Articles

First Master`s Dissertation in Management about the Iftaa` Department
Author : Presenter Wafa` Al-Arrori
Date Added : 02-01-2023

First Master`s Dissertation in Management about the Iftaa` Department

 

Any master`s student or researcher has the right to excel with regards to conducting research and scoring colorful marks. I have put careful thought when choosing a title for this dissertation and I was lucky to choose the General Iftaa` Department of Jordan, which was from a list of institutions, to conduct my study. I found that it represents a unique case since the management of this renowned religious institution accepts objective suggestions and strives to upgrade its performance on the individual and collective levels, in addition to working hard for developing its electronic systems to keep pace with the times. Those in charge of this institution are trustworthy and demonstrate the highest degrees of reliability, honesty, response, and secrecy-by virtue of their nature and heavy responsibility they shoulder-therefore, their electronic requirements will identify with their innate characteristics. This enables the researcher to look for weaknesses, if any, and develop suitable proposals to overcome them.

In compliance with this verse whereas Allah The Most Exalted, Said (What means): {Now hath come unto you a clear (Sign) from your Lord! Give just measure and weight, nor withhold from the people the things that are their due; and do no mischief on the earth after it has been set in order: that will be best for you, if ye have Faith.}[Al-A'raf/85].  As well as it is a confirmation of what Prophet (PBUH) in a sound narration that states: "He who does not thank people does not thank God.}, it is my duty to thank the General Iftaa` Department represented by the venerable Grand Mufti of Jordan Sheikh Abdulkareem Al-Khasawneh who has been very supportive of me and provided whatever I needed to complete the study in a manner that depicts reality without embellishing."

I also extend my thanks to the muftis and the members of the administrative staff for their kind treatment, intellectual and moral maturity, which made me happy for having chosen this Department for my studies in the first place. In fact, this study is entitled "The Effect of the Quality of the Electronic Services on Perceived Expectations in the General Iftaa` Department of Jordan."

The General Iftaa` Department, which is characterized by the quality of its electronic services and the ease of dealing with its electronic windows, has become the focus of attention for whoever seeks fatwa from within and outside the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

Taking the browsing times into consideration, a great number of people have visited the Department`s website which also attracts researchers and seekers of realistic fatwas. In fact, it is one of the top websites at the level of the Muslim states.

Most of the Department`s members are satisfied with the electronic applications they deal with; whether about management of finances or following up fatwa requests.

On the personal level, I was overwhelmed with joy while conducting the study and extracting the findings. This study is dissimilar to many former studies in the sense that it highlights the positive side of the services provided by the Department and making it a standard case to be taken as a model.

Another aspect that increased my sense of happiness and confidence is that this study is the first of its kind to address a topic in the field of "Business Management" in the General Iftaa` Department of Jordan and haven`t explored the core of the Department`s function.

I`m confident that the Department will adopt my study`s recommendations following the words of Umar ibn Al-Khattab (May Allah be pleased with him) who said: "May Allah have mercy on the one who shows me my faults."

Again, I extend my deepest thanks to the Grand Mufti and the staff members of the Iftaa` Department.

 

 

 

 

 

The published article reflects the opinion of its author

Article Number [ Previous | Next ]




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

Is it permissible to offer an Udhiyah on behalf of the deceased?

In the Name of Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
Offering an Udhiyah (sacrificial animal) on behalf of a deceased person is permissible. This is the official position of the Hanbali school (as stated in Kashshaf al-Qina’ by al-Bahuti,Vol.6/P.428) and was also upheld by the prominent Shafi'i scholar Al-’Abbadi (mentioned in Bidayat al-Muhtaj by Ibn Qadi Shuhbah,Vol. 4/P.358). It has likewise been narrated as a valid view among some Maliki and Hanafi scholars.
 
In fact, Imam Abu Dawud dedicated an entire chapter in his Sunan collection entitled, "Chapter on Sacrificing on Behalf of the Deceased." In it, he recorded a narration from Hanash, who said: "I saw 'Ali sacrificing two rams, so I asked him, 'What is this?' He replied, 'The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded me to offer a sacrifice on his behalf, so I am sacrificing on his behalf.'"
 
Imam Abu Dawud also narrated from Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "O Allah, this is from You, for You, and on behalf of Muhammad and his Ummah (community). In the Name of Allah, and Allah is the Greatest," and he then slaughtered the animal.
 
The textual evidence here lies in the fact that our Master, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), offered a sacrifice on behalf of his entire community—and it is well-established that his community includes those who have already passed away.
 
Furthermore, there is an abundance of sacred texts demonstrating that the rewards of righteous deeds reach the deceased. For instance, it is permissible to fast on behalf of a deceased person who passed away with missed obligatory fasts, and it is equally permissible to perform Hajj on their behalf, both of which are firmly established in authentic Hadiths. Therefore, if the reward of fasting (which is a purely physical act of worship) and Hajj (which is a joint physical and financial act of worship) can reach the deceased, then the reward of an Udhiyah reaches them with greater reason (by way of A Fortiori argument). This is because it is a purely financial act of worship, falling under the general category of charity (Sadaqah).
 
Additionally, scholars have reached a consensus (Ijma') that the rewards of charity reach the deceased, and since the Udhiyah is inherently an act of charity, it falls under the same ruling. Consequently, based on all the aforementioned evidence, we hold the view that offering a sacrifice on behalf of the deceased is entirely permissible. And Allah the Almighty Knows Best.

When does the time for Udhiyah begin?

 
In the Name of Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
The permissible timeframe for Udhiyah (sacrificial offering) begins on the day of Eid al-Adha—the 10th of Dhul-Hijjah—once the sun has risen and a period of time sufficient to perform two brief prayer units (Rak'ahs) and two short sermons (Khutbahs) has passed. This window remains open until the sun sets on the final day of Tashreeq, which is the 13th of Dhul-Hijjah.
 
Our Master, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), said: "Every valley of Mina is a place of sacrifice, and slaughtering may be done throughout all the days of Tashreeq." (Narrated by Al-Bayhaqi and Ibn Hibban)
 
The days of Tashreeq refer to the 11th, 12th, and 13th of Dhul-Hijjah.
 
The most virtuous time to perform the sacrifice is immediately after concluding the Eid prayer, based on the statement of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): "The first thing we do on this day of ours is to pray, then we return and offer our sacrifice. Whoever does that has acted in accordance with our Sunnah (tradition), and whoever slaughters before that, it is merely meat he has provided for his family; it has nothing to do with the ritual sacrifice." (Reported by Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
 
What is meant here is an estimation of time rather than the actual performance of the prayer itself, as our Master, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), used to offer the Eid al-Adha prayer immediately after sunrise.
 
The sacrifice is valid if performed at any time during these designated days, whether by day or by night, though slaughtering at night is considered disliked (Makruh). And Allah the Almighty Knows Best.

What is the waiting period ('Iddah) for a woman whose husband has passed away, and what is the ruling on her wearing gold?

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
The waiting period ('Iddah) for a woman whose husband has passed away is four months and ten days for one who is not pregnant. As for a pregnant woman, her waiting period lasts until she gives birth. It is obligatory for her to remain in the marital home, only leaving for a necessity. During this time, it is prohibited (Haram) to display any form of adornment on the body or clothing; this includes wearing kohl, gold, all types of perfume, and dyeing the hair. Likewise, it is prohibited to receive a direct marriage proposal or to marry during this period.
 
It was narrated by Umm 'Atiyyah that the Prophet ﷺ said: 'We were forbidden to mourn for a deceased person for more than three days, except for a husband, for whom the mourning period is four months and ten days. During this time, we were not to use kohl, nor wear perfume, nor wear dyed clothing except for garments made of 'Asb (coarsely dyed yarn). We were, however, granted a concession at the time of purification—when one of us bathed following her menses—to use a small amount of Kust (costus) or Azfar (fragrant substances). We were also forbidden from following funeral processions.' (Narrated by Al-Bukhari). And Allah the Exalted knows best."

Is it valid to perform the obligatory prayer while sitting?

 

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
Standing (Al-Qiyam) while having the ability to do so is one of the pillars (Arkan) of the prayer; the obligatory (Faridah) prayer is not valid without it. However, whoever is unable to stand may pray sitting down. As for voluntary (Nafilah) prayers, it is permissible to pray them sitting even if one is able to stand, but the one sitting receives half the reward of the one who prays standing. And Allah the Exalted knows best.