Articles

A Statement on the Importance of the Muslim Nation`s Unity and the Need to Discard Disputes
Author : The General Iftaa` Department
Date Added : 17-08-2015

A Statement on the Importance of Muslim Nation's Unity and the Need to Discard Disputes  

 

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.

 

Based on Allah`s words (What means): "Verily, this brotherhood of yours is a single brotherhood, and I am your Lord and Cherisher: therefore serve Me (and no other)." [Al-Anbia`/92], in adherence to His injunction (What means): "And hold fast, all together, by the rope which God (stretches out for you), and be not divided among yourselves;" [Al-Imraan/103], as well the decisive heavenly guidance (What means): "And obey God and His Apostle; and fall into no disputes, lest ye lose heart and your power depart; and be patient and persevering: For God is with those who patiently persevere." [Al-Anfaal/46].

 

Out of the religious, historic, and human responsibility, which makes it imperative upon Muslims to be candid and advise one another through calling for maintaining the nation`s unity, man`s dignity, and the security of the Muslim countries, the General Iftaa` Department in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan-which is closely watching the dangers threatening our nation, the voices calling for revenge, the statements released through mass media inciting to trial, fanaticism and hatred-turns to our brothers in Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Libya, Yemen and other Muslim countries to stress the following:

 

First: Today, the Muslim nation has arrived at a situation, which contradicts with the teachings of Islam as regards belief, adherence to observing obligatory acts of worship, and the intentions of Sharia that call for unity and forbid bloodshed. This situation also contradicts with the historic models of our bright Islamic experience, which rested on values of brotherhood, advice and maintaining man`s dignity. Allah, The Almighty, Said (What means): "Invite (all) to the Way of thy Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching; and argue with them in ways that are best and most gracious: for thy Lord knoweth best, who have strayed from His Path, and who receive guidance" [An-Nahil/125].

 

Second: The nation`s unity, which was a reality over centuries as well as a dream for its sons, is experiencing a severe trial and repeated attempts to undermine it; therefore, it is the duty of its sons; especially the wise to be aware of this grave danger and stand up to it, in response to the call for brotherhood (What means): "The Believers are but a single Brotherhood" [Al-Hujuraat/10].

 

Third: The call for firmly establishing the nation`s unity dictates ending various political conflicts and Fatwas, which call for shedding blood, labeling Muslims as disbelievers (Takfeer), and undermining the peace and security of societies.

 

Fourth: We call on the scholars as well as the thinkers of the Muslim nation to favor the nation`s interest, maintain its solidarity and resort to reason in order to stop the killing of Muslims and to render the plots of those trying to undermine the internal peace and security of our societies a failure.

 

Fifth: We call on our Muslim nation to ignore voices that call for accusing Muslims with disbelief and treason, and to abide by the teachings of our true religion, which promotes the values of brotherhood, solidarity, cooperation and reconciliation.

 

We remind our nation with the themes of the Amman Message, which was launched by His Majesty King Abdullah the 2nd. It calls for adherence to the way of Islam in inviting people to Allah through wisdom, beautiful preaching, mercy and good deeds. Moreover, Islam forbids killing people and calls for discarding all forms of violence and extremism and at the same time expressing the importance human's dignity and sanctity which is one of Sharia objectives, as Allah, The Most Exalted Said (What means): We have honoured the sons of Adam." [Al-Israa'/70].

 

Sixth: In order for our nation to free itself from the trial that it is experiencing, its scholars and rulers are required to exert every effort possible to stop all forms of conflict, and resort to wisdom through constructive dialogue and giving priority to the nation`s interest over that of the individual`s. This in order for it to regain trust in itself, enhance the common aspects and delay disputes, as stipulated in the Sharia maxim: warding off harm takes precedence over making benefit, since the Prophet (PBUH) said: "

Whoever helps to kill a believer, even with half a world, he will meet Allah (PBUH) with (the words) written between his eyes, 'He has no hope of the mercy of Allah (PBUH).” [Ibn Majah].

 

We pray that Allah unites all Muslims, spares their lives, and bestows peace and security upon Jordan and the rest of the Muslim countries.

The General Iftaa` Department

 

Article Number [ Previous | Next ]

Read for Author




Comments


Captcha


Warning: this window is not dedicated to receive religious questions, but to comment on topics published for the benefit of the site administrators—and not for publication. We are pleased to receive religious questions in the section "Send Your Question". So we apologize to readers for not answering any questions through this window of "Comments" for the sake of work organization. Thank you.




Summarized Fatawaa

What is the ruling on preparing food for someone who is not fasting in Ramadan?

It is forbidden to prepare food for someone who is breaking their fast without a valid excuse in Ramadan.
Doing so would be assisting in sin, and assisting in sin is itself a sin.
Allah says {what means}: "but help ye not one another in sin and rancour" [Al-Mai`dah/2]

My father has debts and asked me to repay them years ago, and I promised him I would do so upon his death — is it permissible for me to go back on my promise given that I am unable to repay them, especially since he refuses to contribute to repayment on the grounds that the debt has become my responsibility by virtue of my promise?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
The established principle is that a father's debt is to be repaid from his own wealth, if he possesses sufficient means. As for the promise made by the son to repay it on his father's behalf, fulfilling such a promise is strongly recommended, and breaking it is considerably disliked. Shaykh al-Islām Imām al-Nawawī, may Allah have mercy upon him, states: "Fulfilling a promise is emphatically recommended, and breaking it is severely disliked. The evidences for this from the Qurʾān and the Sunnah are well known." [Rawḍat al-Ṭālibīn,Vol. 2/P.278] Shaykh al-Islām Imām Zakariyyā al-Anṣārī, may Allah have mercy upon him, further states: "The reason fulfilling a promise is not obligatory and breaking it is not forbidden is that a promise is in the nature of a gift, and a gift does not become binding except upon receipt." [Asnā al-Maṭālib fī Sharḥ Rawḍ al-Ṭālib,Vol. 2/P.487]
Given that the son does not possess the financial means to fulfil his promise to his father, breaking this promise falls beyond his capacity — and Allah does not burden a soul beyond what it can bear. Since the father himself possesses sufficient wealth to settle his own debt, repayment must be made from his own funds. Should he pass away before doing so, the debt is to be settled from his estate. And Allah the Almighty knows best.

What are the conditions for a valid Udhiyah?

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
First: The age of the animal must meet the Sharia requirements. These requirements vary depending on the type of sacrifice:
 
Camels: Must have completed five years and entered their sixth.
 
Cows: Must have completed two years and entered their third.
 
Goats: Must have completed two years and entered their third. As for Sheep, they must have completed one year and entered their second.
 
Some scholars have permitted goats that have completed one year and entered their second.
 
The Hanafi school, along with an opinion in the Maliki school, permits sacrificing sheep that are at least six months old, provided they are healthy and physically substantial. According to the Shafi’i school, it is permissible if the sheep sheds its front teeth (ajdha') before reaching one year [Al-Iqna’, by Al-Shirbini (Vol.2/P.588)].
 
Second: Soundness and freedom from defects. The animal must be free from any defect that causes a decrease in its meat or market value. This is based on the hadith narrated by Al-Bara' bin 'Azib, that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
 
"Four [defects] are not permissible in sacrifices: A one-eyed animal whose blindness is evident, a sick animal whose illness is evident, a lame animal whose lameness is evident, and an emaciated animal that has no marrow in its bones." [Reported by Abu Dawood and Al-Tirmidhi, who graded it as authentic].
 
These defects are detailed as follows:
 
Evident Lameness: It is not permissible to sacrifice a lame animal if the lameness is severe enough to prevent it from walking to the pasture or seeking food, as this leads to a decrease in its meat. However, slight lameness that does not hinder its grazing is overlooked.
 
Evident Blindness (One-eyed): It is not permissible to sacrifice a sheep, cow, or camel that has a white film over its eye blocking light, or one that has lost an eye entirely. Weak vision that does not affect its ability to eat does not prevent the sacrifice from being valid.
 
Evident Illness: An animal with a clear sickness that prevents it from eating or moving is not valid. This includes severe mange (Jarab) that spoils the meat.
 
Extreme Emaciation: An animal so thin that there is no marrow left in its bones is invalid. The standard for emaciation that invalidates the sacrifice is that which spoils the quality of the meat to the point that people would find it undesirable even in times of plenty.
 
Additional Considerations:
These are the defects mentioned in the Prophetic tradition, and any defect that causes emaciation or reduces the meat or value is compared to them by analogy. This includes animals that are mentally unstable (diseased), those with mange, or those with a missing ear. In contrast, a slit or pierced ear does not affect the validity of the sacrifice. And Allah the Almighty 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.