Resolutions of Iftaa' Board



Resolutions of Iftaa' Board

Resolution No.(296): "Using the Building of an Old Mosque by Zakah Committee"

Date Added : 04-01-2021

Resolution No.(296) (16/2020) By The Board of Iftaa', Researches and Islamic Studies:

"Using the Building of an Old Mosque by Zakah Committee"

Date: (16th of Rabi'ul-Akhir, 1442 AH), corresponding to (2/12/2020 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 13nth meeting held on the above date, the Board of Iftaa` reviewed the letter No.4/2/3/1122 sent from His Excellency the Minister of Awqaf, Holy Sites and Islamic Affairs Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalayleh. It read as follows: What is the ruling of Sharia regarding the request made by Um Jozeh and 'Allan Zakah Committee to use the building of Um Jozeh Old Mosque, where prayers haven`t been offered for a very long time because the New Um Jozeh Mosque was established next to it? This Committee expressed its readiness to make total maintenance for the building and its annexes to serve as new headquarter for Um Jozeh and `Allan Zakah Committee of the Zakah Fund. What is the ruling of Sharia on the permissibility of using Um Jozeh and `Allan old Mosque for the afore-mentioned purposes?

  

After careful consideration, the Board has arrived at the following decision:

 

In principle, religious endowments are bound by the conditions of the endowers and should meet the purpose for which they have been established in the first place. However, at the same time, it is permissible for Um Jozeh and `Allan Committee to use the building of Um Jozeh and `Allan Old Mosque after running the necessary maintenance; provided that it is used as a mosque and kept officially registered as such. This is in order to enable the Waqf Administrator-Ministry of Awqaf, Holy Sites and Islamic Affairs-to benefit from it as a mosque in the future. And Allah the Almighty Knows Best.

 

 Chairperson of Iftaa` Board,

Grand Mufti of Jordan,

Dr. Abdulkareem al-Khasawneh

Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalayleh, Member

Prof. Mahmoud al-Sartawi, Member

Sheikh Sa`eid Al-Hijjawi, Member

Dr. Majed al-Darawsheh, Member

Dr. Ahmad al-Hasanat, Member {I have a reservation at this Resolution unless it is states that Um Jozeh and `Allan Old Mosque remains as a mosque}.

Judge Khalid Woraikat, Member 

Prof. Adam Nooh Al-Qhodaat/Member {I agree under the condition that prayers are established in this Mosque and its sanctity is preserved}.

Dr. Amjad Rasheed, Member {I reserve this Resolution without mentioning the statement "It takes the rules of a mosque and remains as such, and not merely that "It only remains as an endowed mosque. This is with the need to keep a place for performing prayers or teaching the Quran}.

Dr. Jamil Khatatbeh, Member

Dr. Mohammad Younis Al-Zou`bi, Member

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Summarized Fatawaa

What is the ruling on bypassing a nearby mosque for a distant one?

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
If a distant mosque has a larger congregation (Jama‘ah) while the congregation in the nearby mosque is smaller, and the congregation in the nearby mosque is not adversely affected by the worshiper's absence, then it is better for him to pray in the distant mosque with the larger congregation. However, if the congregation in the nearby mosque would be affected by his absence—such as if he is its Imam, or if his presence encourages others to attend—then praying in the nearby mosque is better. This ensures that the congregation is established in two different locations within the community. This is based on the saying of the Prophet ﷺ: 'A man's prayer offered with another man is purer than his prayer which he offers alone, and his prayer with two men is purer than his prayer with one and if they are more (in number), it is more beloved to Allah, the Mighty the Majestic' (Narrated by Ahmad, Abu Dawood, and An-Nasa'i). And Allah the Exalted knows best.

What is the ruling on someone who possesses gold with the intention of saving/hoarding it, and owns nothing else — is he obligated to sell a portion of it in order to pay the zakāh due on it?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
Zakāh becomes immediately obligatory on cash, and likewise on gold — that which is not designated for a woman's personal adornment— once both reach the niṣāb (minimum threshold liable for zakah) and a full ḥawl (lunar year) has passed over them. It is not permissible to delay payment when it is genuinely possible to pay — meaning, when the wealth and the eligible recipients are both available. It is stated in Mughnī al-Muḥtāj (Vol.2/p.129): "Zakāh is obligatory immediately once it becomes feasible to pay it, meaning when the wealth and the eligible recipients are both present."
The one paying zakāh must discharge the obligatory zakāh due on saved (hoarded) gold either from the gold itself, or from its equivalent monetary value, in the event that no other funds are available — since paying from the gold itself is the original default (al-aṣl). It becomes permissible to pay from other funds instead only because zakāh is built upon the principle of ease and leniency, as stated in Asnā al-Maṭālib (Vol.1/p.366): "When a full ḥawl has elapsed on wealth other than trade goods... zakāh attaches to the actual asset itself (al-‘ayn), and the poor effectively become partners in it — even, for example, [becoming partners] in camels through the value of a sheep [owed as zakāh on them]... Paying from other wealth is permitted only because zakāh is built upon the principle of ease and leniency."
Accordingly: the one paying zakāh must discharge it either from the actual saved gold itself, or by selling a portion of the gold equal to the amount of zakāh owed. He may also borrow money to pay the zakāh, or pay the zakāh in installments before the ḥawl is complete [as an advance payment]. And Allah, the Exalted, knows best.

Can a woman perform I‘tikaf in her home?

No, a woman's I‘tikaf is not valid if performed at home, because her home is not a mosque.

What should a person who was favored from Allah with a newborn, but couldn`t afford an Aqeeqah, do?

Aqeeqah (the sheep slaughtered on the seventh day from the child`s birth) is a desirable Sunnah for the financially able since Allah, The Exalted, charges not a soul beyond its capacity. Therefore, if the father couldn`t afford the Aqeeqah before the end of his wife`s confinement, then it isn`t due on him, and if he was able to afford it later on, then it is permissible, but if he didn`t until the child reached puberty, the latter can offer the Aqeeqah himself.