Resolutions of Iftaa' Board



Resolutions of Iftaa' Board

Resolution No.(163): "Ruling on the Sukuk of Ijarah Ending in Ownership Issued by Al-Rajihi Cement Company"

Date Added : 01-12-2015

Resolution No.(163)(1/2011) by the Board of Iftaa`, Research and Islamic Studies:

"Ruling on the Sukuk of Ijarah Ending in Ownership Issued by Al-Rajihi Cement Company"

Date: 25/3/1432 AH, corresponding to 28/2/2011

 

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.

On the above date, the Board reviewed the question of Al-Rajihi Cement Company-Jordan regarding the Sukuk of Ijarah ending in ownership.

After researching and deliberating, the Board decided what follows:

Taskeek is issuing documents, or financial certificates of equal value as indefinite shares in existing assets (properties, benefits, rights, or a mixture of properties, benefits, money, and debts), or will be established by virtue of initial public offering, and are issued in accordance with a Sharia-compliant contract.

Having reviewed the mechanism of issuing those Sukuk, the Board decided that they are permissible in Sharia, provided that the assets of the Ijarah are sold to the tenant for a reasonable price at the end of the leasing (Ijarah) period. Moreover, there must be no capital assurance by either party, and the Sharia rules sanctioned by the Sharia Supervisory Committee must be adhered to. And Allah Knows Best.

 

Chairman of the Iftaa` Board, The Grand Mufti of Jordan, Sheikh Abdulkareem Al-Khasawneh

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

Dr. Yahia Al-Botoosh/ Member

Sheikh Sa`eid Hijjawi/ Member

Dr. Mohammad Khair Al-Eesa/ Member

Judge Sari Attieh/ Member

Dr. Abdulrahman Ibdah/ Member

Dr. Mohammad Al-Ibraheem/ Member

Dr. Abdulnaser Abu Al-Basal/ Member

Dr. Mohmmad Al-Khalayleh/ Member

Dr. Mohammad Al-Gharaibeh

Sheikh Mohammad Al-Hinaiti/ Executive Secretary of the Iftaa` Board

 

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Summarized Fatawaa

What is Aqeeqah?

It is the sheep slaughtered on the seventh day from the child`s birth, and it is a confirmed Sunnah after the Prophet (PBUH).

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.

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.

What should one do if they see a fasting person eating or drinking forgetfully during Ramadan?

If someone sees a fasting person in Ramadan eating or drinking forgetfully, they should gently remind them to stop. Although the forgetful person is neither sinful nor has their fast broken, their action outwardly appears as something impermissible. Therefore, we should kindly remind them to refrain.