Articles

Statement on the Mobile Phone Competition Insulting the Companions
Author : The General Iftaa` Department
Date Added : 23-02-2023

 

The General Iftaa` Department received many calls, messages and inquiries about a message, insulting the Noble Companion Omar bin Al-Khattab, sent in a texting competition from a cell phone company.

We, the General Iftaa` Department, reject insulting or undermining any of the Prophet`s Noble Companions given their high status in the sight of both the Prophet and all Muslims.

 

They are the ones who carried the message of Islam after the passing away of the Prophet Mohammad, blessings and peace be upon him. They were also praised in many verses of the Quran as well as many Prophetic traditions:

 

Allah The Almighty Says {What means}: "God’s Good Pleasure was on the Believers when they swore Fealty to thee under the Tree: He knew what was in their hearts, and He sent down Tranquility to them; and He rewarded them with a speedy Victory;" {Al-Fatih, 18}. He also Says {What means}: "The vanguard (of Islam) - the first of those who forsook (their homes) and of those who gave them aid, and (also) those who follow them in (all) good deeds,- well- pleased is God with them, as are they with Him: for them hath He prepared gardens under which rivers flow, to dwell therein forever: that is the supreme felicity." {At-Tawbah, 100}. In addition, Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (PBUH) as saying: "Do not revile my Companions, do not revile my Companions. By Him in Whose Hand is my life, if one amongst you would have spent as much gold as Uhud it would not amount to as much as one much on behalf of one of them or half of it." {Transmitted by Bukhari}. The Prophet (PBUH) also said: "The people of my generation are the best, then those who follow them, and then those who follow the latter. After that there will come some people whose witness will go ahead of their oaths, and their oaths will go ahead of their witness." {Transmitted by Bukhari}.

 

We reject any insult to any of the Noble Companions of the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him. Therefore, the Grand Mufti called that company and asked for an explanation, so it sent a letter indicating that the telecommunications company had nothing to do with this and only provided value-added services to another company. That other company apologized, expressed deep sorrow, and explained that it was a technical error where the answers to that particular question were mixed with those of another.

 

Accordingly, the General Iftaa` Department takes utmost care not to offend the religious feelings of the citizens and affirms that participation in short-messages contests via cellular phones involves eating up people`s wealth unjustly, so such contests are forbidden because they involve gambling. And Allah The Almighty Knows Best.

 

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Summarized Fatawaa

What is the ruling on forgiving a tenant next month's rent, with the intention of counting it toward zakāh al-māl?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
It does not fulfill the obligation to count the rent owed on a house, or a portion of it, in lieu of zakāh. Rather, it is necessary to first transfer ownership of the zakāh amount to the poor person directly; only afterward may he be asked to pay the rent [from that money].
It is stated in ‘Umdat as-Sālik (p. 112): "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]."
We would also remind [the reader] of the ḥadīth of the Prophet ﷺ: "The Muslim is the brother of the Muslim: he does not wrong him, nor does he abandon him [to harm]. Whoever attends to the needs of his brother, Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, will attend to his needs. Whoever relieves a Muslim of a hardship, Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, will relieve him of one of the hardships of the Day of Resurrection. And whoever conceals [the faults of] a Muslim, Allah will conceal him on the Day of Resurrection." (Agreed upon). And Allah, the Exalted, knows best.

Is it permissible for one to give the Zakah (obligatory charity) to his indebted brother?

It is permissible for one to give the Zakah to his brother if he was indebted, or poor.

Is it permissible for a woman to uncover her face while performing Umrah (minor Hajj)?

The woman while in a state of Ihram (ritual consecration) is obligated to uncover her face and hands, but at the same time permitted to let her head-covering garment drape from her head down over her face when non-Mahram (i.e., marriageable) men pass by her. And Allah Knows Best.

Is it permissible to slaughter sacrificial animals in public squares and streets?

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
The slaughtering of sacrificial animals (udhiyah) should take place in locations designated for slaughter, such as abattoirs (slaughterhouses), or in sites allocated by the relevant authorities for this purpose.
 
It is not permissible to perform slaughtering in a random or haphazard manner—such as in public squares, on roadsides, or in front of houses—in a way that creates health hazards, causes public nuisance, or endangers public safety. And Allah Almighty knows best.