Resolutions of Iftaa' Board



Resolutions of Iftaa' Board

Resolution No. (201): "Ruling on Medical Use of Cadavers

Date Added : 05-10-2015

Resolution No. (201) (11/2014) by the of Board of Iftaa', Researches and Islamic Studies: 

"Ruling on Medical Use of Cadavers"

Date: (19 Ramadan, 1435 AH), corresponding to (17/7/2014 AD).

 

Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds; and may His blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all his Family and Companions.

The Board of Ifta`a and Islamic Studies, in its 9th session held on Thursday (19 Ramadan,1435AH) corresponding to (17/7/2014AD), reviewed the formal letter of His Excellency the Premier regarding giving permission to the University of Jordan to bring in four parts of frozen cadavers through the Queen Alia International Airport in order to use them for educational purposes at the morgue of the Faculty of Medicine.

After deliberation and careful study, the Board has decided what follows:

There is a consensus amongst Muslim scholars regarding the inviolability of a human being whether alive or dead, and the impermissibility of aggressing him/her. Allah, The Almighty, Says (What means): “We have honored the sons of Adam.” {Al-Isra/70}. In addition, Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) said: “Breaking the bone of the dead is the same as breaking the bone of the living" {Narrated by Abu Dawood}.

Securing  the necessary interests permits making use of these parts for medical purposes since the rules of Sharia call for getting the benefits while avoiding the shortcomings. Medical sciences and treatments are some of the most important means of acquiring safety, and learning medicine is a common obligation on the Muslim Ummah and doing so nowadays requires learning anatomy and other medical branches. Moreover, there is no doubt that parrying the harm from inflicting a living person is more important than parrying the harm from a dead person when both benefits are conflicting. Accordingly, resolutions and Fatwas were issued by the Fiqh assemblies allowing the use of dead bodies or parts of them for educational purposes. Resolution(10/1) by The Islamic Fiqh Assembly in Mecca stresses the inviolability of the dead and the impermissibility of deforming his/her corpse since the rights of a Muslim must not be violated regardless of whether he is alive or dead.

Based on the aforementioned, there is no harm in allowing the university of Jordan to bring parts of corpses for educational purposes. And Allah Knows Best.

 

The Grand Mufti of Joradan , Sheikh Abdul Karim Al-Khasawneh

Dr. Hayel Abdel Hafiz / Member                                                     Prof.   Abdunassir Abu Al-Bassal / Member

Sheikh Sa'id Hijjawi / Member

 Dr. Yahya Al-Btoush / Member

 Dr. Mohammad Khair Al-Issa / Member

Prof. Mohammad Al-Qhidah

Dr. Mohammed Al-Khalayleh/Member

Dr. Wasif Al-Bakri / Member  (Disagrees with reservation)              Dr. Mohamed Al Zoubi, Member

 

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Summarized Fatawaa

What is the ruling on the ablution of one who washes his arms from the wrist to the elbows?

In the school of Imam al-Shafi'i (may Allah have mercy on him), washing the arms (hands) is achieved by washing the arms completely, from the fingertips to the elbows. Washing only the palms at the beginning is insufficient, as washing them at the beginning is a Sunnah, but after washing the face, it becomes obligatory (fard). The person performing ablution must wash his palms along with the arms after washing the face. If he does not wash his palms, his ablution is invalid and not correct. And Allah the Almighty knows best.

I wish to purchase an online account (a gaming account), and its ownership will be transferred to me. However, my friend will purchase it on my behalf, and I will repay him in deferred installments with an added profit margin to account for the installment sale. What is the ruling of Islamic Law on this transaction?

 
All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
The ruling on selling electronic games depends on the ruling of the game itself: if the game is permissible, then selling it is likewise permissible. However, if the game contains Sharia violations that render playing it impermissible, then selling it in that case is neither valid nor permissible. Therefore, we advise the necessity of reviewing the Sharia guidelines for electronic games set forth in Fatwa No. (3369).
 
Accordingly, if the game is permissible, a person may purchase it, take legal possession of it, and subsequently sell it in deferred installments for a price higher than its purchase price. The General Iftaa' Department has permitted dealing through Murabaha, while emphasizing the necessity of observing the Sharia conditions required for this transaction; please refer to Fatwa No. (2861). And Allah Almighty knows best.

What is the Sharia basis of the Udhiyah?

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
The Sharia basis of the Udhiyah (sacrificial offering) is firmly established through the Quran, the Sunnah, and the Consensus (Ijma') of the Muslims:
1. Evidence from the Holy Quran
Allah the Exalted says {what means}: "And the camels and cattle We have appointed for you as among the symbols of Allah; for you therein is good." [Al-Hajj/36]. He also says {what means}: "So pray to your Lord and sacrifice [to Him alone]" [Al-Kawthar/2]. According to the most well-known scholarly interpretations of this verse, "prayer" refers to the Eid prayer, and "sacrifice" refers to the slaughtering of the Udhiyah.
2. Evidence from the Sunnah
Al-Bara' bin 'Azib (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said: "The first thing we start with on this day of ours is to pray, then we return and sacrifice. Whoever does that has followed our Sunnah, and whoever slaughters before [the prayer], it is merely meat he has provided for his family; it is not part of the ritual sacrifice in any way" [Reported by Bukhari & Muslim].
Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: "The Prophet ﷺ sacrificed two white rams with horns. He slaughtered them with his own hand, mentioned the name of Allah (Tasmiyah), and said the Takbir" [Reported by Bukhari & Muslim].
3. Evidence from Scholarly Consensus (Ijma')
The Muslims have reached a unanimous consensus on the Sharia basis of the Udhiyah, and no one among the scholars has disagreed with this. [Al-Sherbini, Mughni al-Muhtaj, Vol.6/P.122].And Allah the Exalted knows best.

What is the ruling of Islamic Law on compensating the patient in case of medical error on the part of the treating physician?

 
All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
The foundational principle is that every mistake issued by a physician that causes harm to another due to his negligence or lack of expertise obligates him to guarantee liability and compensate the harmed party. The Sharia maxim, in this regard, states: "The direct actor is liable."
 
Ibn Qudamah (may Allah have mercy on him) says: "As for if he was skilled but his hand committed an error—such as exceeding the proper limit of incision, cutting in an incorrect site, cutting with an instrument that inflicts excessive pain, or cutting at an unsuitable time—he is liable, because it is destruction (Itlaf) whose liability does not differ between intent and mistake, thus resembling the destruction of property; and because it is a prohibited act, so he guarantees liability for its secondary effects." [Al-Mughni].
 
However, if the physician performed what was necessary in the most complete manner and took all measures of care and caution, but complications occurred that could not be avoided according to specialists, then no liability rests upon him.
 
Shaykh al-Islam Imam al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) says: "The cupper and the circumciser bear no liability if they have not been negligent, and likewise the veterinarian if he bleeds an animal and it perishes." [Rawdat al-Talibin].
 
Al-Khattabi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "I know of no disagreement that if the practitioner transgresses and the patient perishes, he is liable. Anyone who undertakes knowledge or practice he does not know is a transgressor; so if perishing arises from his action, he is liable for the blood-money (Diyah) while capital retaliation (Qisas) is dropped from him, because he did not act independently without the patient's permission. And the physician’s offense in the view of the generality of jurists is borne by his agnates ('Aqilah*)."* [Ma'alim al-Sunan].
 
If negligence or transgression is established against the physician, it is necessary to compensate the patient or seek forgiveness from him. And Allah Almighty knows best.