Resolutions of Iftaa' Board



Resolutions of Iftaa' Board

Resolution No.(229): "Ruling on Transferring the Accounts of Mosques Support and Charity Committees into one General Account""

Date Added : 16-08-2016

Resolution No.(229) by the Board of Iftaa`, Research and Islamic Studies:

"Ruling on Transferring the Accounts of Mosques Support and Charity Committees into one General Account "

Date: (23/Shawal/1437), corresponding to (28/7/2016).

 

 All perfect praise be 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.

During its ninth session held on the above date, the Board reviewed the question of His Excellency the Director of Zarqa Awqaf Directorate, and it reads as follows:

I would like to bring to your kind attention the fact that Mosques Support and Charity Committees have inactive accounts in the Jordan Islamic Bank because they were either terminated, relieved from duty or made to resign. This resulted in a daily decrease in these accounts because of banks` rules and regulations in this regard. In fact, their inactivity is due to people`s unwillingness to form such committees or procrastination in forming new ones.

Therefore, we kindly request your Grace to clarify the ruling of Sharia on combining the above accounts into one general account, under the name "Mosques Restoration Committee", in the Jordan Islamic Bank which will employ its funds in different income generating projects. This way, the above accounts are preserved from elimination and profits are made. In addition, it is possible to give back these accounts to each mosque`s committee, upon formation, along with the profits collected from the Jordan Islamic Bank.

After deliberating, the Board decided what follows:

There is no harm in combining the accounts of the mosques committees-which are relieved from their duties or terminated-into one general account that follows the Directorate of Awqaf, Islamic Affairs and Holy Places under the name "Mosques Restoration Committee" in order to save the Awqaf and charities funds from decreasing due to banks rules and regulations in this regard. This is permissible under the condition that the funds are spent on the mosques for which the donations were made in the first place. This is because people donate to the mosque, not to the committee in charge of collecting donations to that mosque. In other words, the mosque`s committee is just a means to an end, thus if the means becomes a liability, it must be changed to achieve the higher objective of Sharia, which is preserving donations and spending them in the right channel. On its part, the Iftaa` Board advises banks to make exceptions when it comes to accounts pertaining to Zakah and charity committees, accredited by the government, through relieving their accounts from any charges that lead to a gradual decrease in their funds. And Allah Knows Best.

 

Chairman of the Iftaa` Board, Sheikh Abdulkareem Khasawneh

Vice Chairman of the Iftaa` Board, Prof. Ahmad Helayel/Member

Prof. Abdulrazak Abulbasal/ Member

Prof. Abdullah Al-Fawaz/ Member

Dr. Wa`el Arabyat/ Member

Dr. Yahia Al-Botoosh/ Member

Sheikh Sa`id Hijjawi/ Member

Dr. Mohammad Khair Al-Esa/ Member

Judge, Khalid Woraykat/ Member

Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalayleh/ Member

Dr. Mohammad Al-Zou`bi/ Member

 

 

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Summarized Fatawaa

My father has debts and asked me to repay them years ago, and I promised him I would do so upon his death — is it permissible for me to go back on my promise given that I am unable to repay them, especially since he refuses to contribute to repayment on the grounds that the debt has become my responsibility by virtue of my promise?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
The established principle is that a father's debt is to be repaid from his own wealth, if he possesses sufficient means. As for the promise made by the son to repay it on his father's behalf, fulfilling such a promise is strongly recommended, and breaking it is considerably disliked. Shaykh al-Islām Imām al-Nawawī, may Allah have mercy upon him, states: "Fulfilling a promise is emphatically recommended, and breaking it is severely disliked. The evidences for this from the Qurʾān and the Sunnah are well known." [Rawḍat al-Ṭālibīn,Vol. 2/P.278] Shaykh al-Islām Imām Zakariyyā al-Anṣārī, may Allah have mercy upon him, further states: "The reason fulfilling a promise is not obligatory and breaking it is not forbidden is that a promise is in the nature of a gift, and a gift does not become binding except upon receipt." [Asnā al-Maṭālib fī Sharḥ Rawḍ al-Ṭālib,Vol. 2/P.487]
Given that the son does not possess the financial means to fulfil his promise to his father, breaking this promise falls beyond his capacity — and Allah does not burden a soul beyond what it can bear. Since the father himself possesses sufficient wealth to settle his own debt, repayment must be made from his own funds. Should he pass away before doing so, the debt is to be settled from his estate. And Allah the Almighty knows best.

Is it permissible for an elderly person, a pregnant woman, or someone with a chronic illness to pay fidyah before Ramadan begins?

It is not permissible for an elderly person, a pregnant woman, or someone with a chronic illness to pay fidyah before Ramadan begins.
Additionally, it is not allowed to pay fidyah for more than one day in advance, because fidyah is a substitute for fasting, and fasting is not yet obligatory at that time.
However, it is permissible to pay fidyah for a single day in advance, by analogy with paying zakat up to one year in advance.

What should one who doubts the validity of his ablution and performs it frequently do?

Whoever doubts the validity of his ablution after finishing it, his ablution is valid. This is because the default is the validity of the ablution, and because doubt after finishing an act of worship doesn`t affect its validity. And Allah the Almighty knows best.

What is the ruling on selling sacrificial animals (udhiyah) described with specific attributes and authorizing an agent to slaughter them?

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
Selling sacrificial animals (udhiyah) that are described with specific attributes is permissible. This falls under the category of a salam sale (forward sale) if conducted using the terminology of salam, and under the category of a regular sale if not using the terminology of salam.
 
As for authorizing the seller to slaughter the sacrificial animal, the basic principle is that it is permissible, because the agent (wakil) stands in the place of the principal (muwakkil) in achieving his objective. This is a contract that the principal (the buyer) is entitled to perform himself, so authorizing another (the seller) to do so on his behalf is valid.
 
However, it is a condition for authorization to slaughter that the intention (niyyah) is present either at the time of slaughter or at the time of handing over the sacrificial animal to the agent. The basic principle is that the sacrificial animal must be specifically designated, as it is an act of worship. It is not required to designate it at the time of slaughter; rather, it is valid to do so before that.
 
It is permissible for the principal either to delegate the intention to the agent or to formulate it himself when authorizing the agent to slaughter. However, the sacrificial animal must be designated, even if at the time of slaughter, by the agent.
 
It is obligatory to designate the sacrificial animals so that each person offering a sacrifice receives his own specific animal. Therefore, charitable organizations and companies must take this into consideration and establish a specific mechanism that ensures no mixing of sacrificial animals occurs, so that each person offering a sacrifice receives his own designated animal. And Allah Almighty knows best.