Resolutions of Iftaa' Board



Resolutions of Iftaa' Board

Resolution No.(291): "Ruling on Transferring Donations in Favor of Another Mosque"

Date Added : 12-08-2020

 

Resolution No. (291) (11/2020) by the Board of Iftaa`, Research and Islamic Studies:

"Ruling on Transferring Donations in Favor of another Mosque "

Date: (16th of Dhu al-Hijjah, 1441 AH), corresponding to (6/8/2020 AD).

 

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

In its 10nth meeting held on the above date, the Board of Iftaa`, Research and Islamic Studies reviewed the letter No. (2/1/1/15576) sent from the Ministry of Awqaf, Islamic Affairs and Holy Sites about allowing the withdrawal of funds from the accounts of the mosque`s working construction committees entrusted with collecting donations as well as the non-working committees relieved from this duty. The purpose is paying mosques` electricity and water bills and installing solar systems for them, in addition to covering other expenses. Could Your Grace clarify the ruling of Sharia on this?

In principle, a donation must be spent according to the intention of the donor since the latter entrust the Mosques` Construction Committees do so. However, when a mosque has a surplus of donations, then there is no sin in transferring it to the benefit of another mosque, of course, after approval of the Awqaf Council. It is stated in the Hanbali book [Khash-shaf al-Qhinaa`, vol.4/pp..295]: "When there is a surplus in a mosque`s items (lamp oil, rugs and the like) and it was sold, then it is permissible to transfer the money to the benefit of another mosque for it will be spent for the same purpose." And Allah the Almighty Knows Best. 

 

 Chairperson of Iftaa` Board,

Grand Mufti of Jordan,

Dr. Abdulkareem al-Khasawneh

Dr. Mahmoud al-Sartawi, Member

Sheikh Sa`eid Al-Hijjawi, Member

Dr. Majed al-Darawsheh, Member

Dr. Ahmad al-Hasanat, Member

Judge Khalid Woraikat, Member 

Prof. Adam Nooh Al-Qhodaat/Member

Dr. Amjad Rasheed/Member

Dr. Jamil Khatatbeh/Member

Dr. Mohammad Younis Al-Zou`bi/ Member

 

 

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Summarized Fatawaa

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.

Is it permissible to purchase the Udhiyah on installments?

It is permissible to purchase the sacrificial animal (uḍḥiyyah) on installments or by borrowing its price. However, it is not recommended for the poor to do so, because they are not required to offer a sacrifice, and Allah does not burden a soul beyond its capacity. If doing so would lead to negligence in providing for one's dependents (nafaqah wājibah), then giving precedence to obligatory maintenance over borrowing to buy the sacrifice is appropriate. This is based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): "It is sufficient sin for a person to withhold food from those whom he is responsible to support."
 
Furthermore, the sacrifice is valid from one who has a debt, but it is preferable (awlā) to repay the debt first, especially if the debt is due immediately (ḥāll). And Allah Almighty knows best.

Is "Bismillāhir-Raḥmānir-Raḥīm" a verse (āyah) of Sūrat al-Fātiḥah?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
The basmalah ("Bismillāhir-Raḥmānir-Raḥīm") is, without question, a verse (āyah) of the Noble Qur'an, and according to the Shāfi‘ī school, it constitutes a verse of Sūrat al-Fātiḥah itself. Al-Fātiḥah is a pillar of the prayer, and it consists of seven verses, of which the basmalah is one. The prayer is not valid without reciting it, nor if any of the Fātiḥah's verses, letters, or shaddahs (consonant doublings) are omitted or altered.
It is stated in Bushrā al-Karīm (Vol.1/p.202), from the books of the Shāfi‘ī school: "The basmalah is a complete verse of it [i.e., of al-Fātiḥah] in practice — and it suffices, for this to be established, that there be strong probability (ẓann), especially given that this has come very close to certainty (yaqīn), due to the consensus (ijmā‘) of the Companions on its inclusion in the muṣ-ḥaf [the written text of the Qur'an] in its script, despite their extreme diligence in excluding from it anything that did not genuinely belong to it — to the point that they even [carefully regulated] its diacritical dots and vowel markings." And Allah, the Exalted, knows best.

What is the ruling on discharges two or three days before the expected period of menstruation and the light-colored blood accompanying it? Must the woman abstain from prayer during this period?

If the total duration of these blood-tinged discharges reaches a day and a night (24 hours) or more, it is considered menstruation. If their total does not exceed 24 hours, it is not considered menstruation but is irregular bleeding (dam al-fasad). Each woman has specific cases for which she should ask the scholars. And Allah the Almighty knows best.