عربي
Home


Resolutions of Iftaa' Board


Resolutions of Iftaa' Board

Resolution No.(313): "Ruling on Using the Land Endowed for a Masjid for another Purpose"

Date Added : 05-07-2022

Resolution No.(313) ,(10/2022):

"Ruling on Using the Land Endowed for a Masjid for another Purpose" 

Date (2 of Thilgidah, 1443 AH), corresponding to (2/6/2022 AD).

 

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.

In its 8th meeting held on the above date, the Board of Iftaa` reviewed the letter sent from His Excellency, the Minister of Awqaf, Holy Sites and Islamic Affairs Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalayleh. It read as follows:

We would like your Grace to clarify the ruling on burying someone in the yard of a Masjid that was built on the piece of land No.(6012), area No.(75), Naqib Ad-Daboor of Salt lands. The children of (H.M.K) dug a grave in the Masjid`s yard, owned originally by Montaha Hiari, and buried him there on 22nd of April, 2022.

After thorough deliberations, the Board decided what follows:

It isn`t permissible to use the land originally endowed as a Masjid for a purpose other than that for which it was endowed in the first place. In principle, an endowment can`t be sold, given as a present or inherited. Rather, it should be used for what it was endowed in the first place. Ibn Umar (May Allah Be Pleased with them): Umar bin Khattab got some land in Khaibar and he went to the Prophet (PBUH) to consult him about it saying: "O Allah's Messenger (PBUH) I got some land in Khaibar better than which I have never had, what do you suggest that I do with it?" The Prophet (PBUH) said: "If you like you can give the land as endowment and give its fruits in charity." So `Umar gave it in charity as an endowment on the condition that it would not be sold nor given to anybody as a present and not to be inherited, but its yield would be given in charity to the poor people, to the Kith and kin, for freeing slaves, for Allah's Cause, to the travelers and guests; and that there would be no harm if the guardian of the endowment ate from it according to his need with good intention, and fed others without storing it for the future." {Agreed upon}.

Jurists stated that the condition of the donor is considered and it isn`t permissible to violate it. Imam Al-Shirbini, a Shafie, stated: "In principle the conditions of the donor are considered as long as they don`t violate the purpose for which the endowment was endowed in the first place." {Moghni Al-Mohtaj, Vol.3: Page 540}.

The Masjid as well as all its facilities and spaces should be used only for the benefit of the Masjid itself and burying dead in its yards violates this purpose. Consequently, it isn`t permissible to bury the dead in the land endowed for a Masjid since doing so is a violation and usurpation of the endowment itself. However, if a dead person is buried there then the body must be removed to a public cemetery to preserve the purpose for which the land was endowed in the first place. And Allah The Almighty Knows Best.

 

 

Grand Mufti of Jordan, Sheikh Abdulkareem Al-Khasawneh

Prof. Mahmoud Al-Sartawi/ Member

Prof. Amjad Rasheed/ Member

Prof. Adam Nooah Al-Qhodah/ Member

Dr. Jameel Khatatbeh/ Member

Judge Dr. Samer Al-Kobbaj/ Member

Dr. Ahmad Al-Hasanat/ Member

Dr. Mohammad al-Zou`bi/ Member

 

Decision Number [ Previous | Next ]


Summarized Fatawaa

What is the ruling on fasting?

Fasting in Ramadan is an individual obligation (Fard ‘Ayn) upon every mature, sane Muslim who is capable of fasting.
Fasting can also be recommended (Mustahabb), such as voluntary fasting on Mondays and Thursdays, fasting on the Day of Arafah for those not performing Hajj, and fasting on Ashura.
Fasting can be prohibited (Haram), such as fasting on the two Eid days, the Day of Doubt (Yawm al-Shakk), and the Days of Tashreeq.
Some types of fasting are disliked (Makruh), such as singling out Friday or Saturday for fasting without a specific reason and fasting on the Day of Arafah for a pilgrim.

I have a date farm, and the dates come in different categories, and within each category there are different sizes. How is zakāh paid on the yield?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
If the yield reaches the niṣāb (the minimum threshold for zakāh to become obligatory) — which is five awsuq (plural of wasq), equivalent to (611) kg — then zakāh becomes obligatory upon it, at a rate of one-tenth ('ushr) if irrigated by rainwater (i.e., naturally, without the use of machinery), or one-twentieth (half of the 'ushr) if irrigated using machinery/equipment.
If the yield of dates consists of different varieties, then zakāh should be paid from each variety according to its respective proportion. If this proves difficult, it is permissible to pay from a medium-quality variety [representative of the average].
It is stated in Ḥāshiyatā Qulyūbī wa ‘Umayrah (Vol.2/P.22): "Different varieties are combined together [for the purpose of calculating the niṣāb] — such as the various types of dates, the various types of raisins, and so on — and zakāh is paid from each type according to its respective proportion. However, if this becomes difficult due to the large number of varieties and the small quantity of each individual type, then zakāh should be paid from a medium-quality variety among them — neither the best nor the worst — out of consideration for both sides [the giver and the poor recipient]. If one goes to the trouble of paying from each variety according to its proportion, this is also permissible." And Allah, the Exalted, knows best.

Is it permissible to divide a single Sa‘ of Zakat al-Fitr—or its equivalent value in cash—among more than one poor person?

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
Zakat al-Fitr is estimated at one Sa‘ per person, but the number of people to whom this Sa‘ can be given has not been specified. For this reason, it is permissible to distribute a single Sa‘ among more than one poor person. And Allah the Exalted knows best.

My father has debts and asked me to repay them years ago, and I promised him I would do so upon his death — is it permissible for me to go back on my promise given that I am unable to repay them, especially since he refuses to contribute to repayment on the grounds that the debt has become my responsibility by virtue of my promise?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
The established principle is that a father's debt is to be repaid from his own wealth, if he possesses sufficient means. As for the promise made by the son to repay it on his father's behalf, fulfilling such a promise is strongly recommended, and breaking it is considerably disliked. Shaykh al-Islām Imām al-Nawawī, may Allah have mercy upon him, states: "Fulfilling a promise is emphatically recommended, and breaking it is severely disliked. The evidences for this from the Qurʾān and the Sunnah are well known." [Rawḍat al-Ṭālibīn,Vol. 2/P.278] Shaykh al-Islām Imām Zakariyyā al-Anṣārī, may Allah have mercy upon him, further states: "The reason fulfilling a promise is not obligatory and breaking it is not forbidden is that a promise is in the nature of a gift, and a gift does not become binding except upon receipt." [Asnā al-Maṭālib fī Sharḥ Rawḍ al-Ṭālib,Vol. 2/P.487]
Given that the son does not possess the financial means to fulfil his promise to his father, breaking this promise falls beyond his capacity — and Allah does not burden a soul beyond what it can bear. Since the father himself possesses sufficient wealth to settle his own debt, repayment must be made from his own funds. Should he pass away before doing so, the debt is to be settled from his estate. And Allah the Almighty knows best.

See More