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Resolutions of Iftaa' Board

Resolution No.(22): “Marriage of Challenged Individual"

Date Added : 29-11-2015

 

Resolution No.(22) by the Board of Iftaa`, Research and Islamic Studies:    

“Marriage of Challenged Individuals“

Date: 20/11/1411 A.H, corresponding to 3/6/1991 A.D

 

We have received the following question:
What is the ruling of Sharia on the marriage of challenged individuals?
Answer:
All success is due 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.
Having reviewed article (120) of the Jordanian Civil Status Law which grants a wife the right to ask for separation in case her husband became insane after the conclusion of their marriage contract, and the articles (113-119) which give her/him the right to ask for dissolution of marriage due to illnesses and diseases, the Board is of the view that it is permissible to confine the marriage of an individual afflicted with a disability, repulsive disease, or a disease that  could be transmitted to others or to his offspring, whether his disability was mental, physical, or psychological. It is also permissible to confine the marriage of an individual inflicted with a handicap, or was genetically handicapped, by obtaining a permission from a Sharia judge, by analogy to the ruling applied to the person inflicted with insanity, or idiocy, which undermines the very purpose of marriage itself.
The ruling in such cases depends on the judge`s decision and assessment of the best interest of both spouses, provided that each case is considered separately and after submitting a certified medical report from a specialized committee of expert doctors, showing that his disability or illness is incurable, and that he is likely to beget children inflicted with the same disabilities. In this case, the judge is entitled to stop this marriage before the conclusion of the contract to avoid any future harms since in this situation marriage loses its purpose, and causes embarrassment or harm to one of the spouses or to both of them. And Allah Knows Best.

 

Chairman of the Iftaa` Board, Chief Justice Mohammad Mohailan
The Grand Mufti of Jordan, Izzaldeen At-tamimi
Dr. Abdusallam Al-Abbadi
Dr. Umar Al-Ashkhar
Dr. Yaseen Daradkeh
Dr. Abdulahaleem Al-Ramahi
Sheikh Ratib Al-Zahir
Sheikh Ibrahim Khashan
Dr. Abdullahlim Ar-ramahi

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Summarized Fatawaa

What is the ruling of Islamic Law on performing the Witr prayer after the Adhan for Fajr prayer?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
The time for Witr prayer begins after the ‘Ishā' prayer and ends with the rising of true dawn (al-fajr aṣ-ṣādiq). If a Muslim performs it at any point within this window, it counts as performed on time.
It is also recommended to make up a missed Witr prayer at any time — whether before or after performing the Fajr prayer, or at any other time of day. On the authority of Abū Sa‘īd al-Khudrī (raḍiyallāhu ‘anh), the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "Whoever falls asleep and misses the Witr prayer, or forgets it, let him pray it when he remembers, or when he wakes up." (Related by at-Tirmidhī)
Shaykh al-Islām, Imam Ibn Ḥajar al-Haytamī (raḥimahullāh), says: "The time for Witr prayer is between the ‘Ishā' prayer and the rising of dawn, based on the authentic ḥadīth to this effect. If this time has passed, it is permissible for him to make it up (qaḍā') afterward." [Tuḥfat al-Muḥtāj]. And Allah, the Exalted, knows best.

My brother works in a conventional bank and gave me one of the gifts distributed to bank employees — what is the ruling on accepting it?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
There is no objection to accepting such gifts, because the physical gift itself does not carry any inherent prohibition — unlike stolen property. Sin does not transfer or extend to the one who receives the gift, for Allah the Almighty says {what means}: "And no bearer of burdens shall bear the burden of another." [Al-Anʿām/164]
The evidence for this is that the Prophet ﷺ himself ate from the food of the Jews, conducted transactions with them, and purchased from them — and it is well known that their wealth was intermingled with ribā. Similarly, the wealth of conventional ribā-based banks is a mixture of the lawful and the unlawful.
Ibn Ḥajar al-Haytamī, may Allah have mercy upon him, states: "It is not forbidden to transact with one whose wealth is predominantly unlawful, nor to eat from it — as al-Nawawī affirmed in al-Majmūʿ." [Tuḥfat al-Muḥtāj, Vol. 9/P.389] And Allah the Almighty knows best.

Is it valid to perform the obligatory prayer while sitting?

 

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
Standing (Al-Qiyam) while having the ability to do so is one of the pillars (Arkan) of the prayer; the obligatory (Faridah) prayer is not valid without it. However, whoever is unable to stand may pray sitting down. As for voluntary (Nafilah) prayers, it is permissible to pray them sitting even if one is able to stand, but the one sitting receives half the reward of the one who prays standing. And Allah the Exalted knows best.

My father has debts and asked me to repay them years ago, and I promised him I would do so upon his death — is it permissible for me to go back on my promise given that I am unable to repay them, especially since he refuses to contribute to repayment on the grounds that the debt has become my responsibility by virtue of my promise?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
The established principle is that a father's debt is to be repaid from his own wealth, if he possesses sufficient means. As for the promise made by the son to repay it on his father's behalf, fulfilling such a promise is strongly recommended, and breaking it is considerably disliked. Shaykh al-Islām Imām al-Nawawī, may Allah have mercy upon him, states: "Fulfilling a promise is emphatically recommended, and breaking it is severely disliked. The evidences for this from the Qurʾān and the Sunnah are well known." [Rawḍat al-Ṭālibīn,Vol. 2/P.278] Shaykh al-Islām Imām Zakariyyā al-Anṣārī, may Allah have mercy upon him, further states: "The reason fulfilling a promise is not obligatory and breaking it is not forbidden is that a promise is in the nature of a gift, and a gift does not become binding except upon receipt." [Asnā al-Maṭālib fī Sharḥ Rawḍ al-Ṭālib,Vol. 2/P.487]
Given that the son does not possess the financial means to fulfil his promise to his father, breaking this promise falls beyond his capacity — and Allah does not burden a soul beyond what it can bear. Since the father himself possesses sufficient wealth to settle his own debt, repayment must be made from his own funds. Should he pass away before doing so, the debt is to be settled from his estate. And Allah the Almighty knows best.

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