Resolutions of Iftaa' Board



Resolutions of Iftaa' Board

Resolution No.(108): "Ruling on the Islamic Murabaha Employed by the Association of Jordan Fertilizers Company Employees"

Date Added : 23-02-2016

 

Resolution No.(108) by the Board of Iftaa`, Research and Islamic Studies:

"Ruling on the Islamic Murabaha Employed by the Association of  Jordan Fertilizers Company Employees"

Date: 26/4/1427 AH, corresponding to 24/5/2006 AD.

 

 

Answer: All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds; and may His peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Mohammad and upon all his family and companions.

Having reviewed the trading method employed by the above association, Aqaba branch, the Board made the following remarks:

First: Article (4) "Remarks"

Paragraph(W) states:

According to the method of dealing with the above association, merchants are divided into two kinds:

1) A recognized Merchant:

 He is the one with whom the association reaches an agreement whereby any purchase transaction, from him, is to be conducted through the association, whether directly or by the purchaser himself. By virtue of this agreement, the association is granted a discount against each invoice (a discount in favor of the company, not the purchaser). The agreement also includes settling the amounts due to the merchant in return for trading with him.

 2) An Unrecognized Merchant:

He is the one with whom the association has no trading agreement.

The Iftaa` Board believes that trading with the above recognized merchant violates the sale of Islamic Murabaha in two ways:

First: It isn`t permissible for the purchaser to conclude the contract with the merchant first hand; rather, he must conclude it with the association 

so as for it to buy him the item he wants.

Second: The sale must be conducted between the association and the purchaser with a Murabaha percentage, to be agreed upon by both parties, from the actual price it had paid for the commodity. In other words, without adding the discount percentage offered by the merchant to the association.

Second: Article (5-2), Paragraph (C).

This paragraph stated, "After that, the association`s representative goes to the merchant, owner, to inspect the commodity, then demands delivering it to the purchaser….."

The Board believes that this sale method is impermissible, because it isn`t permissible for the association to sell the commodity to the purchaser, save after it receives it through its representative, and it becomes in its possession and guarantee. After that, it should sell it to the purchaser, then hand it to him, not to demand the merchant to do that.

Third: Article (5-5), paragraph (B):

This article states: "Assignment of the car/ real estate/ as certified at the Traffic Department or the Lands` Registration Department, and registering it in the name of the purchaser………….." 

The Iftaa` Board is of the view that this form of sale isn`t permissible, because the association must possess the car/real estate, and register it, in its name, at the specialized departments (Traffic and Lands Depts.), then sell it to the purchaser, and register it in his name. This is because the Prophet (PBUH) has forbidden selling an item which isn`t in the seller`s possession.

Fourth: Article (5-5), paragraphs( C and D):

These articles stipulate registering the car/ real estate in the name of the purchaser at the above Departments, then the association delivers them to the purchaser.

As indicated above, the Board is of the view that the association is obliged to possess the car/ real estate first, through registering them in its name, at the specialized Departments, then sell them to the purchaser, and register them in his name at the aforementioned Depts. This is because the Prophet(PBUH) has forbidden selling an item which isn`t in the seller`s possession. 

Moreover, remark No.(1), paragraph (D),(5-5), which states: "The real estate is assigned to the association, which has the right to make use of it as a utility or sell it through a verbal agreement with the seller prior to officially assigning it to the purchaser." The Board believes that such an agreement can`t replace the actual possession of the real estate by the association and its registration at the specialized departments.

Fifth:  Article (5-8):

This article addresses trading in services, such as cellular telephone lines and payment of school fees. The Board believes that this kind of trading isn`t permissible, because  Islamic Murabaha pertains to products, and not services. And Allah Knows Best.

 

 

 

Chairman of the Iftaa` Board, Chief Justice, Dr. Ahmad Hilayel
Dr. Yousef Ghizan/Member
Dr. Abdulmajeed Assalaheen/Member
Sheikh Sa`ied Hijjawai/Member
Sheikh Abdulkareem Khasawneh/Member
Sheikh Na`iem Mojahid/Member
Dr. Wasif Albakhri/Member

 

 

 

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Summarized Fatawaa

What is the ruling of Islamic Law on participating in the prize draws (raffles) that commercial stores hold for their customers?

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
There is no objection to participating in the prize draws (raffles) that commercial stores hold for their customers, provided that the buyer's intention in purchasing is not merely to enter the competition without any need for what is bought — rather, the purchase must be genuinely intended for the item itself, and one must not pay more than the item's fair market price. This is because paying an amount above the market price would effectively be paying a fee to enter the prize draw, which would render it a form of gambling (qimār).
These prizes are, in essence, gifts that businesses offer through a random drawing (qur'ah) to those who purchase from them, as a means of encouraging sales, without the customer bearing any additional monetary cost for participation. So long as the aforementioned conditions are met, there is no objection to benefiting from the prize offered by the store, as it is considered a lawful prize from the viewpoint of Islamic Law.
It is stated in the resolutions of the "Jordanian Iftaa' Board" (Resolution No. 47), in the context of outlining the conditions for permissible prizes: "The price of the ticket [or item purchased] for the sake of the prize must not exceed its original price, so that there is no payment of money in exchange for participation in the draw." And Allah, the Most High, knows best.

I hired a private tutor for my son through an academy that sends teachers [to families] and takes a percentage [of their pay]. At the start of the [new] school year, I arranged directly with that same teacher, without the academy's knowledge. What is the ruling on this?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
The ruling on this matter depends on knowing the specific terms of the agreement and contract concluded with the academy. If the agreement stipulates that no arrangement may be made with any of the students except through the academy itself, then it is not permissible for you to breach the terms of this contract, based on the words of our master, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ: "Muslims are bound by their conditions." (Related by al-Bukhārī)
However, if the agreement pertains only to teaching a specific subject, and the agreement concludes once that subject is finished, then there is no objection to arranging with the teacher to teach other subjects after the contract period has ended, outside of the academy.
Whatever the case maybe, the teacher must uphold the terms of his contract with the academy. And Allah, the Exalted, knows best.

What is the ruling of Islamic Law on selling gold or silver in installments or for a differed price?

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
It is prohibited (haram) to sell gold or silver in installments or for a deferred price; rather, immediate hand-to-hand exchange (Taqabud) is mandatory, otherwise, it is considered usury (Riba). The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: 'Gold for gold, silver for silver, wheat for wheat, barley for barley, dates for dates, and salt for salt—like for like, hand to hand. Whoever increases or asks for an increase has engaged in Riba; the receiver and the giver are the same in this regard.' (Narrated by Muslim). Furthermore, when exchanging new gold for used gold, they must be of equal weight, or it falls into Riba.
 
The permissible solution (al-makhraj) is for the merchant to purchase the used gold for cash first, and then sell the new gold for cash in a separate transaction. However, the price must be paid during the sitting of the contract (Majlis al-Aqd) for both deals. Alternatively, the jeweler may take the used gold with the intent of remodeling or repairing it, and then charge a fee for the craftsmanship or repair work. And Allah the Exalted 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.