanism that ensures no mixing of sacrificial animals occurs, so that each person offering a sacrifice receives his own designated animal. And Allah Almighty knows best.