Articles

On the Occasion of Launching the Iftaa` Department`s Website
Author : Dr Noah Ali Salman
Date Added : 02-04-2024

All perfect praise be to Allah the Lord of the Worlds. May His peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Mohammad and upon all his family and companions. This website serves as a means for the General Iftaa Department in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan to communicate with the Muslim community, receive their questions and inquiries, and provide answers, God willing. Through this website, they can also access the research and information available at the Department that it wishes to share with them. The Department is an official entity as it is one of the academic institutions in the kingdom. Therefore, it is keen on providing accurate and verified answers. It has entrusted a group of muftis working within the Department to answer questions. They formulate the answers and discuss them among themselves, taking into consideration the evidence from the Quran, the Sunna of the Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him), and the deductions of the Islamic jurists whose opinions and interpretations are accepted and respected by the Muslim community. A group of competent researchers assists the muftis. The Department has a committee that addresses issues requiring a collective fatwa (Religious edict). However, for emerging matters, issues of general societal concern, and cases forwarded to the Department by official entities such as ministries, these fall under the jurisdiction of the Iftaa` Council, which comprises a select group of scholars. For matters requiring specialized knowledge, the Council may also seek expertise from specialists in fields like medicine, chemistry, and astronomy. The Department exchanges opinions and expertise with fatwa institutions in the Arab countries. It also welcomes suggestions from readers who have experience in managing such websites. Additionally, we encourage receiving questions related to Islamic sciences, and we pray to Allah for guidance in providing accurate answers. Asking scholars about religious matters is a religious duty. Allah, The Almighty Says (What means): "So ask the people of the message if you do not know" [An-Nahl/43]. The Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) also said: "Why did they not ask when they did not know? The only cure for ignorance is to ask." [Abu Dawood]. This is because a Muslim is keen to ensure that their actions are in accordance with Islamic law. Allah The Exalted Says (what means): "So whoever follows My guidance will neither go astray [in the world] nor suffer [in the Hereafter]" [Taha/123]. In conclusion, we hope to assist our Muslim brothers in understanding the religious rulings so that they may act upon them. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Mohammad, and upon his family and companions, all together., all together.

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Summarized Fatawaa

Is it permissible for a woman to perform the obligatory prayer immediately after the adhan and before the Iqamah is performed in the mosque?

 

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
Yes, it is permissible for a woman to perform the obligatory (Fard) prayer immediately after the Adhan (call to prayer) and before the Iqamah (call to commence prayer) is performed in the mosque. And Allah the Exalted knows best.

Is a person rewarded for refraining from all that breaks their fast when required to do so, and is it considered a valid fast?

If a person eats or drinks thinking that Fajr has not yet arrived, but then someone informs them that Fajr had already begun, they must refrain from eating for the rest of the day and make up the fast later.
If they observe the required restraint (imsak), they will be rewarded for obeying the command because fulfilling an obligation brings reward.
However, this is not considered a valid fast in terms of rulings. For example:
● It is not disliked (makruh) for them to use a miswak after noon.
● They are not encouraged to hasten the breaking of the fast at sunset.
● Other fasting-related rulings do not apply to them.

I broke my oath and am now obligated to pay the expiation for a broken oath (kaffārat al-yamīn). Would it be valid to fulfill this by inviting the poor and needy to a meal for them to eat from?

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
The expiation for a broken oath (kaffārat al-yamīn) is given to the poor (fuqarā') and needy (masākīn), and it must be given in the form of ownership (tamlīk) transferred to them of the required amount — namely, one mudd of the staple food of the locality, or its equivalent monetary value. It isn`t valid to invite the poor or needy to a meal prepared for them to eat from, as this does not constitute "ownership" (tamlīk) but merely "permission to partake" (ibāḥah).
Imam al-Shirbīnī (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "What is intended is that ownership be transferred to them; therefore, providing them with lunch or dinner [as a meal to eat from] isn`t valid." [Summarized from Mughnī al-Muhtāj,Vol. 5/P.50]. And Allah the Almighty knows best.

Is it permissible to use unscented petroleum jelly (Vaseline) during ‘Umrah, in order to prevent skin chafing or irritation?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
According to the Shāfi‘ī school, it is permissible for someone in the state of iḥrām to use oils and creams free of perfume/fragrance on parts of the body other than the head and beard, for a genuine medical need — such as preventing skin chafing or irritation. However, applying them to the head or beard remains unlawful.
Shaykh al-Islām, Imam an-Nawawī (raḥimahullāh), says in al-Majmū‘ (Vol.7/P.279): "Oils are of two types: the first is an oil that is neither perfumed itself nor contains any perfume — such as olive oil, sesame oil, ghee, butter, walnut oil, almond oil, and similar oils. The use of this type is not unlawful anywhere on the body, except on the head and beard — where its use is unlawful without any disagreement [among the scholars]." And Allah, the Exalted, knows best.