Articles

Statement on Fatwa and Credibility in its Dissemination
Author : The General Iftaa' Department
Date Added : 07-09-2022

Statement on Fatwa and Credibility in its Dissemination

 

All perfect praise be to Allah the Lord of the Worlds. May His peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Mohammad and upon all his family and companions.

The Iftaa` Department continues its sacred role in issuing Fatwas as part of its religious and national responsibility, and emanating from the words of Allah The Almighty Who Says (What means): "And before thee also the apostles We sent were but men, to whom We granted inspiration: if ye realise this not, ask of those who possess the Message." [An-Nahil/43].

These Fatwas cover a wide spectrum, such as acts of worship, transactions, philosophy, and morals. The Department stresses that its message aims to establish the foundations of the making of Fatwa in an institutionalized and global form. This is based on the magnanimous objectives of Sharia and the concepts of the true Islam in a bid to raise the religious awareness of society, preserve its intellectual security and social unity, and fortify it against aberrant and extreme thoughts.

It is well known that a Fatwa has special context and circumstances and is usually issued as an answer to a questioner who wants to know the ruling of Sharia on a certain issue. Some Fatwas are published on the Department`s website not for propaganda but to be benefitted from by researchers, academicians, and students of knowledge.

It has been observed that media publish some Fatwas out of their true frame and circumstances causing them to be misunderstood and reflecting a negative image of the nature of the Department`s work.

In addition to stressing the pioneering role of the media in transmitting the information, the Department reminds that it isn`t permissible to take the Fatwa out of its occasion, time, place or use it for a purpose other than that for which it was issued in the first place. Therefore, the Department calls on media to spread Fatwas based on the moral responsibility governing the staff working in this field. This is to serve the country and citizens as well as preserve its safety and security. And All perfect praise be to Allah The Lord of The Worlds.

 

 

 

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Summarized Fatawaa

Is a woman's prayer performed while following an Imam whose prayer is being broadcasted via the television valid, and does she receive the reward of congregational prayer?

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
Among the conditions for the validity of following an Imam (Iqtida’) is that the Imam and the follower must be in the same location. Therefore, the prayer of one who follows an Imam whose prayer is being broadcasted via television from a distant location is not valid. However, if the follower is with the Imam in the same mosque, the prayer is valid. 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.

If a traveler settles or a sick person recovers while fasting, is it permissible for them to break their fast?

● If a sick person starts the day fasting and then recovers during the day, they must complete their fast.
● If a traveler starts the day fasting and then settles (returns or stops traveling) during the day, they must also complete their fast.
● It is forbidden for both of them to break their fast because the concession (rukhsah) is no longer valid once its reason disappears.

Is the prayer of a woman who is led by an Imam via T.V. permissible?

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.                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Amongst the conditions for the validity of prayer is that both the Imam and those led by him must be in the same place. Thus, the prayer of the person who is being led by a televised Imam is invalid unless he/she was with him in the same mosque. And Allah Knows Best.