Resolutions of Iftaa' Board



Resolutions of Iftaa' Board

Resolution No.(121),(8/2008): “Proposed Amendments to the Draft Bill of Licensing and Regulating Artificial Insemination Centers“

Date Added : 02-11-2015

 

Resolution No.(121),(8/2008): “Proposed Amendments to the Draft Bill of Licensing and Regulating Artificial Insemination Centers“

Date: 29/11/1429 AH, corresponding to 27/11/2008 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.

On the above date, the Board reviewed the letter of the Director of the Awqaf Funds Development Foundation, No.5/5/3/321, 19/2/2007 AH, 12/1/1429 AD, whereby he asked the Iftaa` Board to clarify the ruling of Sharia regarding the draft bill of licensing and regulating Artificial Insemination centers.

 

After thorough researching and deliberating, the Board made the following remarks:

 

First: Article (10), paragraph (1) which pertains to the regulations to be adhered to by the licensed center in accordance to the provisions of this law, and reads: “Technology aiding in giving birth is the only means for giving birth after having established that natural conception is impossible, for at least one year, unless there is a pre-diagnosis indicating that the woman is barren, then the couple don`t wait for that period.“ The Board recommends deleting this paragraph since it isn`t permissible to provide technical aid for giving birth in case it has been established that both spouses, or one of them is sterile. Islamic Sharia forbids confirming sterility makes giving birth without the interference of a third party impossible, and any external interference in such situation.

 

The draft bill of birth giving aiding technologies for the year 2007, article (13), paragraph (D) states: 

As regards medical technologies, the following is banned:

 

D- Aiding in giving birth in case sterility of either spouses or one of them was established.

 

Second: Article (14), paragraph (2), which pertains to the preservation of embryos and sperms, states: “ The preservation of embryos for no more than five years, and sperms for no more than ten years for future birth giving in favor of both spouses and in accordance with the regulations and decisions pertaining to this law.“

The Board views that these periods are long and recommends limiting them to the time when the fertilization process succeeds and a healthy baby is born. Thus, this paragraph should be as follows: “The mingled sperms, or embryos shall be preserved through a written request submitted by the concerned husband, as regards the sperms, and both spouses as regards the embryos until the fertilization process succeeds and a healthy baby is born as a result. Extra sperms and embryos are left unattended until they perish." And Allah The Almighty Knows Best.

 

Chairman of the Iftaa` Board, The Grand Mufti O Jordan, Dr. Nooh Salman

Vice-Chairman of the Iftaa` Board, Dr. Ahmad Hilayel

                    Sheikh Abdulkareem Khasawneh

 Sheikh Sa`eid Hijjawi

               Dr. Mohammad Khair Al-Esaa

                                                                   Judge Sari Attieh

       Dr. Abdulrahaman Ibdah

   Dr. Mohammad Oklah

               Dr. Abdulnassir Abu al-Bassal

Executive Secretary of the Iftaa` Board, Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalayleh

 

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Summarized Fatawaa

What is the ruling on swallowing phlegm while fasting?

If a fasting person intentionally swallows phlegm, their fast is invalid, as it is possible to avoid it.
However, if they swallow it unintentionally, their fast remains valid.
Phlegm is impure and should be avoided.

Is the Saying "Whatever is Taken by the Sword of Shyness is Forbidden" an Authentic Ḥadīth?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
The saying "Whatever is taken by the sword of shyness is forbidden" is not an authentic ḥadīth, though its underlying meaning is sound. The established sharʿī principle is that a Muslim's wealth is not lawful for anyone to take except with his wholehearted consent, as Allah the Almighty says {what means}: "O you who have believed, do not consume one another's wealth unjustly, but only [in lawful] business by mutual consent." [Al-Nisā/ 29] And the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "Listen to me and you will live well: do not wrong others, do not wrong others, do not wrong others. Indeed, a man's wealth is not lawful except with his full, willing consent." (Reported by Aḥmad in his Musnad.) Whatever is taken through the pressure of shyness or social embarrassment runs directly counter to genuine, wholehearted consent.
The jurists have explicitly stated that whatever is taken by means of the "sword of shyness" carries the same ruling as that which is taken by coercion — it must be returned to its rightful owner.
Ibn Ḥajar al-Haytamī, may Allah have mercy upon him, states in al-Fatāwā al-Kubrā (Vol.3/P.30): "Do you not see the reported scholarly consensus that whoever has something taken from him purely out of shyness, without his genuine consent, does not pass ownership of it to the one who took it? They reasoned that this constitutes a form of coercion through the 'sword of shyness,' comparable to coercion at the point of an actual sword. Indeed, many people would rather submit to the literal sword and endure the pain of its wound than submit to this first kind of coercion, out of fear for their dignity and standing — which people of sound judgment hold dear and guard most fiercely." And Allah the Almighty knows best.

What is the ruling on discharging one's zakāh obligation through the provision of a specific benefit (manfa‘ah) — such as performing a surgical operation for a patient, or providing housing to a tenant, and counting the value of this service as zakāh?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
It is obligatory to pay zakāh from the actual asset (‘ayn al-māl) upon which zakāh is due, except in the case of zakāh on trade goods ('urūḍ at-tijārah), which is paid based on their monetary value. In all cases, zakāh must be given in the form of tamlīk (a full transfer of ownership), based on the words of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic (which mean): "Zakāh expenditures are only for the poor and for the needy, and for those employed to collect [zakāh], and for bringing hearts together [for Islam], and for freeing captives [or slaves], 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 letter "lām" (لِ) in this verse — as in "lil-fuqarā'" ("for the poor") — indicates possession/ownership (lām al-milk).
It is not permissible to fulfill one's zakāh obligation by providing a benefit or service (manfa‘ah) — such as housing, education, or medical treatment — in place of the zakāh itself. This is because zakāh must be paid as wealth (māl) that is transferred into the ownership of the poor recipient, whereas such services are intangible benefits that are not, in themselves, capable of being formally transferred in ownership (ghayr qābilah lit-tamlīk). And Allah, the Exalted, knows best.

Is it permissible for a woman to uncover her face while performing Umrah (minor Hajj)?

The woman while in a state of Ihram (ritual consecration) is obligated to uncover her face and hands, but at the same time permitted to let her head-covering garment drape from her head down over her face when non-Mahram (i.e., marriageable) men pass by her. And Allah Knows Best.