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 swearing an oath by the Prophet ﷺ, and does such an oath take effect according to Imām Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, requiring expiation upon its breach?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
Swearing an oath by a created being is disliked (makrūh) in our Shāfiʿī school. Shaykh al-Islām Imām al-Nawawī, may Allah have mercy upon him, states: "Swearing by a created being is disliked — such as swearing by the Prophet, the Kaʿbah, Jibrīl, the Companions, or the Prophet's family. Al-Shāfiʿī, may Allah have mercy upon him, said: 'I fear that swearing by other than Allah the Almighty may constitute an act of disobedience.' The scholars of the school explained this to mean: that is, something forbidden and sinful — indicating that he had some hesitation in the matter. Al-Imām stated: the established position of the school is that it is categorically not forbidden, but rather disliked. Furthermore, whoever swears by a created being, his oath does not take effect and no expiation (kaffārah) is required if he breaks it." [Rawḍat al-Ṭālibīn wa ʿUmdat al-Muftīn, Vol. 11/P.6]
According to the Ḥanbalī school, however, expiation becomes obligatory upon one who swears by our master the Prophet ﷺ and then breaks his oath. Imām al-Bahūtī al-Ḥanbalī, may Allah have mercy upon him, states: "No expiation is required for swearing by other than Allah the Almighty, even if the oath is broken — because expiation was made obligatory for swearing by Allah and His attributes, out of reverence for His names, and nothing else is equal to Him in this regard... except in the case of swearing by our Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ, for expiation becomes obligatory when one swears by him and then breaks the oath. This was explicitly stated in the narration of Abū Ṭālib, because he is one of the two conditions of the two testimonies of faith by which a disbeliever becomes a Muslim. Ibn ʿAqīl held the view that swearing by any of the other prophets, peace and blessings be upon them all, carries the same ruling." [Sharḥ Muntahā al-Irādāt, Vol. 3/P.441]. And Allah the Almighty knows best.

Is an elderly or chronically ill person required to pay additional fidyah if they delay it beyond the first year?

An elderly person or someone permanently unable to fast must pay fidyah by feeding one needy person for each missed day.
However, if they delay paying fidyah beyond the first year, no additional fidyah is required.
This differs from someone who delays making up missed Ramadan fasts (qada) without a valid excuse until the next Ramadan begins—such a person is required to pay an additional fidyah for the delay.

What is the ruling on giving Zakat al-Fitr in cash?

The default ruling is that Zakat al-Fitr should be given as the staple food of the land. In Jordan, for example, the staple food is wheat or rice, and the amount of Zakat al-Fitr is 2,500 grams per person. It is easy to give this amount of rice to the poor and needy, and this is the correct ruling according to all Islamic schools of thought.
However, Hanafi scholars have permitted giving Zakat al-Fitr as monetary value, considering it more beneficial for the poor and easier for the giver.

How to pay Zakah (obligatory charity) due on articles of merchandise?

Articles of merchandise are estimated by their whole sale market price at the end of each lunar year, and (2.5%) of their value is paid as Zakah whether it (value) went up, or down compared to actual purchasing price, and whether the increase (profit) was in the article itself such as an increase in the animal`s weight, or in the prices themselves. And Allah Knows Best.