Resolutions of Iftaa' Board



Resolutions of Iftaa' Board

Resolution No.(175): "The Wife`s Father is Given Priority over Husband in Determining her Place of Burial in Case She Passed away"

Date Added : 02-11-2015

 

Resolution No.(175)(7/2012) by the Board of Iftaa`, Research and Islamic Studies:

"The Wife`s Father is Given Priority over Husband in Determining her Place of Burial in Case she Passed away"

Date: 14/7/1433 AH, corresponding to 4/6/2012 AD.

 

All perfect praise be to Allah. Blessings and peace be upon Prophet Mohammad and upon all his family and companions.

On the above date, the Board reviewed the following question:

Who should be given priority to receive the dead body of the  wife or the husband, take care of the burial process, and accept the condolences, whether their marriage was valid or they were divorced. Should the husband be given the priority, the wife, the children, the husband`s or the wife`s family?

Since death suffices as a lesson, there should be no room for dispute; rather, people should agree on what is best for the deceased as regards his/her burial place and funeral.

In case of dispute, priority should be given to the close paternal relatives of the deceased. If they disagreed about his/ her burial place, then the father is given priority, then the children, then the brothers.

The four jurists have given the wife`s relatives the priority in performing her funeral prayer. In fact, the Hanafite jurists have stated: "The husband enjoys no guardianship over his deceased wife; however, he is obliged to pay for the costs of enshrouding her and all the other costs of her burial." {Rad`d Al-Mohtaar, vol.2/pp.220,206}. This opinion has been adopted by the Jordanian Civil Status Code, 2010 /Article (71).

The Malikites as well as the Shafites gave priority to the husband over his wife`s male Mahrams as regards washing her (Ghusl) and placing her in the grave, because he is allowed to look at parts of her, which others aren`t allowed to look at; therefore, her Mahrams are given priority to take care of her funeral`s affairs, and her husband has more right to handle matters which may involve her indecent exposure.

Accordingly, when there is dispute as regards determining the place of the wife`s burial, priority is given to her father, then her sons over her husband, as stated by Al-Imam Ar-ramli (May Allah bless him): "If there is a dispute as regards the burial place of the husband, who made no bequest in this regard, then priority should be given to his closest paternal relatives in deciding where to bury him. If the deceased was the wife, then her closest paternal relatives should be given priority over her husband as to where she should be buried." {Nihayat Al-Mohtajj}. Moreover, Al-Khateeb Ash-Shirbini stated: "If the father and the mother had disputed over where to bury their deceased son, then the father should have the final say." {Moghni Al-Mohtajj}.

As regards accepting the condolences, we advise both parties to reach an agreement on that  for the sake of Allah and the deceased`s. And Allah Knows Best.

 

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

Vice-Chairman of the Iftaa` Board, Prof. Ahmad Helayel

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

His Eminence, Sheikh Sa`ied Hijjawi/ Member

Pro. Mohammad Al-Qhodat/ Member

     Dr. Wasif Al-Bakhri

Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalayleh/ Member

Dr. Mohammad Khair Al-Essa/ Member

Dr.Mohammad Al-Zou`bi/ Member

 

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Summarized Fatawaa

The Jurisprudential Significance of the Ḥadīth: "Whoever says, at the conclusion of the Fajr Prayer, while crossing his legs, before speaking..."
"Whoever says, at the conclusion of the Fajr prayer, while crossing his legs, before speaking: 'Lā ilāha illā Allāh, waḥdahu lā sharīka lah, lahu al-mulku wa lahu al-ḥamdu yuḥyī wa yumītu wa huwa ʿalā kulli shayʾin qadīr' ten times — ten good deeds will be recorded for him, ten bad deeds will be erased from him, he will be raised ten levels, he will spend that day in protection from everything disliked and guarded from the devil, and no sin will be able to befall him on that day except associating partners with Allah" — does this noble ḥadīth apply to the imam, and what is meant by "extraneous speech"?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
It is recommended for both the imam and those praying behind him to recite, immediately after the final salām, the specific remembrance reported in the sunnah to be said before turning away from one's place of prayer. The imam then leaves his praying spot, and the act of "turning" is fulfilled when the imam faces the congregation — even without physically leaving his spot — by positioning his right side toward them and his left side toward the qiblah, and this applies even while he is engaged in supplication.
Al-ʿAllāmah Ibn Qāsim al-ʿAbbādī states in his Ḥāshiyah ʿalā al-Tuḥfah (Vol.2/P.105): "It is most virtuous for the imam, once he has given the salām, to rise from his place of prayer immediately afterward." He adds that an exception must be made for the remembrances that are specifically required to be recited before he turns away. He then notes, citing Sharḥ al-ʿUbāb: "Yes, an exception to this rising immediately after the salām applies to the Fajr prayer, due to the authentic report that the Prophet ﷺ, when he prayed Fajr, would remain seated until the sun rose." He further cites, from al-Khādim, the ḥadīth concerning one who recites, at the conclusion of the Fajr prayer while still in the position of crossing his leg to rise: "Lā ilāha illā Allāh, waḥdahu lā sharīka lah..." and the rest of the well-known ḥadīth. He comments that this makes explicit that this particular remembrance is to be recited before the worshipper turns his legs to leave, and the same applies to Maghrib and ʿAṣr, as reported in those contexts as well.
What is meant by "speech" in the relevant ḥadīth is extraneous worldly speech that is not called for after the prayer and for which there is no legitimate excuse. The remembrances reported to be recited upon concluding the prayer, however, do not fall under this category of extraneous speech, since they are themselves required by the sharīʿah.
Al-ʿAllāmah ʿAlī al-Shabrāmalsī states in his Ḥāshiyah ʿalā al-Nihāyah (Vol.1/P.551): "If someone greets a person with salām while he is occupied with reciting this remembrance [i.e., 'Lā ilāha illā Allāh...'], should he return the greeting — without this causing him to forfeit the promised reward, since he is engaged in an obligatory matter — or should he delay returning the greeting until he finishes, this being a legitimate excuse for the delay?" He continues: "I say: the more likely view is the former, and the prohibition on speech is to be understood as applying to extraneous speech for which there is no legitimate excuse. Based on this, should the worshipper give precedence to this remembrance ('Lā ilāha illā Allāh...') or to reciting Sūrat al-Ikhlāṣ ('Qul huwa Allāhu aḥad')? This requires consideration, though it is not unlikely that the remembrance takes precedence, given that the Lawgiver urged hastening to it through his words 'while crossing his leg.' This is not considered ordinary speech, since it is not extraneous to what is required after the prayer."
Accordingly, it is recommended for both the imam and those praying behind him to recite this remembrance and to give it precedence over the other remembrances of the prayer, ensuring it is said before they move from their place. And Allah the Almighty knows best.

Does the Obligatory Ritual Bath (Ghusl) Suffice in Place of Ablution (Wuḍūʾ)?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
The more prudent course is to perform ablution (wuḍūʾ) after the ritual bath (ghusl), so as to exit the difference of scholarly opinion and because the sufficiency of the ritual bath in place of ablution is contingent upon a number of conditions and requirements being met. And Allah the Almighty knows best.

What is the ruling of Islamic Law on eating or drinking forgetfully while observing the kaffarah fasting?

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
If someone eats or drinks out of forgetfulness while fasting, it is simply that Allah has fed them and given them drink. Their fast is not broken by this; rather, they should continue fasting. This ruling applies whether the fast is an obligatory one (like Ramadan), a make-up fast (Qada), an expiation (Kaffarah), or a voluntary (Nafal) fast. And Allah the Exalted knows best.

What is the ruling on istinja' after urination, and is it done with water and soap or with water only?

Istinja' from urine and stool is obligatory. It is permissible to perform istinja' with water alone, or with toilet paper alone. The best way is with toilet paper then water. If one wishes to suffice with one of them, then water is better. And Allah the Almighty knows best.