Resolutions of Iftaa' Board



Resolutions of Iftaa' Board

Resolution No.(281): "Ruling on Building a Quranic Center on Part of an Endowed Plot of Land"

Date Added : 03-11-2019

Resolution No.(281)(17/2019), By The Board of Iftaa', Researches and Islamic Studies:

"Ruling on Building a Quranic Center on Part of an Endowed Plot of Land"

Date: 25/Safar/1441 AH, corresponding to 24/10/2019 AD.

 

Praise be to Allah the Lord of the Worlds.

On its tenth session held on the above date, the Board reviewed the letter (24/10/2019) sent from His Excellency, the Minister of Endowments, Holy Sites and Islamic Affairs, Prof. Abdulnaser Abulbasal, and it reads as follows:

What is the ruling of Sharia on building a mosque and a Quranic center on part of a plot of land endowed as a graveyard from the state treasury?

After careful consideration, the Board decided what follows:

There is nothing wrong with building a mosque and a Quranic center on part of the above plot of land since the state hasn`t endowed it only as burial ground. Rather, it specified using it for that purpose as dictated by the public interest. Therefore, this specification isn`t binding. In other words, that land may be used for other purposes; unlike the case where the condition of the endower is as binding as the text of Sharia. Thus, if the administrator of that endowment saw the need for building the mosque and the Quranic center on that land then there is nothing wrong with that. And Allah the Almighty Knows Best.

 

Chairperson of Iftaa` Board,

Grand Mufti of Jordan,

Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalayleh

Sheikh Abdulkareem Al-Khasawneh, Member

Dr. Ahmad Al-Hasanat, Member

Sheikh Sa`eid Al-Hijjawi, Member

Judge Khalid Woraikat, Member

Dr. Mohammad Al-Zou`bi, Member

Dr. Rashaad Al-Kelaani, Member

Dr. Majid Darawsheh, Member

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Summarized Fatawaa

What is the ruling of Islamic Law on participating in the prize draws (raffles) that commercial stores hold for their customers?

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
There is no objection to participating in the prize draws (raffles) that commercial stores hold for their customers, provided that the buyer's intention in purchasing is not merely to enter the competition without any need for what is bought — rather, the purchase must be genuinely intended for the item itself, and one must not pay more than the item's fair market price. This is because paying an amount above the market price would effectively be paying a fee to enter the prize draw, which would render it a form of gambling (qimār).
These prizes are, in essence, gifts that businesses offer through a random drawing (qur'ah) to those who purchase from them, as a means of encouraging sales, without the customer bearing any additional monetary cost for participation. So long as the aforementioned conditions are met, there is no objection to benefiting from the prize offered by the store, as it is considered a lawful prize from the viewpoint of Islamic Law.
It is stated in the resolutions of the "Jordanian Iftaa' Board" (Resolution No. 47), in the context of outlining the conditions for permissible prizes: "The price of the ticket [or item purchased] for the sake of the prize must not exceed its original price, so that there is no payment of money in exchange for participation in the draw." And Allah, the Most High, knows best.

I bought an apartment, and I am saving money to pay the remaining balance of its price — is zakāh obligatory on this money?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
Zakāh is obligatory on all saved/hoarded wealth. Once the total wealth reaches the niṣāb (minimum threshold liable for zakah— equivalent to the value of 85 grams of pure 24-karat gold) and a full ḥawl (lunar year) has elapsed over it, zakāh becomes obligatory at a rate of (2.5%) — even if the wealth is earmarked for basic future needs, and even if the wealth's owner is in debt. Debt does not prevent the obligation of zakāh, nor is it deducted when calculating the zakāh due, based on the general and unrestricted wording of all the Qur'anic verses commanding zakāh, which draw no distinction between someone in debt and anyone else.
It is stated in ‘Umdat as-Sālik, from the books of the Shāfi‘ī school: "If someone possesses exactly the niṣāb, and owes an equivalent amount in debt, zakāh remains obligatory on what is in his possession, and the debt does not prevent this obligation" — meaning, the obligation of zakāh on what is presently in his possession.
The ḥawl (annual cycle) recognized for zakāh, as well as for the other sharī‘ah obligations that Allah, the Exalted, has imposed upon Muslims, is the Hijrī (lunar) year. And Allah, the Exalted, knows best.

What is the ruling on eating or drinking during the first Adhan?

It is permissible to eat and drink during the first Adhan because it takes place before the break of dawn. The purpose of this Adhan is to notify Muslims of the approaching dawn so they can prepare to stop eating when they hear the second Adhan.

What is the ruling on swallowing saliva while fasting?

It is permissible for a fasting person to swallow their saliva because avoiding it would cause undue hardship and excessive strictness in religion. Islam discourages such excessiveness since Allah the Almighty intends ease for His followers and does not intend to put them in hardship.