Resolutions of Iftaa' Board



Resolutions of Iftaa' Board

Resolution No. (201): "Ruling on Medical Use of Cadavers

Date Added : 05-10-2015

Resolution No. (201) (11/2014) by the of Board of Iftaa', Researches and Islamic Studies: 

"Ruling on Medical Use of Cadavers"

Date: (19 Ramadan, 1435 AH), corresponding to (17/7/2014 AD).

 

Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds; and may His blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all his Family and Companions.

The Board of Ifta`a and Islamic Studies, in its 9th session held on Thursday (19 Ramadan,1435AH) corresponding to (17/7/2014AD), reviewed the formal letter of His Excellency the Premier regarding giving permission to the University of Jordan to bring in four parts of frozen cadavers through the Queen Alia International Airport in order to use them for educational purposes at the morgue of the Faculty of Medicine.

After deliberation and careful study, the Board has decided what follows:

There is a consensus amongst Muslim scholars regarding the inviolability of a human being whether alive or dead, and the impermissibility of aggressing him/her. Allah, The Almighty, Says (What means): “We have honored the sons of Adam.” {Al-Isra/70}. In addition, Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) said: “Breaking the bone of the dead is the same as breaking the bone of the living" {Narrated by Abu Dawood}.

Securing  the necessary interests permits making use of these parts for medical purposes since the rules of Sharia call for getting the benefits while avoiding the shortcomings. Medical sciences and treatments are some of the most important means of acquiring safety, and learning medicine is a common obligation on the Muslim Ummah and doing so nowadays requires learning anatomy and other medical branches. Moreover, there is no doubt that parrying the harm from inflicting a living person is more important than parrying the harm from a dead person when both benefits are conflicting. Accordingly, resolutions and Fatwas were issued by the Fiqh assemblies allowing the use of dead bodies or parts of them for educational purposes. Resolution(10/1) by The Islamic Fiqh Assembly in Mecca stresses the inviolability of the dead and the impermissibility of deforming his/her corpse since the rights of a Muslim must not be violated regardless of whether he is alive or dead.

Based on the aforementioned, there is no harm in allowing the university of Jordan to bring parts of corpses for educational purposes. And Allah Knows Best.

 

The Grand Mufti of Joradan , Sheikh Abdul Karim Al-Khasawneh

Dr. Hayel Abdel Hafiz / Member                                                     Prof.   Abdunassir Abu Al-Bassal / Member

Sheikh Sa'id Hijjawi / Member

 Dr. Yahya Al-Btoush / Member

 Dr. Mohammad Khair Al-Issa / Member

Prof. Mohammad Al-Qhidah

Dr. Mohammed Al-Khalayleh/Member

Dr. Wasif Al-Bakri / Member  (Disagrees with reservation)              Dr. Mohamed Al Zoubi, Member

 

Decision Number [ Previous | Next ]


Summarized Fatawaa

Is it permissible for the wife to give the Zakah (obligatory charity) of her money to her poor husband?

Yes, it is permissible for the wife to give from the Zakah of her money to her poor husband. And Allah Knows Best.

Who should pay the Zakah (obligatory charity) from the orphan`s money?

His/her guardian, and if the latter fails to do so, then the orphan himself/herself is obliged to pay the Zakah once he/she reaches puberty, and is capable of handling his/her own affairs. And Allah Knows Best.

What is the ruling on offering a sheep as a sacrifice (Udhiyah) if its fat-tail is sound, except that when it was young, the tip of its fat-tail was cut so that it would grow larger? And what is the ruling in case of doubt regarding the amount that was cut?

 
In the Name of Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
Cutting a minor, insignificant portion from the tip of an animal's fat-tail (al-alyah) to encourage it to grow larger is not considered a defect, and it does not prevent the animal from being valid for sacrifice (Udhiyah).
 
It is stated in Tuhfat al-Muhtaj (Vol.9/P.352): "There is some scholarly deliberation regarding the common practice of cutting the tip of the fat-tail so that it grows larger. It could potentially be likened to a partial cut of the ear—supported by the jurists' general rule: 'even if it is a small amount.' On the other hand, if it is an exceptionally minor cut, it might have no effect on validity. This is explicitly clarified by the juristic exception to the general rule, which states that cutting a tiny piece from a large limb causes no harm. This latter view is more well-founded.
 
Furthermore, I found that some scholars investigated this matter and concluded: 'It should not affect validity if a custom-sanctioned portion of its fat-tail is removed during its youth to make it grow larger and look better, just as castrating a male animal causes no harm.' However, applying this unconditionally contradicts the established texts of the jurists, as understood from what I have laid out; thus, the restriction I specified is what must be relied upon."
 
Similarly, it is mentioned in Nihayat al-Muhtaj (8/135): "If a small piece is cut from the fat-tail to help it grow larger, the most well-founded view is that the sacrifice remains valid, as was given in a formal legal verdict (Fatwa) by my father [Shihab al-Din al-Ramli], may Allah be pleased with him. This is proven by the jurists' maxim: 'The loss of a tiny piece from a large limb causes no harm.'"
 
In cases where there is doubt as to whether the portion cut was large or small, the animal is still deemed valid for sacrifice. It is noted in Hashiyat al-Shubramallisi ‘ala Nihayat al-Muhtaj (Vol.8/P.135):
 
"This matter requires careful consideration, but the closer and more correct view is that it is valid. This is because soundness is the default state for the animal from which the piece was cut, and it aligns with what usually occurs—namely, that the part removed to help the fat-tail grow larger is naturally very small." And Allah the Almighty Knows Best.

Is it permissible for one to give the Zakah (obligatory charity) to his indebted brother?

It is permissible for one to give the Zakah to his brother if he was indebted, or poor.