Resolutions of Iftaa' Board



Resolutions of Iftaa' Board

Resolution No.(49) "Ruling on Financing the "Diminishing Partnership" Offered by the Central Bank to its Employees"

Date Added : 16-12-2015

Resolution No.(49): "Ruling on Financing the "Diminishing Partnership" Offered by the Central Bank to its Employees"
Date: 24/4/1422 AH, corresponding to 15/7/2001.

What is the ruling of Islamic Sharia on the diminishing partnership system offered by the Central Bank to its employees?

Answer:

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.

Over several sessions, the Board has reviewed the above issue and arrived at the following view:

Employees of Islamic banks and others can obtain dwellings by one of the following formulae:

First: Murabaha in favor of the purchaser where the employee covers the costs of the construction team; whereas, the bank covers the cost of materials which can be bought through the Murabaha transaction so that they become possessed and guaranteed by the bank. This formula can be employed for purchasing a flat or a building in line with the rules of Murabaha.

Second: Istisna` (making on customer`s order). Here, the bank provides the needed financing in line with the conditions of this form of transaction whereby a flat or a building could be built.

However, the formula, in the above question, presented to the Iftaa` Board: "The Diminishing Partnership" and the attached contract differ from a similar contract that had been approved by the Board where the law had defined it as: (The bank participates as a financing partner- partially or completely-in a project of an expected income on basis of agreeing with the other partner that the bank receives a percentage from the net of the actual income while maintaining the right to keep the remaining part of the profit or some of it, to be agreed upon, to cover the original amount of financing it had provided.) 

In other words, the income of the project, which is based on the aforementioned contract, is the one expected upon the conclusion of the contract itself and the determiner of the expected income is the market, after the completion of the project.

First: it isn`t permissible to estimate that revenue in relation to the financing amount provided by the bank, which settles it on basis of the diminished interest, as is the case of the contract presented to the Board. From the perspective of Sharia, that interest is unlawful although it is low.

In order for this formula to become valid, it isn`t correct to calculate the expected revenue in the manner mentioned above; rather, it should be left to the market.

Since the employees desire to have dwellings for residence and since these won`t be offered for leasing, then the Sharia alternative is that a committee of trustworthy and honorable experts estimate the rent of similar premises after the project is finished based on  actual estimation of the prices of similar houses and flats. In conclusion, it is imperative that the contract is rewritten on the basis that draws a distinction between the acceptable and the unacceptable form in Sharia, this is of course if the employee and the bank wish to resort to the above formula "The diminishing partnership", or they can simply resort to other formulae mentioned above. And Allah Knows Best.

 

Chairman of the Iftaa` Board, The Supreme Judge, Sheikh Izuldeen At-Tamimi

Dr. Abdulsalam Al-Abbadi

  Dr. Yousef Ghyzan

Dr. Wasif Al-Bakri

Sheikh Saeid Hijjawi

Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Khayat

Sheikh Na`eim Mujahid

  Dr. Mahmoud Abu Yahia

Sheikh Mahmoud Shewayat

 

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Summarized Fatawaa

Is it permissible to participate in an Udhiyah?

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
Regarding the sacrificial offering (Udhiyah), if it is a sheep or a goat, it only avails for one person. However, if it is a cow or a camel, it avails for seven people. It is permissible for the seven participants to have different intentions; for example, some may intend the sacrifice (Udhiyah), some the ’Aqiqah (sacrifice for a newborn), and others may simply intend to obtain meat.
 
It is stated in Hashiyat Qalyubi ‘ala Sharh al-Mahalli (Vol.4/P.256) and in Bushra al-Karim (p. 706):
 
"If one slaughters a camel or a cow on behalf of seven... it is permissible. Likewise, it is permissible if some of them intend their seventh for meat, and others intend their seventh for ’Aqiqah." And Allah the Almighty knows best.

What is the ruling of Islamic Law on wudu (ablution) when there is an adhesive substance on the hand that is difficult to remove?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
The general principle is: if what is applied to the limbs of wudu' (ablution) does not form a barrier substance preventing water from reaching the skin, then the wudu' is valid despite its presence. However, if these substances prevent water from reaching the skin, the wudu' is not valid with their presence, and they must be removed so that water reaches the hair or skin without any barrier.
Shaykh al-Islam, the Imam an-Nawawi, may Allah have mercy on him, says: "If there is wax, dough, henna, or similar substances on some of his limbs [of wudu'], and this prevents water from reaching any part of the limb, then his purification (tahara) is not valid — regardless of whether the amount is much or little. But if there remains on the hand or elsewhere only the trace and color of the henna, without its substance [i.e., the physical residue itself], or the trace of a liquid oil such that the water touches the skin of the limb and flows over it, though it does not remain [as a barrier] — then his purification is valid." [Al-Majmu' , Vol.1/P.529]. And Allah, the Exalted, knows best.

If a person enters a mosque and finds the congregation in the final tashahhud, which is more virtuous — joining them or waiting for a second congregation to catch the opening takbīr (takbīrat al-iḥrām)?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
If a worshipper finds a congregation that is about to finish its prayer, and he hopes to catch the entire prayer from the beginning with another congregation, it is more virtuous for him to pray with this first congregation and then repeat the prayer with the second one — provided he does not intend to confine himself to a single prayer. If, however, he intends to perform only one prayer, then it is more virtuous for him to wait for the second congregation rather than joining the first, so that he may attain the reward of congregational prayer for every single rakʿah.
Al-Khaṭīb al-Sharbīnī, may Allah have mercy upon him, states: "If members of a congregation enter the mosque while the imam is in the final tashahhud, al-Qāḍī Ḥusayn held that it is recommended for them to join him in prayer, and that they should not delay in order to form a second congregation. Al-Mutawallī, however, affirmed the opposite view, and al-Qāḍī's own statement elsewhere supports this latter position, which is the relied-upon view. In fact, it is more virtuous for a person who has missed part of the prayer with one congregation, and who hopes to catch another congregation with whom he can attain the entire prayer within its proper time, to delay so that he may catch it in full with them. This applies when he intends to confine himself to a single prayer; otherwise, it is more virtuous for him to pray with the first group and then repeat the prayer with the others." [Mughnī al-Muḥtāj,Vol. 3/P.186] And Allah the Almighty knows best.

What is the ruling on making up missed fasts from many years?

A Muslim must make up for any missed fasts, as they are a debt owed to Allah. The Prophet ﷺ said:
"The debt owed to Allah is more deserving of being fulfilled." [Narrated by Muslim]
Whoever has missed fasts must make them up as long as they are alive and capable of fasting.