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Contemporary Fatwas and Human Rights
Author : Dr. Hassan Abu_Arqoub
Date Added : 18-09-2022

Contemporary Fatwas and Human Rights

 

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was created on 10 December 1948. This preamble states: "The inherent dignity of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world."

The foundation upon which the Universal Declaration was built is that human dignity is shared by all people, no matter who they are or where they live. This exact meaning is reflected in the Message Islam came with and called people to. Here, Allah The Almighty Says (What means): "We have honoured the sons of Adam; provided them with transport on land and sea; given them for sustenance things good and pure; and conferred on them special favours, above a great part of our creation." [Al-Israa`/70]. A person deserves to enjoy human dignity because he/she is a human being, regardless of any differences.

Sharia has established its rules upon this solid foundation of respecting a human being and honoring him/her. This was and still is the basis of the Jurists` Fatwas.

One example in the old Fiqh is that the Hanfi jurists ruled that it isn`t permissible to sell human hair and bone despite the fact that they are pure. The Illah (the effective or operative cause behind a law) is, as reflected in the texts of Sharia, a dignified human being.

If we take a close look at the contemporary, Fatwas delivered by the General Iftaa` Department, we will notice that they respect human rights and take them into consideration. This is reflected in the following examples:

The Department has issued Fatwas addressing several issues. One Fatwa prohibited discharging guns in celebration of different occasions. Another forbade taking a life under the pretext of honor and forbade suicide to preserve life.

A Fatwa prohibited chastising with fire, opposing torture because it violates human dignity. It also banned filming people injured or killed in accidents to stop violating their privacy and dignity. Moreover, a Fatwa was issued allowing a Muslim to work for organizations concerned with protecting the rights of the vulnerable and war prisoners to support such groups.

There is a Fatwa prohibits the surgical removal of the uteri of the mentally challenged girls since this constitutes an act of aggression against human body through unnecessary surgery and incision. 

The Department has also delivered several Fatwas forbidding the right hand possession to preserve and respect human dignity. For instance, it forbade taking Yazidi women as war prisoners. It also called for claiming rights through the proper legal channels to be granted the right to a fair trial.

The Department has also confirmed that the wife is financially independent, none has the right to take her money without her consent, and has the right to inherit and it is forbidden to deny her that right.

The Department permitted giving Zakah to the poor student to encourage learning as an inherent human right. As a right to participate in cultural life, the Fatwa of the Department confirmed the rights of intellectual property and creativity.

At the practical level, the Department has organized a discussion session on human rights within the Iftaa` Cultural Forum under the heading "Human Rights: Concepts and Roots" delivered by the Commissioner General for Human Rights Dr. Mousa Braizat. 

In collaboration with the Ministry of Environment, the Department established a training course for its staff entitled "Media and the Environment" to train them to spread environmental awareness because a sound environment is a human right. This is in addition to the training workshop entitled (How to Deal with Disabled Persons). Another training workshop entitled "Learning Sign Language" was established for the staff of the Department to facilitate dealing with the deaf and mute. This is in addition to many Fatwas and activities that go in line with human rights in Islamic and international law, which indicates that Department pays attention to human aspects and isn`t far from the legislation that guarantees human rights and preserves human dignity.

 

 

The published article reflects the opinion of its author

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Summarized Fatawaa

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 istinja' before every ablution?

Istinja' is not from the conditions for the validity of ablution. It is only obligatory for prayer when there is impurity from urine or stool on the private part, or if there is fear of the impurity spreading to the body or clothing. And Allah the Almighty 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.

In the Sharia-compliant viewing  at a prospective bride (*al-naẓrah al-sharʿiyyah*), is it permissible for the man to see the woman without a veil (*ḥijāb*)?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
It is sunnah for the suitor to see the woman he is seeking to marry within the limits the Sharīʿah permits, namely looking at the face and the hands (palms and backs), based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): “Look at her, for it is more likely to bring about harmony between you.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhī.
The suitor may also ask one of the women to look at the woman he is seeking to marry. In that case, she is permitted to see of her what she is normally permitted to see, which is not limited to the face and hands, and she then describes these matters to the suitor. It is narrated on the authority of Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) sent Umm Sulaym to look at a girl, and said: “Smell her breath, and look at her heels.” Narrated by Aḥmad in his Musnad.
It is stated in Tuḥfat al-Muḥtāj (Vol.7/p.192): “For one who cannot easily look, or does not wish to look himself, it is sunnah to send someone who is permitted to look at her, to observe her and describe her to him, even regarding what he himself is not permitted to look at. He thereby gains through the sending what he would not gain through looking. Because of the added need for this, it is excepted from the prohibition of a woman describing another woman to a man.”
The permissibility of looking is conditional upon his resolve to marry her once he is able to, his predominant assumption that his proposal will be accepted, and his assumption that the woman is free of marriage and of a waiting period (ʿiddah). Otherwise, looking is forbidden.
Accordingly, it is not permissible for the suitor to look at anything other than the face and hands. He may ask one of his maḥram women, such as his mother or sister, to see the woman unveiled, and the Sharia-compliant viewing (of a prospective bride) must take place in the presence of one of the woman’s maḥrams. And Allah Almighty knows best.

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