Resolutions of Iftaa' Board



Resolutions of Iftaa' Board

Resolution No.(196): "The Permissibility of Levying Administrative Fees for the Loans Taken from the Governorates Development Fund"

Date Added : 25-11-2015

 

Resolution No.(196)(5/2014) by the Board of Iftaa`, Research and Islamic Studies:

"The Permissibility of Levying Administrative Fees for the Loans Taken from the Governorates Development Fund"

Date: 17/Rabee` Al-Awal/1435 AH, corresponding to 17/2/2014.

 

All perfect praise is due to Allah, The Lord of The Worlds; and may His peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Mohammad and upon all his family and companions:

On the above date, the Board reviewed the letter of the Jordan Enterprise Development Corporation, which reads as follows:

The Governorates Development Fund offers financing through an interest-free loan (Hassan), up to (70%) from the overall cost of the enterprise. The loanee is required to repay in installments over a period of eight years, including a two-year grace period. This is in order to re-use that same amount for financing new enterprises to benefit as many individuals as possible. Moreover, up to (10%) of the enterprise`s profit is deducted in case a profit was produced so as to protect the capital of the Fund to guarantee its continuity, because it is usually used for re-loaning, and no profits are redistributed, or given back to the government. In case of loss, the installments of the interest-free loan are to be repaid, without adding any interest, or profit, and it is possible to delay repayment if the loanee is in a hard up and after examining the reasons for his loss. Based on the afore-said, what is the ruling of Sharia as regards this financing mechanism adopted by the Jordan Enterprise Development Corporation?

After researching and deliberating, the Board decided what follows:

Offering loans to owners of small businesses is an accepted act of charity. It achieves comprehensive development, uproots poverty, increases individual productivity, and helps develop the areas where these enterprises are established.

Therefore, the financing mechanism adopted in the above question is an instance of clear Riba (usury) which has been prohibited by Allah, The Almighty, and His Messenger. It is impermissible for the above Fund to receive a percentage from the profits of the enterprises it finances. However, it is permissible to calculate the actual costs of offering these loans and collecting them, such as salaries of employees, paperwork, rent.. etc. but without the smallest addition, and this could be achieved through imposing a fixed amount of administrative fees. These shouldn`t be tied with the loan`s repayment period, or the enterprise`s profit; rather, they should be tied with the costs necessary for securing the continuity of the Fund, without making any profit by the loaning party. In fact, the Jordan Iftaa` Department, the accredited Fiqh assemblies, and the religious institutions have issued many Facosststwas that permit charging the loanee for the administrative fees of the loan since we believe that it  is the most suitable solution from the perspective of Islamic Sharia. We pray that Allah, The Exalted, Favors us and the Fund`s administrative board with success in serving the community and that their business remains within the boundaries of what is lawful. And Allah Knows Best.

 

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

Prof. Hayel Abdulhafeez/ Member

Dr. Yahia Al-Botoosh/ Member

His Eminence, Sheikh Sa`ied Hijjawi/ Member

Prof. Mohammad Al-Qudat/ Member

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

Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalayleh/ Member

Dr. Mohammad Al-Zou`bi/ Member

Dr.Wasif Al-Bak`kri/ Member

Dr. Mohammad Khair Al-Esa

 

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Summarized Fatawaa

A man wishes to offer more than one uḍḥiyah (sacrificial offering), and intends by these sacrifices "on behalf of everyone whom Allah and His Messenger love." Is this intention valid?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
The uḍḥiyah (sacrificial offering) is not valid with this intention, because if the sacrificial animal is from sheep or goats, it suffices for one person only; and if it is from cattle or camels, it suffices for seven persons.
However, one may sacrifice it on his own behalf, and then gift the equivalent of its reward to whomever he wishes.
Imam ar-Ramlī (raḥimahullāh) says: "Ash-Shāfi‘ī (raḍiyallāhu ‘anh) said: It is within the vastness of Allah's bounty, the Exalted, that He rewards the one giving charity as well. From this, the scholars of the madhhab said: it is recommended for a person to intend the charity on behalf of his parents, for example — for Allah, the Exalted, will reward them, without this diminishing his own reward in any way." He then relates, as the relied-upon position, the permissibility of saying: "O Allah, convey the reward of what I have recited specifically to so-and-so, and to the Muslims generally." Az-Zarkashī said: "For reward varies in degree — its highest form is what one designates specifically, and its lowest form is what one dedicates generally [alongside others]." [End of quote from Nihāyat al-Muḥtāj]. And Allah, the Exalted, knows best.

What is the ruling on someone who eats or drinks thinking that the night is still present, then realizes that dawn has broken?

Whoever eats or drinks thinking that the night is still present, then later discovers that dawn has broken, must refrain from eating and drinking for the rest of the day out of respect for the sacred month. However, they must make up that day after Ramadan, and there is no sin upon them.

Does sacrificing one sheep avail for the entire household?

In the Name of Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
Offering an Udhiyah (sacrificial offering) is a communal Sunnah (Sunnah Kifayah) for members of the same household, provided that their financial maintenance is undertaken by a single provider. By "communal Sunnah," we mean that when one person performs it, the religious recommendation is fulfilled on behalf of the entire household, though the spiritual reward itself belongs uniquely to the one who offered it.
 
Therefore, if any member of the household performs the sacrifice—even if it is someone who is not legally responsible for the household's expenses, such as the wife or one of the children—the recommendation is fulfilled for everyone in that home. However, the reward does not automatically extend to the other members unless the person offering the sacrifice explicitly intends to share the reward with them—similar to how performing a funeral prayer (Janazah) fulfills the communal obligation for everyone, yet the specific reward is earned by those who actually prayed.
 
Additionally, a single sacrifice is sufficient for a man who is married to more than one wife. And Allah the Almighty 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.