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

What is the ruling on someone who possesses gold with the intention of saving/hoarding it, and owns nothing else — is he obligated to sell a portion of it in order to pay the zakāh due on it?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
Zakāh becomes immediately obligatory on cash, and likewise on gold — that which is not designated for a woman's personal adornment— once both reach the niṣāb (minimum threshold liable for zakah) and a full ḥawl (lunar year) has passed over them. It is not permissible to delay payment when it is genuinely possible to pay — meaning, when the wealth and the eligible recipients are both available. It is stated in Mughnī al-Muḥtāj (Vol.2/p.129): "Zakāh is obligatory immediately once it becomes feasible to pay it, meaning when the wealth and the eligible recipients are both present."
The one paying zakāh must discharge the obligatory zakāh due on saved (hoarded) gold either from the gold itself, or from its equivalent monetary value, in the event that no other funds are available — since paying from the gold itself is the original default (al-aṣl). It becomes permissible to pay from other funds instead only because zakāh is built upon the principle of ease and leniency, as stated in Asnā al-Maṭālib (Vol.1/p.366): "When a full ḥawl has elapsed on wealth other than trade goods... zakāh attaches to the actual asset itself (al-‘ayn), and the poor effectively become partners in it — even, for example, [becoming partners] in camels through the value of a sheep [owed as zakāh on them]... Paying from other wealth is permitted only because zakāh is built upon the principle of ease and leniency."
Accordingly: the one paying zakāh must discharge it either from the actual saved gold itself, or by selling a portion of the gold equal to the amount of zakāh owed. He may also borrow money to pay the zakāh, or pay the zakāh in installments before the ḥawl is complete [as an advance payment]. And Allah, the Exalted, knows best.

Is it permissible to appoint a proxy for the sacrificial offering outside Jordan?

In the name of Allah; all praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah.
 
It is permissible to appoint a proxy—whether an individual or a charitable organization—to perform the sacrificial slaughter (Udhiyah) on one’s behalf, even if it is carried out in a country other than that of the donor. This is conditional upon the proxy’s adherence to the established requirements of the Udhiyah, including the animal’s age, its freedom from physical defects, the designated timing of the slaughter, and the proper distribution of the meat.
However, it is preferable for the one offering the sacrifice to perform the slaughter personally, in order to attain the full reward and blessings of the act. And Allah (Exalted be He) knows best.

Is it obligatory to have an intention (niyyah) for every prayer?

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
It is obligatory for the worshiper to have a specific intention (Niyyah) for every prayer, meaning they must consciously intend the act of worship they are performing. The intention is a pillar (Rukn) of the prayer, and the prayer is not valid without it. It is not a requirement to utter the intention verbally; rather, doing so is considered a recommended Sunnah. And Allah the Exalted knows best.

What are the disliked (makruh) acts of fasting?

● Excessive rinsing of the mouth and nose (during ablution), as it may lead to swallowing water.
● Tasting food or doing anything that may risk breaking the fast.
● Engaging in idle talk, and it is even more emphasized to avoid lying, backbiting, and gossiping.