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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 of Islamic Law regarding one who purchases a sacrificial animal (uḍḥiyah) and it then develops a defect before slaughter?

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
If a defect that invalidates the sacrifice (uḍḥiyah) arises after its purchase — for example, if one purchased a sound, defect-free animal, and it then developed a limp, blindness in one eye, or a similar defect before slaughter — it does not fulfill the requirement of a valid uḍḥiyah, according to the Shāfi'ī school.
It is stated in Asnā al-Maṭālib fī Sharḥ Rawḍ al-Ṭālib (Vol.1/P.535): "Even if the limp develops [in the animal] while the knife is upon it, it still does not fulfill the requirement, because it is lame at the moment of slaughter — this is analogous to a case where a sheep's leg breaks and one hastens to slaughter it [in that condition]."
The Ḥanbalī school, however, held that if the one offering the sacrifice purchased the animal while it was sound and defect-free, and a defect then befell it afterward, the sacrifice remains valid and there is no obligation to replace it.
It is stated in Masā'il al-Imām Aḥmad, one of the Ḥanbalī reference works (Vol.8/P.4021): "I said: If a person purchases the sacrificial animal while it is sound, and it is then afflicted with illness, blindness in one eye, or a broken limb [before slaughter]? He [Imam Aḥmad] said: It is said that it still fulfills the requirement. Isḥāq said likewise, because he purchased it while sound, and the defect befell it only afterward, so it remains sufficient on his behalf." [End of quote]
Accordingly, a sheep afflicted with a defect that invalidates the sacrifice does not fulfill the requirement of a valid uḍḥiyah — whether the defect arose after purchase or during the slaughter itself — according to the Shāfi'ī school. However, there is no objection to following the Ḥanbalī position on this matter [as a valid alternative]. And Allah, the Most High, 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 of Islamic Law regarding one who slaughters a ewe and it turns out to have been pregnant, and is it permissible to slaughter the ewe if one knows it is pregnant?

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
If a person slaughters a ewe and it turns out to have been pregnant, the fetus becomes lawful (ḥalāl) by virtue of its mother's slaughter (tabaʿan li-ummihā).
It is stated in Mughnī al-Muḥtāj (Vol.6/P.158): "A fetus found dead [after the mother's slaughter], or found alive but in a state resembling that of a slaughtered animal [i.e., dying shortly after], becomes lawful — whether or not it had grown fur — provided it is found in the womb of a mother that was lawfully slaughtered, whether her slaughter was by cutting the throat, or by an arrow or hunting dog sent after her. This is based on the ḥadīth: 'The slaughtering of the fetus is [effected by] the slaughtering of its mother' [narrated by al-Tirmidhī, who graded it ḥasan, and by Ibn Ḥibbān, who graded it ṣaḥīḥ] — meaning that the slaughter which rendered the mother lawful renders the fetus lawful as well, by virtue of following her; and because the fetus is one of her constituent parts, and her slaughter renders lawful all of her parts."
This ruling differs, however, from the case of one who knows from the outset that the ewe is pregnant [and intends to sacrifice her specifically as the udḥiyah while pregnant] — in which case, according to the Shāfi'ī school, she does not fulfill the requirement of a valid sacrifice.
It is stated in Ḥāshiyat al-Bujayrimī 'alā al-Khaṭīb (Vol.4/P.335): "A pregnant animal does not fulfill the requirement [of a valid sacrifice], and this is the authoritative position (al-mu'tamad), because pregnancy diminishes the quality of the meat. As for why such an animal is nevertheless counted as complete [i.e., fully valid] in matters of zakāh, that is because the intent there is reproduction (nasl), not the quality of the meat.". And Allah, the Most High, knows best.

Which is better during the day in Ramadan: reciting the Quran or performing voluntary prayers?

A Muslim should establish a daily schedule for reciting the Quran in Ramadan.
Once they have completed their daily portion (known as a wird or hizb), they can engage in other acts of worship, including voluntary prayers (nawafil). Prayer itself is called "Quran", because a significant part of it involves reciting the Quran.
Allah says: "BE CONSTANT in [thy] prayer from the time when the sun has passed its zenith till the darkness of night, and [be ever mindful of its] recitation at dawn: for, behold, the recitation [of prayer] at dawn is indeed witnessed [by all that is holy]." [Al-Isra`/78]

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