Resolutions of Iftaa' Board



Resolutions of Iftaa' Board

Resolution No. (262): "Ruling on Leasing the Ground Floor of a Masjid"

Date Added : 22-07-2018

Resolution No. (262)(15/2018) by the Board of Iftaa`, Research and Islamic Studies:

"Ruling on Leasing the Ground Floor of a Masjid"

Date: 6/Dhu'l-Qa'dah/1439 AH, corresponding to 19/7/2018.

 

 

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 tenth session held on the above date, the Board reviewed the question sent from His Excellency Deputy Director-General of Awqaf Properties Development Department Mr. Ali Al-`Esaili, and it read as follows:

 

I have enclosed a copy of the letter submitted by the residents of Al-Hiwaiah area (Karak) in which they sought permission to give out the ground floor of "Thaniyat Al-Wada` Masjid", located in the aforementioned area, for lease in return for a nominal price in order to use it for hosting various public occasions. I kindly ask your Grace to discuss this request with the Iftaa` Board to issue a Fatwa in this regard.

After deliberating, the Board arrived at the following decision:

 

It isn`t permitted to allocate any part of the Masjid for a purpose other than that which is beneficial to the Masjid. As a Waqf (Endowment), it is solely allocated to performing acts of worship and delivering the religious message of a Masjid, and not for hosting public or private events, because Almighty Allah, Said (What means): "(Lit is such a Light) in houses, which God hath permitted to be raised to honour; for the celebration, in them, of His name: In them is He glorified in the mornings and in the evenings, (again and again),- By men whom neither traffic nor merchandise can divert from the Remembrance of God" {An-Nur, 36}. This is particularly since the extra floors of a Masjid may be allocated to teaching the Noble Quran and the different Sciences of Sharia. They may also be needed in certain religious events, such as the holy month of Ramadan, Fitr and Adha Eids and the like. We may also lease them for non-religious occasions, without that being conditioned by the Waqif (Endower), hinders delivering the original purpose for which the Masjid was endowed in the first place. And Allah Knows Best. 

 

 

The Iftaa` Board (2018)

 

Chairperson: Dr Mohammad al-Khalayleh, Grand Mufti of Jordan

Sheikh AbdulkareemKhasawneh/ Member

Dr. Ahmad Al-Hasanat/Member

Prof. Abdullah al-Fawoaz/ Member

Dr.Moh.Khair Al-Esa/ Member

Dr. Majid Drawsheh/ Member

Sheikh Sa`eidHijawi/Member           

 Judge Khalid Woraikat/Member

Prof. Adam Al-Qhodat/ Member

Dr. Mohammad al-Zou`bi/Member   

 

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Summarized Fatawaa

Is a woman sinful if she fasts out of shyness from her family while menstruating or in postnatal bleeding?

It is forbidden for a woman who is menstruating or in postnatal bleeding to abstain from food and drink with the intention of fasting. If she fasts out of shyness, she is sinful, as her fast is not valid.
However, if she refrains from eating and drinking without intending to fast, it is not forbidden, but she unnecessarily burdens herself without need.

What is the expiation for perjury?

One who commits perjury should repent, seek Allah`s forgiveness and offer an expiation which is: feeding ten indigent persons, or clothing them, or giving a slave his freedom, but if that is beyond his means then, he should fast for three days. Allah, The Almighty, Says in this regard (What means): "Allah will not call you to account for what is futile in your oaths, but He will call you to account for your deliberate oaths: for expiation, feed ten indigent persons, on a scale of the average for the food of your families; or clothe them; or give a slave his freedom. If that is beyond your means, fast for three days. That is the expiation for the oaths ye have sworn. But keep to your oaths. Thus doth Allah make clear to you His signs, that ye may be grateful." [Al-Ma`idah/89].

What is the ruling of Islamic Law on opening an account in a commercial bank in order to deposit a sum and use it for personal purposes, such as transfers and electronic payments?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
It is forbidden for a Muslim, if he has a choice, to open an account in an interest-based (ribawī) bank, even if the account earns no interest, because doing so assists in ribā, based on the saying of Allah the Exalted (which means): “And cooperate in righteousness and piety, but do not cooperate in sin and aggression.” [al-Māʾidah/2]
This is because such banks invest deposited funds in forbidden ribā-based transactions, and depositing with them is therefore a form of assisting them in what is unlawful. Assisting in what is unlawful is prohibited by the Sharīʿah. However, if there is a pressing need to open an account in an interest-based bank and it is not possible to open one in an Islamic bank, there is no objection to doing so.
The ruling on bank interest and the prizes distributed by interest-based banks was previously explained in Fatwa no. (471). And Allah Almighty knows best.

What is the ruling on discharging one's zakāh obligation through the provision of a specific benefit (manfa‘ah) — such as performing a surgical operation for a patient, or providing housing to a tenant, and counting the value of this service as zakāh?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
It is obligatory to pay zakāh from the actual asset (‘ayn al-māl) upon which zakāh is due, except in the case of zakāh on trade goods ('urūḍ at-tijārah), which is paid based on their monetary value. In all cases, zakāh must be given in the form of tamlīk (a full transfer of ownership), based on the words of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic (which mean): "Zakāh expenditures are only for the poor and for the needy, and for those employed to collect [zakāh], and for bringing hearts together [for Islam], and for freeing captives [or slaves], and for those in debt, and for the cause of Allah, and for the [stranded] traveler — an obligation [imposed] by Allah. And Allah is Knowing and Wise" [at-Tawbah/60]. The letter "lām" (لِ) in this verse — as in "lil-fuqarā'" ("for the poor") — indicates possession/ownership (lām al-milk).
It is not permissible to fulfill one's zakāh obligation by providing a benefit or service (manfa‘ah) — such as housing, education, or medical treatment — in place of the zakāh itself. This is because zakāh must be paid as wealth (māl) that is transferred into the ownership of the poor recipient, whereas such services are intangible benefits that are not, in themselves, capable of being formally transferred in ownership (ghayr qābilah lit-tamlīk). And Allah, the Exalted, knows best.