Resolutions of Iftaa' Board



Resolutions of Iftaa' Board

Resolution No.(159): "Ruling on Dividing Part of the Blood Money Accepted by one of the Victim`s Heirs from the Killer`s Family, in Intentional Killing, amongst other Heirs, each according to his Share as Stipulated in Sharia"

Date Added : 02-11-2015

 

Resolution No.(159) (25/2010) by the Board of Iftaa`, Research and Islamic Studies:

"Dividing Part of the Blood Money Accepted Amongest Heirs in Intentional Killing, each according to his Share as Stipulated in Sharia"

Date: 17/1/1432 AH, corresponding to 23/12/2010 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 twelfth session held on the above date, the Board reviewed the following question:

Five years ago, my son was intentionally killed in Saudi Arabia by a Saudi citizen. Two weeks passed over his marriage to a Jordanian woman before he was murdered. When the killer was sent to court, his family offered (25) million Riyals as Diyah (blood money) in return for waiving our right to Qisas (retribution). I along with his father insisted on Qisas and obtained an authorization to that end from all the heirs of my son including his wife.

Several years later, the court ruled for Qisas. However, one hour before the execution of that sentence, we were told that it has been delayed and I was told to check with the Saudi Ministry of Interior.

When I arrived there, I found out that my son`s widow has waived her right to Qisas in return for (5) million Riyals, and so the killer`s life will be spared and we will receive (25) million Riyals as Diyah.

Is the five million Riyals received by my son`s widow hers or should that sum be divided amongst his heirs as stipulated in Sharia.

 After prolonged deliberations, the Board decided:

The five million Riyals received by the victim`s widow from the killer`s family must be divided amongst the heirs of the killed in accordance with Sharia. This is the opinion of the Malikite jurists and it is most compatible with the principles of justice, the provisions of Sharia and  the juristic principle pertaining to warding off harm. 

It is stated: "If one of the victim`s heirs waived his right to Qisas in return for an amount, which is more or less than his share from the Diyah stipulated in Sharia, other heirs become obliged to waive their right to Qisas and take their share from the Diyah as well." [Hashyat Ibn Abdeen Ala-Asharih Al-Khabeer].

As clearly stated in the aforementioned quotation, if one of the two guardians of the victim, in intentional killing, waived his right to Qisas against taking more or less than his share in the Diyah, then the other guardian is obliged to follow suit. This is also supported by the Hadith of the Prophet (PBUH): "There is no injury nor return of injury". And Allah Knows Best.

 

Head of the Iftaa` Board, The Grand Mufti 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, Sheikh Mohammad Al-Hunaiti

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Summarized Fatawaa

Is it a condition that a woman should untie her locks while making Ghusl (ritual bath)?

Ghusl from Janabah (ritual impurity), or menstruation obligates that water reaches the roots of the hair in order for the Ghusl to be valid, but if it doesn`t, then hair locks must be untied for water to reach them, and for Ghusl to become valid.

Is it permissible to delay the ritual purification (ghusl) from major impurity (janabah) until after dawn?

Yes, it is permissible to delay ghusl from janabah until after dawn, as purity from janabah is not a condition for the validity of fasting. However, one must perform ghusl in time to pray Fajr within its designated time.

What is the ruling of Islamic Law on the prayer of zawal?

 

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
It is recommended (sunnah) to pray four rakʿāt — either with a single tasleem or as two separate sets of two rakʿāt — immediately following the sun's decline from its zenith (zawāl). This prayer is distinct from the regular Sunnah prayer of Ẓuhr (sunnat al-ẓuhr al-rātibah), as explicitly stated by the Shāfiʿī jurists.
It is mentioned in Nihāyat al-Muḥtāj: "The prayer of zawāl is offered after the sun's decline — so were one to perform it before that, it would not count. It consists of two or four rakʿāt and is distinct from the Sunnah of Ẓuhr, as is evident from the fact that it is mentioned separately after the regular Sunnah prayers, and it becomes a make-up prayer (qaḍāʾ) if a long period of time passes by customary reckoning... Al-ʿAlqamī stated: 'Scholars refer to this as the Sunnah of Zawāl, and it is distinct from the four rakʿāt that constitute the Sunnah of Ẓuhr.' Our shaykh said: Al-Ḥāfiẓ al-ʿIrāqī stated that among those who explicitly affirmed its recommendation was al-Ghazālī in al-Iḥyāʾ, in the chapter on devotional litanies, noting that there is no tasleem between them — meaning there is no break between each pair of rakʿāt."
The time of the sun's decline (zawāl) marks the very beginning of the time for the Ẓuhr prayer.
And Allah the Almighty knows best.

What is the ruling on giving Zakat al-Fitr in cash?

The default ruling is that Zakat al-Fitr should be given as the staple food of the land. In Jordan, for example, the staple food is wheat or rice, and the amount of Zakat al-Fitr is 2,500 grams per person. It is easy to give this amount of rice to the poor and needy, and this is the correct ruling according to all Islamic schools of thought.
However, Hanafi scholars have permitted giving Zakat al-Fitr as monetary value, considering it more beneficial for the poor and easier for the giver.