Resolutions of Iftaa' Board



Resolutions of Iftaa' Board

Resolution No.(173): "Ruling on Importing Shoes Made from Swine`s Skin"

Date Added : 02-11-2015

Resolution No.(173)(5/2012) by the Board of Iftaa`, Research and Islamic Studies:

"Ruling on Importing Shoes Made from Swine`s Skin"

Date: 25/6/1433 AH, corresponding to 17/5/2012 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 question asked by His Excellency, the Director-General of the Jordan Standards and Metrology Organization and it reads as follows: What is the ruling of Islamic Sharia on a company that intends to import shoes made from swine`s flesh?

After prolonged deliberations, the Board decided what follows:

It is forbidden to manufacture shoes, clothes and other products from swine`s skin, as indicated by the following verse: "Say: "I find not in the message received by me by inspiration any (meat) forbidden to be eaten by one who wishes to eat it, unless it be dead meat, or blood poured forth, or the flesh of swine,- for it is an abomination - or, what is impious, (meat) on which a name has been invoked, other than God’s". {Al-An`am/145}.

Interpreters of the Quran stated that the above verse indicates that all the parts of swine are forbidden; however, its flesh was mentioned because it is the most utilized part. A proof of this is the Hadith of Jabir, where swine has been absolutely forbidden. Jabir b. 'Abdullah (Allah be pleased with them) reported Allah's Messenger (PBUH) as saying in the Year of Victory while he was in Mecca:

Verily Allah and His Messenger have forbidden the sale of wine, carcass, swine and idols, It was said: Allah's Messenger, you see that the fat of the carcass is used for coating the boats and varnishing the hides and people use it for lighting purposes, whereupon he said: No, it is forbidden, Then Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said: May Allah the Exalted and Majestic destroy the Jews; when Allah forbade the use of fat of the carcass for them, they melted it, and then sold it and made use of its price (received from it)." {Agreed upon}.

The filthy or impure can`t be made pure by tanning, as stated by the renowned scholar Ibn Abdeen (May Allah bless him), who said: "Because it is filthy as a whole, dead or alive, its filth of blood is unlike that of other animals; therefore, purifying it is unacceptable." {Rad Al-Mohtar}. Al-Imam Al-Khasani (May Allah bless him) said: "The sale of swine`s skin is invalid because it is filthy as a whole." {Bada`I As`sanai`}.

The accredited opinion of the four jurists is that swine is forbidden, and  utilizing from any of its parts is forbidden as well because it is filthy.

Accordingly, the Board of Iftaa` is of the view that it is forbidden to trade with all the products of swine and it advises Muslim traders not to buy what Allah has forbidden and not to bring such filth into the Muslim`s markets. And Allah Knows Best.

 

Chairman 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, Prof. Ahmad Helayel

His Excellency, Prof. Abdulsalam Al-Abbadi/ Member

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

His Eminence, Sheikh Sa`ied Hijjawi/ Member

Pro. Mohammad Al-Qhodat/ Member

Dr. Yahia Al-Botoosh/ Member

Dr. Wasif Al-Bakhri

Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalayleh/ Member

Dr. Mohammad Khair Al-Essa/ Member

Dr.Mohammad Al-Zou`bi/ Member

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Summarized Fatawaa

What is the Islamic ruling on adoption, and what is the legal window through which a person can be kind to an orphan girl, attend to her needs and raise her as his own?

Kindness to an orphan entails a great reward from Allah, but adoption is prohibited and invalid. Therefore, it is permissible for the aforementioned person (for example) to make his brother`s wife breastfeed that girl so that he becomes her uncle by suckling provided that he informs her that she isn`t his biological daughter.

Is it permissible to openly announce the engagement of a woman who is in her waiting period (iddah)?

It is not permissible to openly announce the engagement of a woman in her waiting period (Iddah), but it is permissible to hint (imply) at it if she is in her waiting period after the death of her husband. And Allah Knows Best.

I`m married to an American citizen who used to be married to a man in Mexico and filed for divorce there. It is worth pointing that in America she isn`t registered as married. When she arrived in Jordan, her lawyer called and told her that she got the divorce, and based on this we got married in Jordan. What is the ruling of Sharia on this?

All perfect praise be to Allah the Lord of The Worlds. May His blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Mohammad and upon all his family and companions.
 
You haven`t mentioned whether this woman has converted to Islam or not. If she had embraced Islam and three menstrual cycles passed, but her first husband hasn`t converted to Islam, then her relationship with him is over. If you married her after this (Passing of three menstrual cycles and first husband not having embraced Islam) then your marriage is valid. However, if she didn`t convert to Islam then your marriage contract with her is invalid and you have to wait until she gets divorced by her first husband and observes Iddah, which is three menstrual cycles. Afterwards, you can conclude the marriage contract. We pray that Allah doesn`t hold you to account for what you have done because you thought she was divorced. We recommend that you seek Allah`s forgiveness as much as you can and do righteous deeds. We also advise you to marry a Muslim woman to preserve your and your children`s religion since Almighty Allah Says (What means): "Wed not idolatresses till they believe…" [Al-Baqarah/ 221]. It is true that marrying a Kitabi (One who believes in a book of sacred scriptures and with whom a Muslim may marry in what is deemed a lawful marriage) is permissible, it involves great risks, as stated in the aforementioned verse. And Allah The Almighty Knows Best.
 

 Is Hyena's Meat Permissible or Impermissible?

All perfect praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.
There is disagreement amongst the jurists as regards the ruling on eating hyena`s meat. Shafi`i and Hanabli jurists are of the view that eating hyena`s meat is permissible. The proof is the Hadith related by Al-Baihaqhi on the authority of Ibn Abi Ammar who said: "I asked Jabir bin Abdulla about hyenas, and he told me to eat them. I said: "Is it not game? He said: 'Yes' I said: 'Did you hear that from the Messenger of Allah?" He said: "Yes."  And Allah The Almighty Knows Best.