Resolutions of Iftaa' Board



Resolutions of Iftaa' Board

Resolution No.(333):"Ruling on Considering Agricultural Projects for the Poor as Ongoing Charity (Sadaqah Jariyah)"

Date Added : 26-03-2026

Resolution No.(333): "Ruling on Considering Agricultural Projects for the Poor as Ongoing Charity (Sadaqah Jariyah)"

 

 Date: (19/ Ramadan/ 1447 AH), corresponding to (March 9, 2026 AD)

Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds, and peace and blessings be upon our Master Muhammad, and upon all his family and companions. 

The Board of Iftaa’, Research, and Islamic Studies, in its third session held on the above, reviewed the inquiry submitted by the "Tkiyet Um Ali" Foundation, which states:

We, Tkiyet Um Ali—in partnership with the Dar Abu Abdullah Association—are launching an economic project to serve the poor beneficiaries of the Tkiyet through agricultural projects, where the financial returns go to the benefit of the poor laborers working in these projects. A donor may contribute one or more shares at a value of fifty dinars per share. These include sustainable hydroponic projects, such as greenhouses, climate-smart systems, and smart irrigation. Other projects include tailoring and home production using modern equipment and sustainable supplies to link high-quality products to the market. The Question that arises here is : Are these donations considered 'Ongoing Charity' (Sadaqah Jariyah)? Which of the mentioned projects qualify as such? And can spending and donating to these projects be considered among the valid channels of Zakat?

After research, study, and deliberation, the Board decided the following:

First: It is obligatory to distribute Zakat to its eligible recipients among the categories mentioned in the words of Allah the Almighty: "Zakat expenditures are only for the poor and for the needy and for those employed to collect [zakat] and for bringing hearts together [for Islam] and for freeing captives and for those in debt and for the cause of Allah and for the [stranded] traveler - an obligation [imposed] by Allah. And Allah is Knowing and Wise." [At-Tawbah/60].

The jurists, deriving from this noble verse, stated that Zakat must result in transfer of ownership (Tamleek) to the poor person. It is not sufficient for the poor person to merely be a laborer in a project, nor is it permissible to establish investment projects with Zakat funds. The jurists made no exception except for the Sovereign (Wali al-Amr) or his representative, allowing them to grant the poor person ownership of Zakat in the form of a project from which they can earn a living. As for private entities, they are not permitted to do so based on the "Lām of Ownership" (Lām al-Tamleek) in the verse.

Second: Regarding Voluntary Charity (Sadaqah al-Tatawwu’), Ongoing Charity (Sadaqah Jariyah), and Endowments (Waqf); it is permissible to receive and spend them for the purposes for which they were collected, provided that the donors are aware of the intent of their donations. This is because voluntary charities and donations are managed according to the conditions set by the donor.

Third: Regarding whether the mentioned projects are considered Ongoing Charity: Scholars have interpreted "Ongoing Charity" as being an Endowment (Waqf) and anything that provides continuous benefit. As Imam al-Shirbini (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

"In terms of Sharia, Waqf is the retention of a property from which benefit can be derived while the asset itself remains intact, by terminating any right of disposal over its core ownership, for a permissible and existing recipient. Ongoing Charity is understood by scholars to mean Waqf, as stated by al-Rafi’i, for other types of charity are not 'ongoing'; rather, the recipient immediately owns both the asset and its benefits." (Mughni al-Muhtaj,Vol. 3/P.523).

We hope in Allah that these projects, which provide lasting benefit, will carry the reward of Ongoing Charity. And Allah the Exalted knows best.

Chairperson of Iftaa` Board,

Grand Mufti of Jordan,

Dr. Ahmad Al-Hasanat

Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalayleh/ Member

Prof. Mahmood Al-Sartawi/ Member

Dr. Zaid Al-Kilani/ Member

Sheikh Sa`eid Al-Hijjawi/ Member

Dr. Atif Al-Qhodah/ Member

Judge Fares Foraihat/ Member

Prof. Adam Nooh Al-Qhodat/ Member

Dr. Amjad Rasheed/ Member

Prof. Waleed Al-Shaweesh/ Member

Dr. Mohammad Younis Al-Zou`bi/ Member

Decision Number [ Previous ]


Summarized Fatawaa

What is the ruling on fasting for those with diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, kidney disease, or ulcers?

● A sick person who is completely unable to fast is exempted from fasting and must offer fidyah (feeding a needy person), as Allah Almighty says {what means}: "and [in such cases] it is incumbent upon those who can afford it to make sacrifice by feeding a needy person." [Al-Baqarah/184]. They are not required to make up for the missed fasts.
● A sick person who can fast on some days but not others should fast when able and make up the missed days after Ramadan when possible. No fidyah is required in this case.
● If fasting during the long, hot summer days is too difficult for a sick person, but they can make up the fasts during the shorter, cooler winter days, they should break their fast and make up for it when they are able, without fidyah.

Which hour coincides with the last third of the night?

This hour could be figured out by calculating the number of night hours which start at sunset, and end at dawn break, then the total is divided on three to get the result.

What should a person who was favored from Allah with a newborn, but couldn`t afford an Aqeeqah, do?

Aqeeqah (the sheep slaughtered on the seventh day from the child`s birth) is a desirable Sunnah for the financially able since Allah, The Exalted, charges not a soul beyond its capacity. Therefore, if the father couldn`t afford the Aqeeqah before the end of his wife`s confinement, then it isn`t due on him, and if he was able to afford it later on, then it is permissible, but if he didn`t until the child reached puberty, the latter can offer the Aqeeqah himself.

What is the ruling of Islamic Law on kissing while fasting?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
It is prohibitively disliked (makrūh taḥrīman) for a husband to engage in foreplay with or kiss his wife during the daylight hours of Ramaḍān if doing so stirs his desire. If pre-seminal fluid (madhī) is released as a result, the fast is not invalidated; however, if seminal fluid (manī) is released, the fast is broken.
Imām al-Khaṭīb al-Sharbīnī, may Allah have mercy upon him, stated: "It is prohibitively disliked to kiss — whether on the mouth or elsewhere — for one whose desire is stirred, whether man or woman, to the extent that he fears it may lead to intercourse or ejaculation. Embracing, touching, and similar acts without a barrier carry the same ruling as kissing in this regard, because such acts expose the act of worship to being corrupted — and as the two Ṣaḥīḥs record: 'Whoever circles around a protected boundary is liable to fall into it.'"
He further added: "It is preferable for one whose desire is not stirred — even if he is a young man — to refrain from such acts as well, so as to close the door entirely. For he may believe his desire has not been aroused when in fact it has. Moreover, it is Sunnah for the fasting person to abstain from all desires without exception." — Summarised with minor adaptation from [Mughnī al-Muḥtāj]. And Allah the Almighty knows best.