Resolutions of Iftaa' Board



Resolutions of Iftaa' Board

Resolution No.(285): "Sighting the Crescent of Ramadan for the Hijri Year 1441"

Date Added : 28-05-2020

Resolution No.(285)(5/2020), By The Board of Iftaa', Researches and Islamic Studies:

"Sighting the Crescent of Ramadan for the Hijri Year 1441"

Date: (29/ Sha`ban/1441 AH), corresponding to (23/4/2020 AD).

 

 All perfect praise be to Allah the Lord of the Worlds. May his peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Mohammad and upon all his family and companions.

On its fourth session held on the above date, the Board reviewed sighting the crescent of Ramadan for this year (1441AH) based on the astronomical calculations conducted by the Crescents Committee of the General Iftaa` Department.After deliberating this issue, the Board decided the following:In the Name of Allah, The Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Allah, The Almighty, Says (What means): "Ramadhan is the (month) in which was sent down the Qur’an, as a guide to mankind, also clear (Signs) for guidance and judgment (Between right and wrong). So every one of you who is present (at his home) during that month should spend it in fasting" {Al-Baqarah/185}. He, Exalted, also Says (What means): "They ask thee concerning the New Moons. Say: They are but signs to mark fixed periods of time in (the affairs of) men, and for Pilgrimage"{Al-Baqarah/189}. Moreover, the Prophet (PBUH) says: "Observe fast on sighting it (the new moon) and break it on sighting it." {Related by Bukhari}.

In compliance with the texts of Sharia, the Iftaa` Board accompanied by the Chief Justice, the Minister of Awqaf, a number of eminent scholars, and experts of astronomy convened on Thursday evening (29th of Sha`baan, 1441 AH, corresponding to 23/4/2020AD) to sight the crescent of Ramadan (the new moon).

Based on the findings of the Crescent Sighting Committee of the General Iftaa` Department and other specialized authorities, it was ascertained to the Board that tomorrow, Friday (24/ 4/2020), will be the first day of the holy month of Ramadan for the Hijri year 1441.

Accordingly, the Board is pleased to extend the warmest of congratulations to His Majesty King Abdullah the second Ibn Al-Hussein, His crown Prince, and the Hashemite Family on this blessed occasion. May Allah protect His Majesty and grant Him good health. The Board also extends its congratulations to the people of Jordan as well as the Arab and Muslim Nation. It prays that Allah makes it a month of peace, security, goodness, piety and righteousness. And may Allah accept our fast and night prayers. And Allah the Almighty Knows Best. 

 

Chairperson of Iftaa` Board,

Grand Mufti of Jordan,

Dr. Abdulkareem al-Khasawneh

Dr. Mohammad al-khalayleh

Dr. Mahmoud al-Sartawi, Member

Sheikh Sa`eid Al-Hijjawi, Member

Judge Khalid Woraikat, Member

Dr. Majed al-Darawsheh, Member

Dr. Mohammad Al-Zou`bi/ Member

Prof. Adam Nooh Al-Qhodaat/Member

Dr. Amjad Rasheed/Member

Dr. Jamil Khatatbeh/Member

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Summarized Fatawaa

What is the ruling of Islamic Law on the prayer of zawal?

 

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
It is recommended (sunnah) to pray four rakʿāt — either with a single tasleem or as two separate sets of two rakʿāt — immediately following the sun's decline from its zenith (zawāl). This prayer is distinct from the regular Sunnah prayer of Ẓuhr (sunnat al-ẓuhr al-rātibah), as explicitly stated by the Shāfiʿī jurists.
It is mentioned in Nihāyat al-Muḥtāj: "The prayer of zawāl is offered after the sun's decline — so were one to perform it before that, it would not count. It consists of two or four rakʿāt and is distinct from the Sunnah of Ẓuhr, as is evident from the fact that it is mentioned separately after the regular Sunnah prayers, and it becomes a make-up prayer (qaḍāʾ) if a long period of time passes by customary reckoning... Al-ʿAlqamī stated: 'Scholars refer to this as the Sunnah of Zawāl, and it is distinct from the four rakʿāt that constitute the Sunnah of Ẓuhr.' Our shaykh said: Al-Ḥāfiẓ al-ʿIrāqī stated that among those who explicitly affirmed its recommendation was al-Ghazālī in al-Iḥyāʾ, in the chapter on devotional litanies, noting that there is no tasleem between them — meaning there is no break between each pair of rakʿāt."
The time of the sun's decline (zawāl) marks the very beginning of the time for the Ẓuhr prayer.
And Allah the Almighty knows best.

Is it obligatory to have the intention for each day of fasting, or is one intention sufficient for the whole month?

The intention is obligatory for each day of Ramadan because each day is an independent act of worship separate from the others.
The intention must be made at night before the break of dawn, as the Prophetﷺ said: "Whoever does not intend fasting at night, there is no fast for him." [An-Nasa’i] 
And he also said: "Whoever does not firmly resolve to fast before dawn, there is no fast for him." [At-Tirmidhi, Abu Dawood, and An-Nasa’i]
Whoever wakes up and eats Suhoor while mindful of fasting has made the intention. Likewise, one who firmly intends at any moment during the night to fast the next day has also fulfilled the intention.

When is a child instructed to fast?

A child is instructed to fast at the age of seven if they are capable of fasting and have reached the age of discernment, by analogy to prayer. They should be encouraged but not forced, so they can become accustomed to it. It is obligatory for their guardian, whether a father or another, to instruct them.

Is it permissible to pay the Fitr Zakah (obligatory charity) of Ramadan on behalf of a dead person?

The Fitr Zakah of Ramadhaan isn`t due on one who had passed away before the sunset of the last day of Ramadan. And Allah Knows Best.