Articles

Islamic View on the Custom of Extravagance during Ramadan
Author : The General Iftaa` Department
Date Added : 15-02-2023

 

Ramadan is the month of goodness and blessings in which Allah opens the gates of His mercy to His worshippers and bestows His grace upon them so that they thank Him and ask for more.

Allah The Almighty Says {What means}: "Then do ye remember Me; I will remember you. Be grateful to Me, and reject not Faith." {Al-Baqarah/152}. 

 

It doesn`t befit a believing slave who is in need for Allah to be ungrateful to His Blessings during Ramadan by wasting food and drink and spending money lavishly to the extent of corrupting homes and harming society. In fact, behaving in this manner defies the real objective behind legislating fasting, which is disciplining self and freeing it from its covetousness. Almighty Allah Says in this regard {What means}: "And those saved from the covetousness of their own souls, - they are the ones that achieve prosperity." {Al-Hashir/9}.

 

In addition to Sharia, both logic and custom condemn extravagance because an extravagant person takes Allah`s Blessings lightly, behaves arrogantly, shows misconduct and poor management skills. This is why Allah Describes such person with the most awful of descriptions. He, The Almighty Says (What means): "And render to the kindred their due rights, as (also) to those in want, and to the wayfarer: But squander not (your wealth) in the manner of a spendthrift. Verily spendthrifts are brothers of the Evil Ones; and the Evil One is to his Lord (himself) ungrateful." {Al-Isra`/26-27}. He also Warns against the repercussion, for squandering wealth, in this life and the next where He said: "Make not thy hand tied (like a niggard’s) to thy neck, nor stretch it forth to its utmost reach, so that thou become blameworthy and destitute." {Al-Isra`/29}.

 

Along with approving what is mentioned earlier, we remind of the afflictions that many Muslims are experiencing. They can hardly find food and are suffering from diseases due to malnutrition while spendthrifts brag about different types of food and drink that they waste. Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) said: "If a person living in a neighborhood sleeps while hungry, Allah's responsibility towards the people of that neighborhood no longer applies." {Related by Ahmad}.

 

A true Muslim is one who cares for others and helps them overcome afflictions, as was our role model Prophet Mohammad (PBUH). He (PBUH) would spend several nights in a row with an empty stomach, and his family would not find anything for dinner. 

 

Having said that, how could those who spend their money lavishly on different types of food and drink, which will end in the garbage can, comprehend the objectives for which fasting was legislated while others can`t find pieces of bread to feed themselves and their children?!

 

We ask Allah to teach us how to achieve kindness in Ramadan and eschew squandering wealth in the manner of a spendthrift.  And Allah The Most Exalted Knows Best.

 

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Summarized Fatawaa

What is the ruling on a woman using contraception without her husband's knowledge if he is mistreating her?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
It is not permissible for a woman to use any means of delaying pregnancy without her husband's knowledge, consent, and mutual agreement. This is because having children is a sharʿī right belonging to both spouses equally in Islamic law. Imām al-Māwardī, may Allah have mercy upon him, stated: "The right to a child from a free woman is shared between them both" — meaning between the two spouses. [al-Ḥāwī al-Kabīr, 9/320]
It is therefore not permissible for either spouse to make a unilateral decision regarding the prevention of pregnancy without the consent of the other. We advise both spouses to discuss the matter with wisdom and mutual respect, so as to resolve any disagreement and arrive at a suitable solution that serves the interests of them both. And Allah the Almighty knows best.

What is the ruling of Islamic Law on participating in the prize draws (raffles) that commercial stores hold for their customers?

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
There is no objection to participating in the prize draws (raffles) that commercial stores hold for their customers, provided that the buyer's intention in purchasing is not merely to enter the competition without any need for what is bought — rather, the purchase must be genuinely intended for the item itself, and one must not pay more than the item's fair market price. This is because paying an amount above the market price would effectively be paying a fee to enter the prize draw, which would render it a form of gambling (qimār).
These prizes are, in essence, gifts that businesses offer through a random drawing (qur'ah) to those who purchase from them, as a means of encouraging sales, without the customer bearing any additional monetary cost for participation. So long as the aforementioned conditions are met, there is no objection to benefiting from the prize offered by the store, as it is considered a lawful prize from the viewpoint of Islamic Law.
It is stated in the resolutions of the "Jordanian Iftaa' Board" (Resolution No. 47), in the context of outlining the conditions for permissible prizes: "The price of the ticket [or item purchased] for the sake of the prize must not exceed its original price, so that there is no payment of money in exchange for participation in the draw." And Allah, the Most High, knows best.

Is the father a Mahram (Non-marriageable) to his son`s mother-in-law?

The father is a non-Mahram (Marriageable) to his son`s mother-in-law, so it is impermissible for them to look at each other, or to have a seclusion (Khalwah).

What is the monetary value for the expiation of an oath (Kaffarat al-Yamin)?

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
The expiation for an oath (Kaffarat al-Yamin) consists of feeding ten (10) needy persons. This is estimated at 600 grams of rice per person. It is also permissible to pay its value in cash, which is estimated at one dinar (per person). And Allah the Exalted knows best.