Resolutions of Iftaa' Board



Resolutions of Iftaa' Board

Resolution No.(219): "Ruling on Sabi committed by (I.S)

Date Added : 21-12-2015

Resolution No.(219)(9/2015) by the Board of Iftaa`, Research and Islamic Studies:

"Ruling on Sabi committed by (I.S)

Date: 24/Zolhijjah/1436 AH, corresponding to 8/10/2015.

On the above given date, the Board reviewed the question sent by Dr. Abdullah Al-Kurdi, Chairman of the Association of Muslim Scholars in Kurdistan-Iraq, and it reads as follows:

Your Grace is quite acquainted with the atrocities committed by the Islamic State (I.S) in the name of Islam, and one of these is Sabi (War prisoners, children and women only) where Christian and Yazidi girls and women are sold for a very low price, a handful of Dirhams, in public. This criminal act had negative repercussions on the Kurdish community.

As your Grace is a highly respected figure in the Muslim World, we deem necessary that you issue a Fatwa condemning Sabi and forbidding it so as for the Muslim World to become fully aware of the atrocities inflicted upon these victims in the name of Islam.

Islam hasn`t brought Sabi and slavery; rather, this social phenomenon was widespread in early nations for centuries. When Islam was manifested, it had to deal with a harsh reality, so it delivered rules and regulations to eradicate this phenomena on gradual basis, as is the wisdom of Islam in many of its legislations. Therefore, it provided useful and decisive solutions to end this problem from its very source.

As a result, Islamic Sharia has narrowed down the sources of slavery, forbade any act of aggression against free people, made freeing slaves one of the Zakah disbursement channels and among the righteous deeds by which  a Muslim pleases Allah and gets his sins erased from his record on the Day of Resurrection. Allah, The Exalted, Says (what means): "But he hath made no haste on the path that is steep. And what will explain to thee the path that is steep?- (It is:) freeing the bondman." {Al-Balad,11-13}. Islamic Sharia has also enabled slaves to free themselves through the system of "Mokatabah" i.e. concluding a contract of manumission. This is in addition to many other meticulous and wise legislations by which Islam was able to counter this phenomenon and bring it to a gradual end.

In conclusion, the criminal acts committed by this terrorist organization; namely, Sabi, enslavement and human trafficking, are impermissible and totally contradict the objectives and the provisions of Islamic Sharia; especially, since nations have agreed on abolishing this phenomenon and standing up to its various forms. Islam hasn`t brought slavery and Sabi; rather, it has brought manumission and freedom since absolute slavery is dedicated to Allah alone, as indicated by the famous saying of the Caliphate Umar Bin Al-Khattab (May Allah be pleased with him): "Since when did you enslave the people though they were born free." And Allah Knows Best.

 

The Grand Mufti of Jordan / His Eminence Sheikh AbdulKareem al-Khasawneh
Prof. Abdulnasser Abulbasal / Member
Dr. Yahia al-Botoosh / Member
Sheikh Sae`id Hijjawi / Member
Dr. Wasif al-Bakhri / Member
Prof. Mohammad al-Qhodat / Member
Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalayleh / Member
Dr. Mohammad Khair Al-Esa / Member
Dr. Mohammad  al-Z`obi / Member

 

 

 

 

 

Decision Number [ Previous | Next ]


Summarized Fatawaa

Is it permissible to include others in the reward of one`s sacrifice?

 

In the Name of Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
It is permissible for the person offering an Udhiyah (sacrificial offering) to include others in the spiritual reward of the sacrifice. However, it is not permissible for multiple people to jointly share the purchase price of a single sheep or goat, unless one person gifts the money to the other.
 
It is stated in Mughni al-Muhtaj (6/137) by Al-Khatib al-Shirbini:
 
"If a person includes someone else in the reward of his sacrifice and slaughters it on his own behalf, it is permissible."
 
It should be carefully noted that including someone else in the reward of one's sacrifice is completely distinct from offering a sacrifice on behalf of someone else. And Allah the Almighty Knows Best.

What is the ruling on selling sacrificial animals (udhiyah) described with specific attributes and authorizing an agent to slaughter them?

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
Selling sacrificial animals (udhiyah) that are described with specific attributes is permissible. This falls under the category of a salam sale (forward sale) if conducted using the terminology of salam, and under the category of a regular sale if not using the terminology of salam.
 
As for authorizing the seller to slaughter the sacrificial animal, the basic principle is that it is permissible, because the agent (wakil) stands in the place of the principal (muwakkil) in achieving his objective. This is a contract that the principal (the buyer) is entitled to perform himself, so authorizing another (the seller) to do so on his behalf is valid.
 
However, it is a condition for authorization to slaughter that the intention (niyyah) is present either at the time of slaughter or at the time of handing over the sacrificial animal to the agent. The basic principle is that the sacrificial animal must be specifically designated, as it is an act of worship. It is not required to designate it at the time of slaughter; rather, it is valid to do so before that.
 
It is permissible for the principal either to delegate the intention to the agent or to formulate it himself when authorizing the agent to slaughter. However, the sacrificial animal must be designated, even if at the time of slaughter, by the agent.
 
It is obligatory to designate the sacrificial animals so that each person offering a sacrifice receives his own specific animal. Therefore, charitable organizations and companies must take this into consideration and establish a specific mechanism that ensures no mixing of sacrificial animals occurs, so that each person offering a sacrifice receives his own designated animal. And Allah Almighty knows best.

What are the Sunnahs and etiquettes related to the slaughtering of an animal?

 

 
In the Name of Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
1-Avoid terrifying the animal before it is slaughtered.
 
2-Do not slaughter the animal in front of others of its kind.
 
3-Offer water to the animal before the sacrifice.
 
4-Sharpen the knife thoroughly prior to slaughtering to ensure the cut is made as quickly and cleanly as possible. This is in accordance with the statement of our Master, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): "Indeed, Allah, the Almighty and Majestic, has prescribed excellence (Ihsan) in all things. So when you kill, kill well; and when you slaughter, slaughter well. Let each of you sharpen his blade, and let him put his sacrificial animal at ease." (Narrated by Muslim)
 
Do not begin skinning the carcass until you are absolutely certain that the animal has completely passed away.
 
Slaughter cattle, sheep, and goats while they are lying down on their left side, facing the Qiblah (direction of prayer). Leave the right leg untied so the animal can move it, helping it rest more easily during its final moments. For camels, however, the preferred method (Nahr) is to slaughter them while they are standing up, with their left knee tied. And Allah the Almighty Knows Best.

What are the legal and religious consequences for a charitable organization in the event that a sacrificial animal is damaged or spoiled after slaughter?

All praise is due to Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
Charitable organizations entrusted with slaughtering sacrificial animals (uḍḥiyyah) and distributing their meat on behalf of their owners are obligated to safeguard the meat from spoilage, damage, theft, and any other harm. This is because such organizations act as agents (wukalā') on behalf of those offering the sacrifice, and an agent holds what is entrusted to them in trust (amānah) — whether they receive a wage for their work or act on a voluntary basis.
If the sacrificial animal is damaged after slaughter during the processes of packaging, transportation, or storage due to negligence or oversight — whether on the part of the organization's own staff overseeing the operation, or on the part of third parties contracted by the organization such as transport or shipping companies — then liability falls upon the negligent party, who is required to compensate for the value of the sacrifice. It is not permissible to cover such compensation from the organization's other donor funds.
However, if the damage to the sacrificial animal occurs without any negligence in its preservation and storage on the part of any party involved in the transportation, shipping, or storage process, and is instead attributable to force majeure circumstances beyond their control, then no financial liability is borne by any party in such a case. And Allah Almighty knows best.