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Resolutions of Iftaa' Board


Resolutions of Iftaa' Board

Resolution No.(155): "Ruling on the Loan Conditioned by Making a Fixed Monthly Payment to a Solidarity Fund whose Benefit Goes to the Borrowers"

Date Added : 02-11-2015

 

Resolution No.(155)(20/2010) by the Board of Iftaa`, Research and Islamic Studies:

"Ruling on the Loan Conditioned by Making a Fixed Monthly Payment to a Solidarity Fund whose Benefit Goes to the Borrowers"

Date: 26/12/1431 AH, corresponding to 2/12/2010 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 eleventh session held on the above date, the Board reviewed the following question:

I`m a government employee and I have received (22000) JDs as a housing loan. Upon collecting that sum, I found out that I should pay (100) JDs as stamps, and that there was a solidarity fund related to the Employees Housing Fund by which (5) JDs are deducted monthly besides the installment, regardless of the loan`s value, which ranges between (15000) and (30000) JDs. It is worth mentioning that the repayment period is (20) years and this applies to all the employees, regardless of the loan`s value. By conclusion, each employee pays (1200) JDs to the solidarity fund over twenty years, knowing that in case an employee dies, this fund pays off all his unpaid installments, regardless of the amount due to the Housing Fund, whether it was (30000) or one JD, and his heirs aren`t liable for repaying any sum.

After thorough deliberations, the Board decided what follows:

The above loan is permissible because the value of the stamps goes to the public treasury, so there is no harm in paying that amount. Moreover, it isn`t usurious because in usury it is a condition that the loan brings profit to the loaner himself; whereas, the value of the stamps goes to the state, not the loaner.

As regards the payments made to the solidarity fund, they are permissible as well, because it enhances solidarity amongst the borrowers. However, each fund should have its independent account so that payments made to the solidarity fund aren`t re-loaned by the Employees Housing Fund. This way eliminates  the suspicion of usury.

It is better that you (questioner) pay the whole amount due to the solidarity fund at the beginning so that nothing gets deducted from the loan or added to it; rather, paying that amount in advance should be a condition for taking the loan. This way, the contract becomes free from the suspicion of usury. We advise participants to pay that amount in advance as a kind of grant or donation. And Allah Knows Best.

 

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

Vice Head of the Iftaa` Board, Dr. Ahmad Hilayel

Dr. Yahia Al-Botoosh/ Member

His Eminence, Sheikh Sa`ied Hijjawi/ Member

Dr. Mohammad Khair Al-Essa

Judge Sarrie Attieh

Dr. Abdulrahman Ibbdah/ Member

Dr. Mohammad Oklah/ Member

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

Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalayleh/ Member

Dr. Mohammad Al-Gharaibeh/ Member

Executive Secretary of the Iftaa` Board, Sheikh Mohammad Al-Hunaiti

 

 

 

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Summarized Fatawaa

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.

Does sacrificing one sheep avail for the entire household?

In the Name of Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
Offering an Udhiyah (sacrificial offering) is a communal Sunnah (Sunnah Kifayah) for members of the same household, provided that their financial maintenance is undertaken by a single provider. By "communal Sunnah," we mean that when one person performs it, the religious recommendation is fulfilled on behalf of the entire household, though the spiritual reward itself belongs uniquely to the one who offered it.
 
Therefore, if any member of the household performs the sacrifice—even if it is someone who is not legally responsible for the household's expenses, such as the wife or one of the children—the recommendation is fulfilled for everyone in that home. However, the reward does not automatically extend to the other members unless the person offering the sacrifice explicitly intends to share the reward with them—similar to how performing a funeral prayer (Janazah) fulfills the communal obligation for everyone, yet the specific reward is earned by those who actually prayed.
 
Additionally, a single sacrifice is sufficient for a man who is married to more than one wife. And Allah the Almighty Knows Best.

Is it permissible to slaughter a single sheep with the combined intention of both the uḍḥiyyah and the 'aqīqah?

All praise is due to Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
According to Shaykh al-Islām Imam Ibn Ḥajar al-Haytamī, it is not permissible to combine the intention of the uḍḥiyyah and the 'aqīqah in a single animal, as each of the two has a distinct and separate cause that differs from the other.
However, Shaykh al-Islām Imam al-Ramlī permitted the combining of both intentions in a single animal — and this position offers a degree of latitude and ease. And Allah Almighty knows best.

Is it valid for the 'aqīqah to be performed using the newborn child's own wealth?

All praise is due to Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
It is not permissible for the guardian to perform the 'aqīqah using the newborn child's own wealth, because the 'aqīqah is a voluntary act of giving (tabarru'), and a guardian is prohibited from making voluntary expenditures from the child's wealth. Should he do so, he becomes financially liable for what he spent. And Allah Almighty knows best.

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