Resolutions of Iftaa' Board



Resolutions of Iftaa' Board

Resolution No.(174): "Ruling on Salaries Obtained from Working for a non-Islamic Bank"

Date Added : 27-10-2015

Resolution  No.(174) (6/2012) by The Board of Iftaa`, Research and Islamic Studies:

"Ruling on Salaries Obtained from Working for a non-Islamic Bank"

Date: (14/7/1433 A.H); (4/6/2012 A.D)

 

All perfect praise be to Allah. Blessings and peace be upon Prophet Mohammad and upon his family and companions.

On the above date, the Board reviewed the following question:

A person had spent (28) years working for a usurious bank, then he repented to Almighty Allah. What should he do with the severance pay, the pension, the savings obtained from his work, and the assets that he had bought like the house; taking into consideration that he has no other source of income. Another person has spent three years working for the same bank, so what should he do-in case he wanted to repent-with his share from the social security and the Savings Fund, his savings from his salary, the assets that he had bought such as his car ?

After careful study and deliberation, the Board determined what follows:

The ruling on working for usurious banks is bound by the nature of the work itself, so if the employee`s job doesn`t involve  usurious interests, and assisting in that, then his work is permissible and there is no harm in doing it. Therefore, there is no harm in taking the severance pay and his salaries from the social security.

However, if his work involved usurious interests, and assisting in that, then his work isn`t permissible since Almighty Allah Says in the Noble Quran: “Help ye one another in righteousness and piety, but help ye not one another in sin and rancour: fear Allah. for Allah is strict in punishment.” {Al-Mai`da/2}. In Sahih Muslim (1598), Jabir (May Allah be pleased with him) said: “The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) cursed the one who accepts Ar-Riba (the usury), the one who pays it, the one who records it, and the two persons who stand witness to it.He said: all of them are equally sinful.”

Therefore, the salaries and the nonwage awards that he had obtained out of that job are ill-gotten money which he isn`t permitted to take, rather, he should seek repentance from Allah, show remorse, ask for forgiveness, and show determination not make use of that money. As regards the rest of the money, he should give it to charity.

However, there is no harm in keeping the assets that he needs for himself and for his family such as the house and the car. He can also keep the money that he needs to support his family since Al-Imam Al-Ghazali (May Allah bless his soul )said: “He may give this money as a charity to himself and to his family in case they were poor, rather, they are more entitled to it than anyone else. He may also take as much as he needs because he is poor as well.” {Ihya`a Oloum Ad-deen}.

As regards the salaries obtained from the social security, there is no harm in taking them since the Board of Iftaa` had issued resolution No.(133) which permits subscribing to the social security based on the fact that “The Social Security Fund is  part of the public treasury.”

If the money that he paid as a donation to that Fund was ill-gotten, it doesn`t render the pension that the Fund pays him (the subscriber) illegitimate since the social security contract isn`t a compensation contract so that it could be said that ill-gotten money is compensated with ill-gotten money, rather, it is a bare contract intended to achieve solidarity. It is incumbent on the person who subscribed in the Fund with ill-gotten money to repent from making such money, and so there is no harm in benefitting from the pension deducted for him after that; particularly in case he was ignorant that his work in the bank was unlawful. And Allah Knows Best.

 

 

Chairman of the Iftaa` Board, The Grand Mufti of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, His Grace Sheikh Abdulkareem Al-Khasawneh.

Vice-Chairman of the Iftaa` Board, Prof. Ahmad Helayel

Prof. Abduln`nassir Abu Al Bass`al/ Member

His Eminence, Sheikh Sa`ied Hijjawi/ Member

Pro. Mohammad Al-Qhodat/ Member

     Dr. Wasif Al-Bakhri

Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalayleh/ Member

Dr. Mohammad Khair Al-Essa/ Member

Dr.Mohammad Al-Zou`bi/ Member

 

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Summarized Fatawaa

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 slaughter a sheep on Eid al-Adha with the intention of charity (sadaqah) on behalf of a sick person, and with the intention of udhiyah (sacrificial animal) at the same time?

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
The udhiyah (sacrificial animal) is an act of worship intended for its own sake; therefore, it must be slaughtered with the intention (niyyah) of udhiyah.
 
Whoever intends to draw closer to Allah through this act of obedience with the intention of udhiyah, and also intends to gift the reward to another person, there is no Islamic objection to that. And Allah Almighty knows best.

Who is responsible for performing the aqiqah?

All praise is due to Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
The one upon whom the 'aqīqah is incumbent is whoever is obligated to financially maintain the newborn — whether the father, paternal grandfather, or mother. It is to be performed from their own wealth, not from the wealth of the newborn child.
As for one upon whom the financial maintenance of the newborn is not obligatory, they may not perform the 'aqīqah except with the permission of the one upon whom it is obligatory — namely, the father. And Allah Almighty knows best.

What is the ruling on performing the Duha (forenoon) prayer before its time has begun, because I go to school early in the morning?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
The Duha (forenoon) prayer is not valid if performed before its time has begun. Its time starts when the sun has risen to a noticeable height, that is, approximately fifteen minutes after sunrise, and it ends when the sun reaches its zenith (zawāl), shortly before the Dhuhr (noon) prayer. It is stated in Mughni al-Muhtaj (Vol.1/p.455): “Its time is from the rising of the sun [to a spear’s height] until the zenith.”
Accordingly, the Duha prayer is not valid if offered before the sun has risen, and its time remains open until just before Dhuhr. It may be performed at any time at school, during the break between classes or during recess. And Allah Almighty knows best.