Resolutions of Iftaa' Board



Resolutions of Iftaa' Board

Resolution No.(135): “Conditions for Combining two Prayers because of the Rain”

Date Added : 27-10-2015

  

Resolution No. (135), (15/2009): “Conditions for Combining two Prayers because of the Rain”

                         Date: 30/12/1430 AH, corresponding to 17/12/2009 AD.

 

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

During its fifth session held on the above date, the Board reviewed the question pertaining to combining two prayers because of the rain.

After thorough studying and deliberating, the Board decided what follows:

Performing Zuhr and Asir prayers together, and Maghrib and Isha prayers together in advance because of the rain is a concession in our Islamic Sharia. This is indicated by the Hadith of Ibn Abbas (May Allah be pleased with them) who said: “The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) observed the noon and afternoon prayers together, and the sunset and Isha' prayers together without being in a state of fear or in a state of journey.” {Muslim}.

Combining two prayers because of the rain has been verified on the authority of Ibn Abbas and Ibn Umar (May Allah be pleased with all of them), and this opinion is agreed upon by the majority of the scholars of the people of Sunnah: The Malikites, The Shafites and The Hanbalites.

In their books, these scholars have mentioned the conditions for combining two prayers, and they boil down to four:

1- Making the intention to combine the two prayers during the first prayer, and at the beginning of the second one. If the person forgot to do so, then he is allowed to make the intention at the beginning of the second prayer.

2- Rain fell at the beginning of the two prayers.

3- The rain wets the praying person`s clothes i.e. he faces hardship in going to the mosque because of it.

4- The two prayers are combined in congregation at the mosque.

Moreover, it is permissible to combine the Maghrib and Isha prayers because of darkness and mud, and because of snow, frost and violent cold wind.

However, if the aforementioned conditions or one of them was missing, then combining two prayers isn`t permissible, because when the reason behind the concession is missing or there is doubt about it, it is obligatory that each prayer is offered at its due time. Allah, The Almighty Says (what means): “When ye pass (Congregational) prayers, celebrate God’s praises, standing, sitting down, or lying down on your sides; but when ye are free from danger, set up Regular Prayers: For such prayers are enjoined on believers at stated times.” {An-Nisaa`/103}.

In addition, the Imam of the mosque is the one who enjoys the authority to rule that the conditions for combining the two prayers were met or not, and none of the prayer performers may make any objection. The Prophet (PBUH) said: "The Imam is to be followed.” {Agreed upon}. However, in case one of the prayer performers has an objection, then he should discuss it with the Imam in a polite and brotherly manner.

We hope that Imams of mosques seek the pleasure of Allah, not which of the prayer performers' desires as far as combining or not combining prayers is concerned. This is because they will be called to account for that on the Day of Judgment. The Prophet (PBUH) said: “The Imam is responsible.” {Abu Dawood and At-Tirmizi}. They should combine prayers once all the aforementioned conditions are met, if not, then each prayer should be performed on its specific time to be on the safe side. And Allah Knows Best.

 

                                      Chairperson of the Iftaa` Board, Grand Mufti of Jordan/Dr. Nooh al-Qhodat

                                               Vice Chairman of the Iftaa` Board/Dr. Ahmad Hilayel

                                                               Sheikh Abdulkareem Al-Khasawneh/ Member

                                                               Sheikh Sa`eid Hijjawi/ Member

                                                               Dr. Mohammad Khair al-Eesa/ Member

                                                               Judge Sari al-Ass`ad/ Member

                                                               Dr. Abdurahamn Ibbdah/ Member

                                                               Dr. Mohammad Okla/ Member

                                                               Dr. Abdunnasir Abulbasal/ Member

                                                               Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalayleh/Executive Secretary of the Board


 

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Summarized Fatawaa

What is the ruling on using a patch to suppress hunger or a nicotine patch while fasting?

Fasting is a great act of worship and one of the pillars of Islam. If people knew the immense reward of Ramadan, they would wish for the whole year to be Ramadan.
Whoever eats Suhoor and breaks their fast according to the Sunnah will not experience extreme hardship, making such patches unnecessary.
However, using these patches does not break the fast because they are not a source of nourishment and do not enter the body cavity (jauf) through an open passage.

Is it permissible for a woman to ride a taxi without a Mahram (unmarriageable kin) in order to attend a gathering of knowledge?

It is permissible for the woman to pursue the knowledge that she needs in order to perform the religious requirements due on her if there was nobody to teach her at home, provided that there is no temptation involved. Moreover, we don`t recommend that she rides a taxi without a Mahram although such an act isn`t from the forbidden Khulwah (seclusion).

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.

What is the ruling of Islamic Law on a fictitious marriage for the purpose of obtaining citizenship?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
There is no such thing in our noble sharīʿah as a "nominal" or "fictitious" marriage or divorce. Marriage and divorce are among the sacred ordinances of Allah, and it is not permissible to manipulate them or use them as a stratagem to obtain worldly gains.
The foundational purpose of a marriage contract is the permanence and continuity of the relationship between the spouses — to establish a family, and to bring forth righteous offspring. So sacred is this bond that Allah the Almighty Himself described it as a solemn covenant (mīthāq ghalīẓ), saying {what means}: "And if you wish to replace one wife with another and you have given one of them a great amount of wealth, do not take any of it back. Would you take it in injustice and manifest sin? And how could you take it while you have gone in unto each other and they have taken from you a solemn covenant?" [Al-Nisāʾ/ 20–21]
Accordingly, it is not permissible to resort to manipulation and deception in contracts that Allah, Mighty and Majestic, has described as a "solemn covenant" — all for the sake of material and worldly benefit. Marriage is built upon permanence and does not admit of a fixed time limit. If a time limit is stipulated in the contract, the contract is rendered invalid by the consensus of the jurists. Similarly, marriage is impermissible when there exists a mutual, concealed intention to limit its duration — even if no time limit is explicitly mentioned in the contract — for this constitutes a form of unlawful circumvention of the sharīʿah. This is to say nothing of the lying and deception that such conduct involves, the prohibition of which needs no elaboration. Lying, deception, and fraud for the purpose of obtaining worldly gains are among the gravest of sins.
If, however, the marriage contract is first concluded in a valid sharʿī manner and then registered civilly, it is sound and fully valid. And Allah the Almighty knows best.