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Resolutions of Iftaa' Board

Resolution No.(252): "Mother Authorizing Hospital to Treat Child"

Date Added : 03-04-2018

Resolution No.(252)(5/2018) by the Board of Iftaa`, Research and Islamic Studies:

"Mother Authorizing Hospital to Treat Child"

Date: 6/Jumada Al-Akhirah/1439 AH, corresponding to 22/2/2018.

 

 

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 third session held on the above date, the Board reviewed the question sent from Dr. Ali Mish`al and Dr. Mou`min Al-Hadidi, and it read as follows:

How legal is it for a mother to authorize hospital to treat her minors or mentally disabled children? Is that an exclusive right of the father and male blood relatives who can act on his behalf? Or is it permissible for the mother to make the authorization, knowing that, in some cases, she commits herself to covering the expenses?

 

After deliberating, the Board decided what follows:

 

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.

 

Islamic Law has given incompetent persons-the child, the mad and the like-the right to receive all types of care, such as that pertaining to health and medical treatment. It has made this the responsibility of the guardian, and gave the father the right to guardianship, at first, in order to put its requirements in order. However, no matter who the guardian may be, his/her actions should be in the best interest of those under his/her guardianship when it comes to their material rights, expenses and else. For example, the right to receive the best and most suitable medical care. Al-Imam Ar-Ramli (May Allah have mercy on his soul) said: "It is incumbent upon the guardian-father or else- to act in the best interest of those under his guardianship, because Allah, The Almighty, Said (What means): "And approach not the wealth of the orphan save with that which is better" {Al-An`am, 152}. He, The Exalted, also Said (What means): "And if ye mingle your affairs with theirs, then (they are) your brothers. Allah knoweth him who spoileth from him who improveth." {Al-Baqarah, 220}." {Moghni Al-Mohtajj}.

 

An example on this care is providing the child and other incompetent persons with medical treatment without delay so as to spare them any harm. Therefore, if it was difficult for the hospital to obtain an authorization from the father or the grandfather, then it is permissible to obtain it from the mother. This is based on the Sharia maxim {Which means}: "What we can`t do, doesn`t annul what we can do" In other words, since treating a patient is obligatory in all situations, so we don`t abstain from that because some guardians aren`t available; rather, some jurists have made all Muslims, in general, responsible for providing care to whoever doesn`t have a guardian. Therefore, it is imperative that the hospital acts in the best interest of the patients regardless of who the guardian may be, because every course of action that inflicts harm on the patient is prohibited. This is based on the Hadith in which the Messenger of Allah said: “There should be neither harming nor reciprocating harm.” {Ibn Majah}.

 

In its resolution No.(10/18), the International Islamic Fiqh Academy permitted initiating medical treatment without securing the patient`s or guardian`s consent in the following situation: "The patient is in critical condition that necessitates immediate medical attention to save his/her life before his or his guardian`s consent could be obtained." In this case, sufficing with the mother`s permission should take precedence.

 

However, in non-urgent cases, laws and regulations-which should be legislated with utmost care-should be observed so as for the medical interest of the "Minor" to be fulfilled. And Allah Knows Best.

 

Chairman of Iftaa` Board,

Grand Mufti of Jordan,

Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalayleh

Sheikh Abdulkareem Al-Khasawneh, Member

Prof. Abdulnaser Abulbasal,  Member

Dr. Ahmad Al-Hasanat, Member

Dr. Mohammad Khair Al-Esa, Member

Dr. Majid Darawsheh, Member

Sheikh Sa`eid Al-Hijjawi, Member

Judge Khalid Woraikat, Member

Dr. Mohammad Al-Zou`bi/ Member

Dr. Wa`el Arabyat/ Member

Prof. Abdullah Al-Fawaaz/ Member

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Summarized Fatawaa

What is the ruling on waiving a debt owed by a debtor and counting it toward zakāh?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
Waiving a debt owed by a debtor, with the intention of counting it toward zakāh, does not fulfill the zakāh obligation. Rather, it constitutes an ordinary act of charity, for which Allah rewards the giver generously — since one of the conditions for the validity of zakāh is that the person paying it must form the intention of zakāh at the actual moment the wealth is paid out. In this case, the debt has already been established as a standing obligation upon the borrower, so it is not valid to simply redirect the intention toward zakāh after the fact.
It is preferable, instead, for the creditor to first collect the debt from the debtor, and then return to him the amount of money he is required to pay as zakāh — or a portion of it — if the debtor happens to fall under one of the eight categories that Allah, the Exalted, has commanded be given from zakāh.
It is stated in ‘Umdat as-Sālik, from the books of the Shāfi‘ī school: "If someone gives [money] to a poor person, stipulating that the recipient return it to him in payment of a debt owed to him, or says, 'I am making what you owe me into zakāh, so take it [as such]' — this is not valid. But if he gives it to him with the [unstated] intention that the recipient will use it to repay him, or says, 'Repay what you owe me, so that I may [then separately] give it to you as zakāh,' or the debtor himself says, 'Give it to me, so that I may [then] repay you with it' — this is valid, and there is no binding obligation for the recipient to actually fulfill this [informal understanding]." And Allah, the Exalted, knows best.

What is the ruling on men wearing rings (those made of silver and of other metals, such as iron), and are there conditions for men wearing rings?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
It is sunnah for men to wear a silver ring on the right hand, following the practice of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). It is reported in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, on the authority of Anas ibn Mālik (may Allah be pleased with him), that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) took a silver ring and had “Muḥammad Rasūl Allāh” engraved on it. He said: “I have taken a ring of silver and had ‘Muḥammad Rasūl Allāh’ engraved on it, so let no one engrave the like of its engraving.”
It is a condition that the silver ring not exceed the size customary in the local norm (ʿurf). If it does, that is extravagance (isrāf). A ring made of a metal other than silver, such as iron or copper, is permissible to wear without disapproval (karāhah), except gold, which is forbidden (ḥarām) for a man to wear.
It is stated in Mughnī al-Muḥtāj (Vol.1/p.586): “It is permissible, without disapproval, to wear a ring of iron or lead. It is sunnah for a man to wear a silver ring on the little finger of his right or left hand. Wearing it on the right is better, and it is permissible on the left, and on both together.”
It is also stated in Mughnī al-Muḥtāj (Vol.2/p.97): “It is lawful for him, that is, the man, and likewise the khunthā (person of indeterminate sex), indeed all the more so, to wear a ring of silver, by consensus (ijmāʿ), because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) took a ring of silver, narrated by the two Shaykhs (al-Bukhārī and Muslim). Wearing it is in fact sunnah, whether on the right or the left, though the right is better according to the sound position, as stated in the chapter on clothing in al-Rawḍah… The Shāfiʿī jurists did not specify the permitted size of the ring, and they probably relied on custom (ʿurf), that is, the custom of that country and the habit of people of his standing in it. Whatever exceeds that is extravagance, as they said regarding a woman’s anklet. This is the reliable position (al-muʿtamad).” And Allah Almighty knows best.

Is my husband entitled to take my salary?

Your salary is yours, and you may give some of it to him as a kind of free-will contribution.

Is a woman's prayer performed while following an Imam whose prayer is being broadcasted via the television valid, and does she receive the reward of congregational prayer?

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
Among the conditions for the validity of following an Imam (Iqtida’) is that the Imam and the follower must be in the same location. Therefore, the prayer of one who follows an Imam whose prayer is being broadcasted via television from a distant location is not valid. However, if the follower is with the Imam in the same mosque, the prayer is valid. And Allah the Exalted knows best.

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