Articles

A statement on Recognizing Jerusalem as Capital of the Israeli Entity
Author : The General Iftaa` Department
Date Added : 07-12-2017

 

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

The General Iftaa' Department strongly condemns the resolution taken by the US administration in which it recognized Jerusalem as capital of the Israeli occupation and  decided moving the US Embassy there. This act constitutes a flagrant violation against Muslims' creed.

On its part, the Dept. reminds the world of the UNISCO's World Heritage Center`s resolution which ascertains that Israel has no sovereignty over Jerusalem. Accordingly, the U.S resolution is invalid in all forms and defies the international law and all related resolutions. Moreover, issuing such resolution incites conflicts and crises in a region that is already suffering the scourge of war.

Almighty Allah has privileged Al-Aqsa Mosque with a special place in the hearts of all Muslims emanating from  the essence of their belief since it  (Al-Aqsa Mosque) is the first of the two Qiblahs (Al-Aqsa Mosque and Al-Masjid Al-Haraam of Makkah), the second of the two Holy Mosques (The sacred mosques of Makkah and Medina) ,the third of the Harams as well as the place from where the Messenger (PBUH) embarked on his nocturnal journey (Al-Israa`wal Mi`raaj). Al-Aqsa Mosque is a sacred destination to which hearts of Muslims yarn and rewards are multiplied. The Prophet (PBUH) said: "You should not undertake a special journey to visit any place other than the three mosques: the Sacred Mosque of Makkah, this Mosque of mine and Al-Aqsa Mosque (of Jerusalem). [Agreed upon].

We ,The Jordan Iftaa` Department, who are privileged with a wise Hashemite leadership that spares no effort in restoring and defending Al-Aqsa Mosque based on deeply-rooted Islamic belief that tightly bonds all Muslims, stress our rejection to all the provocative acts undertaken by the oppressive Israeli enemy against Muslims with the purpose of dividing as well as  Judaizing  the mosque. Almighty Allah Says in the Holy Quran (What means): "And who does greater evil than he who bars God's places of worship, so that His Name be not invoked in them, and strives to ruin them?; such men might never enter them, save in fear; for them in this world is degradation; and in the Hereafter a mighty chastisement." [Al-Baqarah /114].

We highly value the steadfastness of our Palestinian brothers and commend their heroic defense of Jerusalem and the holy places. We ask Allah The Exalted to bestow victory upon them and keep them strong.

In this era, it is the religious duty of all Muslims: people, leaderships, governments, and intellectuals to defend Al-Aqsa Mosque against all dangers and violations. We confirm that the guardianship over Al-Aqsa Mosque is the right of all Muslims represented by the Hashemite leadership which enjoyed that privilege by virtue of its historic legacy and the guardianship agreement signed with the Palestinian Authority, and not with the Israeli occupation authorities whose acts aren`t recognized as far as this matter is concerned. We also confirm that it is impermissible to undermine this guardianship over the holy places, or abdicate it.

We pray that Allah, The Exalted, protects Jerusalem, the Islamic sanctities and the Muslim nation. And All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of The Worlds.

The General Iftaa' Dept.

 

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Summarized Fatawaa

What is the ruling of Islamic Law on performing prayer on the upper floors of al-Masjid al-Ḥarām?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
Facing the actual structure of the Ka‘bah (‘ayn al-Ka‘bah) is one of the conditions for the validity of the prayer. The scholars have clarified what is meant by "the actual structure of the Ka‘bah."
Imam ash-Sharwānī (raḥimahullāh) said: "What is meant by its ‘ayn (actual structure) is its physical body, or the airspace directly aligned with it — if the person praying is not inside it. But if he is inside it, then the airspace alone does not suffice; rather, the actual physical structure must be faced, such that even if he faces a projecting part of it measuring roughly two-thirds of a dhirā‘ (cubit) or more, this would be sufficient." [Ḥāshiyat ash-Sharwānī ‘alā Tuḥfat al-Muḥtāj, Vol.1/P.484]
Sheikh al-Qulyūbī (raḥimahullāh) said: "Unlike one who prays outside it — i.e., outside the Ka‘bah — for him the airspace (directly above it) suffices, even if he is higher than it, or even if he is at the location where it (hypothetically) has been demolished." [Ḥāshiyat al-Qulyūbī ‘alā Sharḥ al-Minhāj,  Vol.1/P.154]
Accordingly, the prayer is valid on the upper floors of al-Masjid al-Ḥarām, even though these floors are higher than the roof of the Ka‘bah itself. And Allah, the Exalted, knows best.

What is the ruling of Islamic Law on selling gold or silver in installments or for a differed price?

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
It is prohibited (haram) to sell gold or silver in installments or for a deferred price; rather, immediate hand-to-hand exchange (Taqabud) is mandatory, otherwise, it is considered usury (Riba). The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: 'Gold for gold, silver for silver, wheat for wheat, barley for barley, dates for dates, and salt for salt—like for like, hand to hand. Whoever increases or asks for an increase has engaged in Riba; the receiver and the giver are the same in this regard.' (Narrated by Muslim). Furthermore, when exchanging new gold for used gold, they must be of equal weight, or it falls into Riba.
 
The permissible solution (al-makhraj) is for the merchant to purchase the used gold for cash first, and then sell the new gold for cash in a separate transaction. However, the price must be paid during the sitting of the contract (Majlis al-Aqd) for both deals. Alternatively, the jeweler may take the used gold with the intent of remodeling or repairing it, and then charge a fee for the craftsmanship or repair work. And Allah the Exalted knows best."

What is the ruling on waiving a debt owed by a debtor and counting it toward zakāh?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
Waiving a debt owed by a debtor, with the intention of counting it toward zakāh, does not fulfill the zakāh obligation. Rather, it constitutes an ordinary act of charity, for which Allah rewards the giver generously — since one of the conditions for the validity of zakāh is that the person paying it must form the intention of zakāh at the actual moment the wealth is paid out. In this case, the debt has already been established as a standing obligation upon the borrower, so it is not valid to simply redirect the intention toward zakāh after the fact.
It is preferable, instead, for the creditor to first collect the debt from the debtor, and then return to him the amount of money he is required to pay as zakāh — or a portion of it — if the debtor happens to fall under one of the eight categories that Allah, the Exalted, has commanded be given from zakāh.
It is stated in ‘Umdat as-Sālik, from the books of the Shāfi‘ī school: "If someone gives [money] to a poor person, stipulating that the recipient return it to him in payment of a debt owed to him, or says, 'I am making what you owe me into zakāh, so take it [as such]' — this is not valid. But if he gives it to him with the [unstated] intention that the recipient will use it to repay him, or says, 'Repay what you owe me, so that I may [then separately] give it to you as zakāh,' or the debtor himself says, 'Give it to me, so that I may [then] repay you with it' — this is valid, and there is no binding obligation for the recipient to actually fulfill this [informal understanding]." And Allah, the Exalted, knows best.

What is the ruling on performing Tarawih in sets of four rak‘ahs with only one Tasleem?

It is not permissible to combine more than two rak‘ahs with a single Tasleem in Tarawih prayer. Whoever does so, their prayer is invalid. Shaykh al-Islam Imam Muhammad al-Ramli (may Allah have mercy on him) stated: "If a person prays four rak‘ahs of the Tarawih prayer with a single Tasleem, it is not valid if they did so intentionally and with knowledge [of the prohibition]. Otherwise, it becomes an 'absolute voluntary prayer' (nafl mutlaq); because it is contrary to what has been prescribed." [Nihayat al-Muhtaj, Vol.2/P.127].