Resolutions of Iftaa' Board



Resolutions of Iftaa' Board

Resolution No.(178): "Ruling of Sharia on Deducting Part of the Donations to Cover Administrative Expenses"

Date Added : 02-11-2015

Resolution No.(178)(10/2012) by the Board of Iftaa`, Research and Islamic Studies:

"Ruling of Sharia on Deducting Part of the Donations to Cover Administrative Expenses"

Date: 8/8/1433 AH, corresponding to 28/6/2012.

 

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 fifth session held on the above given date, the Board reviewed the following question:

From time to time, the Professional Associations Complex launches fund-raising campaigns to support the poor in Jordan, or our Arab brothers. Since such campaigns involve administrative expenses, is it permissible to cover them from the raised-funds?

After researching and deliberating, the Board decided what follows:

There are two types of administrative expenses needed by charitable societies:

First: Administrative expenses that are essential for achieving the objective of the fund-raising campaign, such as expenses of delivering funds to their eligible recipients, the expenses of safeguarding these funds and the like, are permissible to be covered in compliance with the agreed upon jurisprudential maxim: "The means takes the ruling of the end.". This maxim has been indicated by many of the Sharia-approved evidences, and was stated in many books of the scholars, such as Al-Izz Bin Abdulsalaam.

Second: Other administrative expenses of the society, such as staff salaries, rent, water, electricity..etc, shouldn`t be covered from the funds that have been raised for a certain purpose; rather, from the general donations made to the society in general, or for it in particular.

To be on the safe side, the Board advises those in charge of raising these funds to inform the donors that a small part of them covers administrative expenses. And Allah Knows Best.

 

Chairman of the General Iftaa` Board, His grace the Mufti General of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Sheikh Abdulkareem Al-Khasawneh

Sheikh Sa`ied Hijawi/ Member

Prof. Abdulsalam Al-Abbadi/ Member

Prof. Mohammad Al-Khwdah/Member

Prof. Abdul N`nassir Abu-Al-bas`sal/Member

Dr.Yahia Al-Boutoosh/Member

Dr. Wasif Al-Bakhri/ Member

Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalayleh/ Member

Dr. Mohammad Az`zoubi/ Member

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Summarized Fatawaa

Is it permissible to offer an Udhiyah on behalf of another without their permission?

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
It is not permissible for a person to offer a sacrifice (Udhiyah) on behalf of someone else without their permission, except in the following cases: if he sacrifices on behalf of the members of his household, if a guardian sacrifices from his own wealth on behalf of his ward, or if the Imam (ruler) sacrifices from the public treasury (Bayt al-Mal) on behalf of the Muslims. And Allah the Almighty knows best.

What is the ruling of Islamic Law on obtaining financing from Islamic banks by bringing invoices in prior arrangement with the seller, then taking the cash after the financing is approved — with the purpose of settling debts and buying a car?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
It appears from the transaction described that its underlying purpose is to obtain cash through resorting to a legal artifice (ḥīlah/tawarruq-style trick), and it is not permissible to engage in such trickery or to coordinate with the various parties merely to obtain liquidity. This is because such artifices bring the sale closer in reality to a ribā-based (usurious) transaction, even if it outwardly appears otherwise.
The Prophet ﷺ said: "Do not commit what the Jews committed, thereby making lawful what Allah has made unlawful through the flimsiest of tricks." This was related by Ibn Baṭṭah in his book Ibṭāl al-Ḥiyal (p. 47), and many scholars have graded it as ḥasan (sound/acceptable).
We have already explained the impermissibility of engaging in such deceptive dealings with Islamic banks in Fatwa No. 516, so please refer to it. And Allah, the Exalted, knows best.

What is the ruling on seeking forgiveness between the two Friday sermons?

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
It is permissible to seek forgiveness (Istighfar) between the two Friday sermons (Khutbatayn), and it does not invalidate the Friday prayer (Salat al-Jumu'ah). Furthermore, it is not disliked (Makruh) to speak before the sermon, after it, or between the two sermons. Likewise, it is not disliked for one who enters during the sermon to speak if there is a need for it, provided he has not yet taken a place and settled into it. And Allah the Exalted 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.