Resolutions of Iftaa' Board



Resolutions of Iftaa' Board

Resolution No.(136): “Ruling on Taking Stimulants in Sport"

Date Added : 27-10-2015

Resolution No.(136),(1/2010): “Ruling on Taking Stimulants in Sport"

Date: 25/3/1431 AH, corresponding to 11/3/2010 AD.

 

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of The Worlds; and may His blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Mohammad and upon all his family and companions.

During its first session held on the above given date, the Board reviewed the question pertaining to the ruling of Sharia on taking stimulants in sport.

After thorough studying and deliberating, the Board arrived at the following:

The general provisions of Islamic Sharia demand preserving the five necessities: religion, life, property, the mind and progeny. Therefore, taking stimulants by athletes is forbidden for the following evidences:

First: The most elevated motto in sport is straightening the body, warding off harm from it and showing its points of strength and energy. It is permissible to practice sport for recreational purposes so long as it is done within the limits prescribed in Sharia. It has been proven that the Prophet (PBUH) raced his wife Aisha (May Allah be pleased with her), wrestled with a disbeliever called Rukanah, rode horses and camels…etc.

Second: Upon considering the benefits and repercussions of taking these stimulants, we realize that they are absolutely of no use to the person taking them, as they lead to damaging his body and mind. In principle, one`s body should be strong and energetic, but once stimulants enter it they turn benefit into harm; therefore, using them contradicts with the general rules of Islamic Sharia which stipulate warding off harm.

Third: One of the rules of Sharia states that whatever is proven harmful to be forbidden as a result, and this applies to these stimulants. Provisions from the Quran and the Sunnah have clearly forbidden some substances that inflict harm on the body, the religion and the society, such as wine. Other substances were forbidden on basis of the negative repercussions resulting from taking them.

Fourth: Stimulants in sport represent an act of aggression against the divine natural disposition upon which Allah has created man; they harm his health and change the nature of his body. Allah, The Almighty, Says (What means): “I will mislead them, and I will create in them false desires; I will order them to slit the ears of cattle, and to deface the (fair) nature created by God.” {An-Nisa`/119}. Changing Allah`s Creation includes every act that leads to changing man`s image.

Fifth: Taking stimulants in sport leads to many chronic, incurable and fatal diseases, and Allah, The Almighty, Has Forbidden that a person kills himself. Whereas, He Says (what means): “O ye who believe! Eat not up your property among yourselves in vanities: But let there be amongst you Traffic and trade by mutual good-will: Nor kill (or destroy) yourselves: for verily God hath been to you Most Merciful.” {At-Tawbah/119}. Also, the Prophet (PBUH) said: “Whoever cheats, he is not one of us." {Muslim}.

Sixth: Taking simulants give the athletes who uses this kind of drugs a fake appearance and to be in shape while he is not and this is considered turning lies to facts. Since, in this regard, Allah, The Exalted Ordered us to avoid lying and deceit whereas He Said (What means): "O ye who believe! Be careful of your duty to Allah, and be with the truthful." [At-Tawbeh/119], as well as, The Prophet (PBUH) said (What means): "And he who treats us dishonestly does not belong to us.” [Related by Moslim].

Seventh: This ruling is in conformity with the international laws and regulations, which ban using such stimulants. And Allah, The Almighty Knows Best.

 

Chairperson of the Iftaa` Board, Grand Mufti of Jordan, Dr. Abdulkareem Al-Khasawneh

Vice Chairman of the Iftaa` Board,

                                                          Dr. Ahmad Hilayel

                                                          Dr. Yahia al-Botoosh/ Member

                                                          Sheikh Sa`eid Hijjawi/ Member

          Dr. Mohammad Khair al-Eesa/ Member

                                                          Judge Sari Atieh/ Member

 Dr. Abdurahamn Ibbdah/ Member

                                                          Dr. Mohammad Okla/ Member

     Dr. Abdunnasir Abulbasal/ Member

           Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalayleh/ Member

           Dr. Mohammad al-Gharaibeh/ Member

 

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Summarized Fatawaa

Someone wiped over his shoes after wearing them in a state of purity, then took them off and prayed without them?

Ablution is not invalidated by taking off leather socks or shoes after wiping over them. However, whoever takes them off after wiping must wash his feet only. If he prayed without washing his feet, he must wash his feet and repeat the prayer. And Allah the Almighty knows best.

What is the ruling of Islamic Law on performing ṭawāf on the upper floors of al-Masjid al-Ḥarām, given that these floors are situated above the level of the Ka‘bah, and that the one performing ṭawāf passes by certain barriers, such as pillars and walls, during the ṭawāf?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
There are numerous conditions for the validity of ṭawāf (circumambulation around the Ka‘bah), among them: that the one performing ṭawāf be inside the Masjid (al-Masjid al-Ḥarām) — even if the Masjid has been expanded, so long as the expansion does not extend out into al-ḥill (land outside the sanctuary boundaries). It suffices for the ṭawāf to be performed in the airspace of the Masjid or upon its roof, even if that roof is higher than the Ka‘bah (the House) itself.
Al-Khaṭīb ash-Shirbīnī (raḥimahullāh) said: "It [ṭawāf] is valid upon the roof of the Masjid, even if the roof of the Masjid is higher than the House — just as prayer [is valid] upon Mount Abū Qubays despite its elevation above the House. This is the relied-upon (mu‘tamad) position." [Mughnī al-Muḥtāj, Vol.2/P.246]
The validity of the tawaf isn`t affected by the pillars and walls standing between the one performing ṭawāf and the House, since the condition is only that the person performing ṭawāf be within the boundaries of the Masjid and outside the boundaries of the Ka‘bah itself.
Ash-Shirbīnī said: "It [ṭawāf] is valid inside the Masjid, even if it is expanded, and even if a barrier stands between the one circumambulating and the House — such as a water-supply structure (saqāyah) or pillars (sawārī)." [Mughnī al-Muḥtāj, Vol. 2/P.246]
Accordingly, ṭawāf performed on the upper floors is valid, and the presence of barriers such as pillars and walls during the ṭawāf does not affect its validity. And Allah, the Exalted, knows best.

Does burping (belching) break the fast?

Burping does not break the fast. However, if anything comes up from the stomach, the fasting person must spit it out and rinse their mouth to cleanse it.
If they swallow it intentionally while being able to expel it, or if they swallow their saliva before rinsing their mouth, their fast is invalidated.

What is the ruling on waiving a debt owed by a debtor and counting it toward zakāh?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
Waiving a debt owed by a debtor, with the intention of counting it toward zakāh, does not fulfill the zakāh obligation. Rather, it constitutes an ordinary act of charity, for which Allah rewards the giver generously — since one of the conditions for the validity of zakāh is that the person paying it must form the intention of zakāh at the actual moment the wealth is paid out. In this case, the debt has already been established as a standing obligation upon the borrower, so it is not valid to simply redirect the intention toward zakāh after the fact.
It is preferable, instead, for the creditor to first collect the debt from the debtor, and then return to him the amount of money he is required to pay as zakāh — or a portion of it — if the debtor happens to fall under one of the eight categories that Allah, the Exalted, has commanded be given from zakāh.
It is stated in ‘Umdat as-Sālik, from the books of the Shāfi‘ī school: "If someone gives [money] to a poor person, stipulating that the recipient return it to him in payment of a debt owed to him, or says, 'I am making what you owe me into zakāh, so take it [as such]' — this is not valid. But if he gives it to him with the [unstated] intention that the recipient will use it to repay him, or says, 'Repay what you owe me, so that I may [then separately] give it to you as zakāh,' or the debtor himself says, 'Give it to me, so that I may [then] repay you with it' — this is valid, and there is no binding obligation for the recipient to actually fulfill this [informal understanding]." And Allah, the Exalted, knows best.