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

Where should a woman following her husband or another man in prayer stand?

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
If a single woman prays with a man—whether she is his wife or a non-mahram (Ajnabiyyah)—the Sunnah is for her to stand behind the Imam and be shielded by him. If the Imam is leading both a man and a woman, the man should stand to the Imam's right, and the woman should stand behind the male follower (Muqtadi). In this way, she is shielded from the Imam by the male follower and remains at a distance from the follower and his line of sight. And Allah the Exalted knows best.

Is it permissible to authorize charitable organizations to perform the Udhiyah on one`s behalf?

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
It is permissible to authorize charitable organizations to perform the sacrifice (Udhiyah) on one’s behalf. However, if these organizations undertake the slaughtering for a group of people, those in charge of the slaughtering must maintain lists of the names of those who authorized them. Furthermore, at the time of slaughter, the slaughterer must intend that the specific sacrifice is on behalf of a specific person. And Allah the Almighty knows best.

Is it permissible to offer an Udhiyah on behalf of the deceased?

In the Name of Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
Offering an Udhiyah (sacrificial animal) on behalf of a deceased person is permissible. This is the official position of the Hanbali school (as stated in Kashshaf al-Qina’ by al-Bahuti,Vol.6/P.428) and was also upheld by the prominent Shafi'i scholar Al-’Abbadi (mentioned in Bidayat al-Muhtaj by Ibn Qadi Shuhbah,Vol. 4/P.358). It has likewise been narrated as a valid view among some Maliki and Hanafi scholars.
 
In fact, Imam Abu Dawud dedicated an entire chapter in his Sunan collection entitled, "Chapter on Sacrificing on Behalf of the Deceased." In it, he recorded a narration from Hanash, who said: "I saw 'Ali sacrificing two rams, so I asked him, 'What is this?' He replied, 'The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded me to offer a sacrifice on his behalf, so I am sacrificing on his behalf.'"
 
Imam Abu Dawud also narrated from Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "O Allah, this is from You, for You, and on behalf of Muhammad and his Ummah (community). In the Name of Allah, and Allah is the Greatest," and he then slaughtered the animal.
 
The textual evidence here lies in the fact that our Master, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), offered a sacrifice on behalf of his entire community—and it is well-established that his community includes those who have already passed away.
 
Furthermore, there is an abundance of sacred texts demonstrating that the rewards of righteous deeds reach the deceased. For instance, it is permissible to fast on behalf of a deceased person who passed away with missed obligatory fasts, and it is equally permissible to perform Hajj on their behalf, both of which are firmly established in authentic Hadiths. Therefore, if the reward of fasting (which is a purely physical act of worship) and Hajj (which is a joint physical and financial act of worship) can reach the deceased, then the reward of an Udhiyah reaches them with greater reason (by way of A Fortiori argument). This is because it is a purely financial act of worship, falling under the general category of charity (Sadaqah).
 
Additionally, scholars have reached a consensus (Ijma') that the rewards of charity reach the deceased, and since the Udhiyah is inherently an act of charity, it falls under the same ruling. Consequently, based on all the aforementioned evidence, we hold the view that offering a sacrifice on behalf of the deceased is entirely permissible. And Allah the Almighty Knows Best.

What is the Islamic ruling on breaking the bones of the 'aqīqah?

All praise is due to Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
It is Sunnah not to break the bones of the 'aqīqah. Rather, each bone should be separated at its joint — as a good omen and expression of hope for the soundness and wholeness of the newborn's limbs. However, if one does break the bones, it is not considered disliked (makrūh) — it is simply regarded as contrary to what is preferable (khilāf al-awlā). And Allah Almighty knows best.