Department`s Vision:

"To be a leading Islamic authority in the "Fatwa Industry" and legal research and to introduce them to individuals, governmental and non-governmental organizations at the local, regional and international levels.

 

Department`s Message:

"Delivering Allah`s Message and cementing the concept of moderate Islamic religious authority responsible for clarifying the rulings of Sharia and inviting people to act on them. This can be achieved through issuing Fatwas on general and specific matters, paying more attention to Fiqh encyclopedias and Islamic manuscripts, conducting studies and legal research and cementing the foundations of collective Ijtihad in cooperation with the scholars of the Muslim World; using different types of modern communication."

 

 

Department`s Core Values:

 

Dimension Value

Dedication at work to please Allah and honesty in delivering tasks.

Dedication and Honesty               

Cementing the concept of moderation in society when fulfilling the higher objectives of Sharia without exaggeration in religious matters or extremism.

Moderation                                    

Cementing the culture of teamwork and establishing teams capable of accomplishing the vision, message and objectives of the Fatwa Dept.

Institutional Work                           

Directness in dealing with society and shouldering responsibility.

Transparency and Responsibility                 

Applying the concepts of distinction on performance elements at the Dept. through dedicated work to achieve the best and most accurate of outcomes. 

Distinction                                             

Ongoing development of the Dept. and staff to provide the best service in the "Fatwa Industry" and legal research.

Ongoing Development                         

 

 

Key Institutional Objectives of the Department: 

In accordance with article (3) of the Iftaa` Law/2006, the objectives of the General Fatwa Department are as follows:

 

1. Supervising and organizing of Fatwa affairs in the Kingdom.

 

2. Issuing Fatwas on general and specific matters in accordance with the provisions of this law.

 

3. Preparing of the required research papers and Islamic studies on important matters and emerging issues.

 

4. Producing a periodic specialist academic journal concerned with the publication of reviewed academic research papers in Shari'ah and Islamic sciences and related fields.

 

5. Cooperating with scholars of Islamic law in the Kingdom and outside it as regards Fatwa affairs.

 

6. Offering opinions and advice in matters presented to it by state agencies.

 

 

Summarized Fatawaa

Is it permissible to offer an Udhiyah on behalf of another without their permission?

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
It is not permissible for a person to offer a sacrifice (Udhiyah) on behalf of someone else without their permission, except in the following cases: if he sacrifices on behalf of the members of his household, if a guardian sacrifices from his own wealth on behalf of his ward, or if the Imam (ruler) sacrifices from the public treasury (Bayt al-Mal) on behalf of the Muslims. And Allah the Almighty knows best.

Who should pay the Zakah (obligatory charity) from the orphan`s money?

His/her guardian, and if the latter fails to do so, then the orphan himself/herself is obliged to pay the Zakah once he/she reaches puberty, and is capable of handling his/her own affairs. And Allah Knows Best.

What is the Islamic ruling on the Udhiyah (sacrificial offfering)?

 
 
Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
The Udhiyah (sacrificial offering) is a Confirmed Sunnah (Sunnah Mu’akkadah) for every adult Muslim of sound mind who possesses the financial means, whether they are a resident, a traveler, or a pilgrim (Haj). This is based on the statement of the Prophet ﷺ: 'When the ten days [of Dhu al-Hijjah] begin and one of you desires to offer a sacrifice, let him not touch [cut] anything of his hair or skin' [Narrated by Muslim].
 
The point of evidence (Wajh al-Dalalah) here is that the Prophet ﷺ linked the sacrifice to the individual's will and desire by saying, 'and one of you desires.' This indicates that it is not obligatory (Wajib); had it been mandatory, he would have simply said, 'let him not touch his hair until he sacrifices' [without making it conditional upon desire].
 
Furthermore, it is narrated that Abu Bakr and Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) would sometimes refrain from offering the sacrifice out of fear that people might mistakenly view it as an obligatory duty [Narrated by al-Bayhaqi and others with a good (Hasan) chain of transmission]. And Allah the Exalted knows best.

What is the ruling on performing the Witr prayer as a single rak`ah?

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
It is permissible to perform the Witr prayer as a single unit (rak‘ah). It was narrated from Ibn ‘Umar that a man asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ about the night prayer, and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ replied: 'The night prayer is offered two by two (mathna mathna). If one of you fears the approach of dawn, let him pray a single rak‘ah to make what he has prayed odd-numbered (Witr) for him.' (Related by al-Bukhari & Muslim)). However, limiting the prayer to only one rak‘ah is considered 'contrary to the preferred way' (Khilaf al-Awla).
 
It is stated in Al-Minhaj al-Qawim Sharh al-Muqaddimah al-Hadramiyyah (p. 137): 'The minimum of Witr is one rak‘ah, but limiting it to that is contrary to what is best.'
 
The most complete form of Witr is eleven units, while the minimum level of 'perfection' is three units. It is stated in ‘Umdat al-Salik (p. 60): 'The minimum of Witr is one rak‘ah, and its maximum is eleven, performing the taslim (salutation) after every two units. The lowest level of perfection is three units with two separate taslims (meaning 2+1).' And Allah the Exalted knows best.