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 age of the Aqiqa or the Udhiyah?

 
Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
The minimum age for a sacrificial animal (Udhiyah) and the birth sacrifice (Aqiqa) is as follows:
 
Camels: Five years old, entering their sixth year.
 
Cattle and Goats: Two years old, entering their third year.
 
Sheep: One year old, entering their second year; however, it is permissible for a sheep to be six months old provided it is large in size and plump.
 
And Allah the Exalted knows best.

What is the ruling of Islamic Law on performing prayer on the upper floors of al-Masjid al-Ḥarām?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
Facing the actual structure of the Ka‘bah (‘ayn al-Ka‘bah) is one of the conditions for the validity of the prayer. The scholars have clarified what is meant by "the actual structure of the Ka‘bah."
Imam ash-Sharwānī (raḥimahullāh) said: "What is meant by its ‘ayn (actual structure) is its physical body, or the airspace directly aligned with it — if the person praying is not inside it. But if he is inside it, then the airspace alone does not suffice; rather, the actual physical structure must be faced, such that even if he faces a projecting part of it measuring roughly two-thirds of a dhirā‘ (cubit) or more, this would be sufficient." [Ḥāshiyat ash-Sharwānī ‘alā Tuḥfat al-Muḥtāj, Vol.1/P.484]
Sheikh al-Qulyūbī (raḥimahullāh) said: "Unlike one who prays outside it — i.e., outside the Ka‘bah — for him the airspace (directly above it) suffices, even if he is higher than it, or even if he is at the location where it (hypothetically) has been demolished." [Ḥāshiyat al-Qulyūbī ‘alā Sharḥ al-Minhāj,  Vol.1/P.154]
Accordingly, the prayer is valid on the upper floors of al-Masjid al-Ḥarām, even though these floors are higher than the roof of the Ka‘bah itself. And Allah, the Exalted, knows best.

How is the niṣāb (minimum threshold) of gold calculated when one owns gold of multiple different karats?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
Zakāh is obligatory on cash and on gold designated for saving or for trade, provided the total reaches the niṣāb (minimum threshold liable for Zakah), and a full ḥawl (lunar year) has elapsed over it. The niṣāb is (85) grams of 24-karat gold; for 21-karat gold, the niṣāb equals (97) grams; and for 18-karat gold, it equals (113) grams.
If one owns gold of multiple different karats, the person paying zakāh should calculate the monetary value of all the gold he owns, combining these values together to determine whether the total reaches the niṣāb. He then pays zakāh on this combined monetary value, once the total reaches the niṣāb. The relied-upon position is to calculate the zakāh based on the buying price [i.e., the price the gold merchant would pay the owner to purchase the gold from him] on the day the zakāh obligation is due. And Allah, the Exalted, knows best.

What is the ruling on someone who dies while having missed fasts?

● If a person dies before having the opportunity to make up the missed fasts—such as someone whose excuse (e.g., illness) persisted until their death—then no makeup fast (qada), fidyah, or sin applies to them.
● However, if they had the ability to make up the fasts but did not do so before passing away, the missed fasts must be compensated by giving a mudd of food for each missed day from their estate.
The Prophet ﷺ said: "Whoever dies while having a month’s fast due, one needy person should be fed per day on their behalf." [Narrated by At-Tirmidhi]
Additionally, a guardian (wali) may fast on their behalf, as the Prophet ﷺ said: "Whoever dies while having missed fasts, their guardian should fast on their behalf." [Narrated by Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
In another narration: "If they wish." This indicates that both feeding the needy and fasting on behalf of the deceased are permissible options.