Resolutions of Iftaa' Board



Resolutions of Iftaa' Board

Resolution No.(28): “Confirmation of Sighting the Crescents of Ramadan and Shawaal “

Date Added : 28-10-2015

 

Resolution No.(28): “Confirmation of Sighting the Crescents of Ramadaan and Shawaal“

Date: 12/11/1413 AH corresponding to 4/2/1993.

 

The Board has reviewed the issue of confirming the sighting of the crescent in general and the crescents of Ramadan and Shawaal in particular, so it decided what follows:

The new lunar month commences upon confirming the sighting of the crescent in the western horizon after sunset of the twenty-ninth of the same lunar month. If it hadn`t appeared that night, then the month of Ramadan becomes thirty days.

The testimony of a trustworthy person who testifies that he saw the new moon in the manner indicated above is accepted if the astronomical calculations confirmed that the new moon was born.

However, if these calculations proved otherwise, then his testimony isn`t accepted because there is doubt in that regard.

Moreover, if the sighting of the new moon was confirmed in any of the Islamic states in accordance the aforementioned manner, then it must be relied on, even if the new moon wasn`t seen in the rest of the Islamic states. And Allah Knows Best.

 

Chairman of the Iftaa` Board, Chief Justice Dr.Nooh Al-Qodaat
Acting Mufti General, Sheikh Saeid Hijjawi
Mufti of Jordanian Armed Forces, Mahmood Shwayaat
Dr. Abdassalam Al-Abbadi
Dr. Ahmad Hilayel
Sheikh Ratib Az-zahir
Dr. Mahmood As-sartawi
Ibrahim Khash-shaan

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Summarized Fatawaa

What is the ruling on giving the expiation of an oath (Kaffarat al-Yamin) to a charity that feeds the poor?

 

 

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.

It is allowed for a Muslim to appoint a proxy (agent) to distribute the expiation (Kaffarah) on their behalf. Our jurists have explicitly stated the permissibility of delegation (Tawkil) in the distribution of Zakat, Kaffarah, and vows (Nadr).

It is stated in Mughni al-Muhtaj (Vol.3/P.237): 'One has the right to pay the Zakat of their wealth personally... and they also have the right to delegate it.' And Allah the Exalted knows best.

Is it permissible to purchase the Udhiyah on installments?

It is permissible to purchase the sacrificial animal (uḍḥiyyah) on installments or by borrowing its price. However, it is not recommended for the poor to do so, because they are not required to offer a sacrifice, and Allah does not burden a soul beyond its capacity. If doing so would lead to negligence in providing for one's dependents (nafaqah wājibah), then giving precedence to obligatory maintenance over borrowing to buy the sacrifice is appropriate. This is based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): "It is sufficient sin for a person to withhold food from those whom he is responsible to support."
 
Furthermore, the sacrifice is valid from one who has a debt, but it is preferable (awlā) to repay the debt first, especially if the debt is due immediately (ḥāll). And Allah Almighty knows best.

What is the ruling on vomiting, and does it invalidate ablution?

Vomit is impure (najis). Its exit is not considered one of the nullifiers of ablution. However, the mouth must be washed and purified from it, and any that gets on clothing or the body must be washed for prayer, because prayer is not valid with impurity present on the body or clothing. And Allah the Almighty knows best.

What is the ruling on performing the Istikhara prayer after the Witr paryer?

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
The Istikhara prayer (Prayer for seeking guidance) is a Sunnah. It consists of two units (rak’ahs) performed outside of the obligatory prayers, after which the person supplicates with the traditionally narrated du’a. It is permissible to perform it before or after the Witr prayer, as the Istikhara prayer is recommended at all times except during the disliked times—the periods in which prayer is prohibited. This is because its specific reason (the Istikhara and supplication) occurs after the prayer itself, and any prayer with a subsequent reason is not permitted during the prohibited times. It should be noted that the two rak’ahs of Istikhara are not fulfilled by performing only one rak’ah, nor by a prostration of recitation (Sajdat al-Tilawah), nor by a funeral prayer (Janazah). And Allah the Exalted knows best.