Resolutions of Iftaa' Board



Resolutions of Iftaa' Board

Resolution No. (315) : "Ruling on Pre-Slaughter Electrical Stunning of Birds."

Date Added : 17-07-2022

Resolution No.(315), By The Board of Iftaa', Researches and Islamic Studies:

"Ruling on Pre-Slaughter Electrical Stunning of Birds"

Date (27 of Thilgidah, 1443 AH), corresponding to (27/6/2022 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 ninth meeting held on the above date, the Board of Iftaa` reviewed the resolution of the joint commission in charge of examining the use of electrical stunning of birds (Poultry) before slaughter in local slaughterhouses.

After thorough deliberations, the Board decided what follows:

Slaughtering an animal in accordance with Islamic Law is the condition that makes an animal`s meat lawful to eat and distinguishes it from dead animal, as reflected in the following verse (What means): "unless ye are able to slaughter it (in due form)." {Al-Ma`idah, 3}. Moreover, the Prophet (PBUH) said: "As long as it causes blood to flow, and Allah's Name has been mentioned over it, then eat it." {Agreed upon}. When jugular veins, food tract and windpipe of the animal whose life is stable are cut, its meat is lawful to eat, whether the slaughtering was done with or without the electrical stunning. What counts is that the stunning doesn`t lead to killing the animal on the spot or later, in case it was left without slaughtering, since the purpose behind the stunning is to relieve that animal and facilitate the slaughtering process. In order to achieve this purpose, the Board is of the view that using the electrical stunning based on the afore-stated conditions is permissible according to Islamic Law. The Board also considers that it is essential to implement the Jordan Standard Specification No.2060/214 issued by the Jordan Standards and Metrology Organization (JSMO) to guarantee the implementation of all the general requirements of the sanitary and safety standards of the product.

Given the difficulty of implementing technical requirements or specific standards on all the local slaughterhouses, due to their using different machines and production lines, the Board is of the view that the management of each slaughterhouse should submit an individual application to the (JSMO). This concerns its production line and in the event it uses electrical waterbath stunning of poultry before manual slaughtering by knife. In fact, this enables a special commission from the Iftaa` Department to participate with specialized technicians to arrive at a special Fatwa regarding the method used by the applicant slaughterhouse. The Fatwa will either permit or prohibit this method of slaughter based on the ground reality and after the joint commission carries out its checks. 

In addition, the Iftaa` Board recommends that a "Halal" certificate, which is issued by the Jordan Standards and Metrology Organization (JSMO) Conformity Certificate Directorate, is required. It also recommends strengthening the role of oversight regarding this certificate and the stunning process. And Allah The Almighty Knows Best. 

 

 

 

Grand Mufti of Jordan, Sheikh Abdulkareem Al-Khasawneh

Sheikh Sa`eid Hijjawi/ Member

Prof. Amjad Rasheed/ Member

Prof. Adam Nooh Al-Qhodah/ Member

Dr.Majid Darawsheh/ Member

Dr. Jameel Khatatbeh/ Member

Dr. Ahmad Al-Hasanat/ Member

Dr. Mohammad Younes al-Zou`bi/ Member

 

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Summarized Fatawaa

What is the ruling on wiping the front of the head beneath the ḥijāb, and is it permissible to wipe over the ḥijāb if it was put on while in a state of purification (wudu`)?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
It is permissible to wipe the front portion of the head (nāṣiyah) with the fingertips. It is likewise sufficient to place a wet hand over a head covering (ḥijāb), provided the moisture actually reaches the hair beneath it — if it does not, it does not suffice. A head covering is not treated in the same manner as leather socks (khuff) and may not be wiped over in lieu of the head itself.
Imām al-Nawawī, may Allah have mercy upon him, states in al-Majmūʿ (Vol.1/P.407): "If a person is wearing a turban and does not wish to remove it — whether for a valid reason or otherwise — he should wipe the entire front portion of the head... The same ruling applies to whatever a woman wears on her head. If, however, he confines himself to wiping over the turban without wiping any part of the head itself, this does not suffice — and there is no disagreement among us on this point." He further states: "A woman is like a man in the manner of wiping the head... She should insert her hand beneath her head covering so that the wiping falls upon the hair itself. If she places her wet hand over her head covering, our scholars stated: if the moisture does not reach the hair, it does not suffice her." And Allah the Almighty knows best.

Is it permissible to offer an Udhiyah on behalf of the deceased?

In the Name of Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
Offering an Udhiyah (sacrificial animal) on behalf of a deceased person is permissible. This is the official position of the Hanbali school (as stated in Kashshaf al-Qina’ by al-Bahuti,Vol.6/P.428) and was also upheld by the prominent Shafi'i scholar Al-’Abbadi (mentioned in Bidayat al-Muhtaj by Ibn Qadi Shuhbah,Vol. 4/P.358). It has likewise been narrated as a valid view among some Maliki and Hanafi scholars.
 
In fact, Imam Abu Dawud dedicated an entire chapter in his Sunan collection entitled, "Chapter on Sacrificing on Behalf of the Deceased." In it, he recorded a narration from Hanash, who said: "I saw 'Ali sacrificing two rams, so I asked him, 'What is this?' He replied, 'The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded me to offer a sacrifice on his behalf, so I am sacrificing on his behalf.'"
 
Imam Abu Dawud also narrated from Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "O Allah, this is from You, for You, and on behalf of Muhammad and his Ummah (community). In the Name of Allah, and Allah is the Greatest," and he then slaughtered the animal.
 
The textual evidence here lies in the fact that our Master, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), offered a sacrifice on behalf of his entire community—and it is well-established that his community includes those who have already passed away.
 
Furthermore, there is an abundance of sacred texts demonstrating that the rewards of righteous deeds reach the deceased. For instance, it is permissible to fast on behalf of a deceased person who passed away with missed obligatory fasts, and it is equally permissible to perform Hajj on their behalf, both of which are firmly established in authentic Hadiths. Therefore, if the reward of fasting (which is a purely physical act of worship) and Hajj (which is a joint physical and financial act of worship) can reach the deceased, then the reward of an Udhiyah reaches them with greater reason (by way of A Fortiori argument). This is because it is a purely financial act of worship, falling under the general category of charity (Sadaqah).
 
Additionally, scholars have reached a consensus (Ijma') that the rewards of charity reach the deceased, and since the Udhiyah is inherently an act of charity, it falls under the same ruling. Consequently, based on all the aforementioned evidence, we hold the view that offering a sacrifice on behalf of the deceased is entirely permissible. And Allah the Almighty Knows Best.

What is I‘tikaf, and how is it performed?

I‘tikaf is staying in the mosque with the intention of I‘tikaf. It is fulfilled by remaining in the mosque for a period that qualifies as devotion or seclusion (I‘tikaf). It is recommended (Sunnah) for anyone entering the mosque to intend I‘tikaf as long as they remain inside.

When is it Sunnah to slaughter the 'aqīqah?

All praise is due to Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
It is Sunnah for the 'aqīqah to be slaughtered on the seventh day from the birth of the newborn. According to the sounder position, the day of birth itself is counted as the first of the seven days. Thus, for example, if the child is born on a Saturday, the 'aqīqah is to be slaughtered on the following Friday. If the child is born at night, the count begins from the day that follows. And Allah Almighty knows best.