Resolutions of Iftaa' Board



Resolutions of Iftaa' Board

Resolution No.(123): "Ruling on Giving a Kidney"

Date Added : 01-12-2015

Resolution No.(123)(10/2008): "Ruling on Giving a Kidney"

Date: 29/11/1429 AH, corresponding to 27/11/2008.

 

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.

 

In its seventh meeting and on the above date, the Board reviewed the following question:

 

I`m 37 years old and have been inflicted with diabetes for twenty four years. I also suffer from kidney failure and high blood pressure. Unfortunately, I couldn`t undergo kidney transplantation because the blood group of my brothers , sisters and kinsmen differed from mine. Moreover, I have gone to Malaysia, Egypt, Syria and have contacted people in Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and India; however, I wasn`t fortunate enough to undergo that surgery because the law in those countries bans giving a kidney to a person from a different nationality.

 

I would like to attract your attention to the fact that my health is on the decline and I have reports proving that.

In addition, a friend of mine is willing to give me one of his kidneys for Allah`s sake. Is it permissible for a non-relative to give his kidney to a patient because the latter`s family members have a different blood group?

After researching and deliberating, the Board decided what follows:

 

Giving a kidney to the (asker) in the above situation isn`t permissible because it is a leap in the dark, it violates Sharia, and there is an available alternative: dialysis. And Allah Knows Best.

 

Chairman of the Iftaa` Board/ His Grace Dr. Nooh Al-Qhodatt

Vice-Chairman of the Iftaa` Board, Dr. Ahmad Hilayel

Sheikh Abdulkareem Khasawneh/ Member

Sheikh Sa`eed Hijjawi/ Member

              Dr. Mohammad Khair Al-`Eesa/ Member

                                                            Judge Sari Attieh/ Member

   Dr. Abdulrahman Ibdah/ Member

                       Dr. Mohammad Oklah Al-Ibraheem/ Member

            Dr. Abdulnaser Abu Al-Basal/ Member

                            Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalayleh/ Executive Secretary of the Iftaa Board        

 

 

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Summarized Fatawaa

What is the ruling of Islamic Law on a fictitious marriage for the purpose of obtaining citizenship?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
There is no such thing in our noble sharīʿah as a "nominal" or "fictitious" marriage or divorce. Marriage and divorce are among the sacred ordinances of Allah, and it is not permissible to manipulate them or use them as a stratagem to obtain worldly gains.
The foundational purpose of a marriage contract is the permanence and continuity of the relationship between the spouses — to establish a family, and to bring forth righteous offspring. So sacred is this bond that Allah the Almighty Himself described it as a solemn covenant (mīthāq ghalīẓ), saying {what means}: "And if you wish to replace one wife with another and you have given one of them a great amount of wealth, do not take any of it back. Would you take it in injustice and manifest sin? And how could you take it while you have gone in unto each other and they have taken from you a solemn covenant?" [Al-Nisāʾ/ 20–21]
Accordingly, it is not permissible to resort to manipulation and deception in contracts that Allah, Mighty and Majestic, has described as a "solemn covenant" — all for the sake of material and worldly benefit. Marriage is built upon permanence and does not admit of a fixed time limit. If a time limit is stipulated in the contract, the contract is rendered invalid by the consensus of the jurists. Similarly, marriage is impermissible when there exists a mutual, concealed intention to limit its duration — even if no time limit is explicitly mentioned in the contract — for this constitutes a form of unlawful circumvention of the sharīʿah. This is to say nothing of the lying and deception that such conduct involves, the prohibition of which needs no elaboration. Lying, deception, and fraud for the purpose of obtaining worldly gains are among the gravest of sins.
If, however, the marriage contract is first concluded in a valid sharʿī manner and then registered civilly, it is sound and fully valid. And Allah the Almighty knows best.

Is Zakat al-Fitr obligatory for an unborn child (fetus)?

Zakat al-Fitr is not obligatory for a fetus. However, if the child is born before sunset on the last day of Ramadan, then Zakat al-Fitr must be given on their behalf.

Is it acceptable to perform the Aqiqah for a male child by slaughtering and distributing the first sheep, and bringing the second one cooked from the restaurant?

 

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

It is permissible to slaughter the first sheep with the intention of Aqiqah (the newborn's sacrificial offering) and distribute it entirely [uncooked], and to slaughter the second sheep and have it cooked at a restaurant to bring home for the household. However, it must be noted that it is obligatory to give some portion of the Aqiqah in charity to the poor, even if it is a small amount, though it is preferable to send the food cooked to them.

Buying a pre-cooked, ready-made sheep from a restaurant does not suffice as an Aqiqah. However, if an agreement is made with the restaurant to explicitly slaughter a sheep with the intention of Aqiqah for the newborn, and then cook it afterward, this is permissible.

In conclusion, slaughtering the sheep and distributing it with the intention of Aqiqah is permissible, and through it, the foundational prophetic tradition (Sunnah) is fulfilled. As for simply buying a cooked sheep from a restaurant that was not specifically slaughtered with the intention of Aqiqah, it will not count as such. Conversely, if the restaurant owner is commissioned (Wakala) to handle both the slaughtering and the cooking as an Aqiqah, it is valid. And Allah the Almighty knows best.

How to pay Zakah (obligatory charity) due on articles of merchandise?

Articles of merchandise are estimated by their whole sale market price at the end of each lunar year, and (2.5%) of their value is paid as Zakah whether it (value) went up, or down compared to actual purchasing price, and whether the increase (profit) was in the article itself such as an increase in the animal`s weight, or in the prices themselves. And Allah Knows Best.