Resolutions of Iftaa' Board



Resolutions of Iftaa' Board

Resolution No.(237): "Emphasizing an Earlier Resolution about Brain Death"

Date Added : 31-05-2017

Resolution No.(237)(5/2017) by the Board of Iftaa`, Research and Islamic Studies:

"Emphasizing an Earlier Resolution about Brain Death"

Date: (27/Sha`aban/1438 AH), corresponding to (24/5/2017 AD).

 

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.

On its fifth session held on the above date, the Board reviewed the following question: Based on the recommendations of the Third International Medical-Fiqh Conference held under the patronage of your eminence at the World Islamic Sciences and Education University, we hope that your eminence would clarify the final stand of Sharia on Fatwa No. (2011) concerning the donation of  human organs.

After deliberations, the Board decided the following:

The Board has already issued a resolution considering brain death as actual death upon which all rulings of a dead person apply. It is resolution No. (11), 1988. At that time, this resolution has adopted the theme of resolution No. (5/3)(1986), by the International Islamic Assembly which was held in Amman at that time.

On its part the Iftaa` Board emphasizes the content of Resolution (11) and recommend adhering to it.

The states in it and has deemed the following: From the view point of Sharia, a person is considered dead and the Sharia rulings of the dead apply to him/her if any of the following signs is present:

1- His/her heart has stopped beating and his/her breath has totally stopped, and the doctors decided that he/she can`t be revived.

2- His/her brain functions have totally stopped, his/her brain started decomposing, and the expert medical specialists ruled that this brain is totally dead and can`t be revived. In this case, he/she is considered dead although his/her heart is still beating by being on life support equipmets. In this case (2), it is permissible for the doctors to take them away, but they can`t rule that this person is dead unless they are absolutely certain of the following:

1- All conditions of brain death are present.

2- Other causes of comma are excluded.

3- The reflexes of the brain`s core have totally stopped.

4- Running all the necessary medical tests which prove that breathing has stopped.

5- Electricity is static while performing brain scanning.

6- Running any necessary medical tests to ascertain that the brain is dead.

7- All these tests must be run in a fully-equipped hospital.

Due to the religious, legal, medical, ethical, and social considerations of this issue, judging that a patient’s brain is dead must be done by a committee of expert medical specialists made of three members at least, and that none of them has any kind of hostility with the patient in question. Time of death begins from  the moment when the members of the aforesaid committee put down their signature.

On its part, the Board stresses the need for addressing this critical matter in order to ensure that the conditions stipulated in this Fatwa are executed, and that violating them entails legal accountability. And Allah Knows Best.

The Board of Iftaa`

Chairman of the Board, Chief Justice, Mohammad Mohailan

The Grand Mufti of Jordan,: Izz al-Deen al-Tamimi, Vice Chairman of the Iftaa` Board

Dr. Nooh al-Qodat, Mufti of Jordanian Armed Forces “ I have a reservation on the second sign  and see that a patient is considered alive so long as a sign of life is present in him/her.”

Dr.Ibrahim al-Keelani         Dr. Abdulsalam Abbadi

Dr. Abdulfatah Amr              Dr. Abdulhalim Ar-Ramahi

Dr. Mostafa Az-Zarqa           Dr. Mahmood al-Sartawi

Dr. Yasee Dradkeh                Dr. Abdulssalam al-Abbadi

Dr. Sa`eid Hijawi                 

   Dr. Mahmood Al-Awattli ” The same reservation 

 

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Summarized Fatawaa

A woman became pure [from menstruation] before Fajr, but did not perform ghusl until after sunrise — what is the ruling on her fast?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
Her fast is valid, since ghusl (ritual bathing) is not a condition for the validity of the fast, but rather for the validity of the prayer. However, she is sinful for delaying the Fajr prayer beyond its designated time without a valid excuse.
It is known that the time for Fajr prayer ends at sunrise. Nevertheless, she must still perform ghusl, and make up the Fajr prayer. And Allah, the Exalted, knows best.

Does sacrificing one sheep avail for the entire household?

In the Name of Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
Offering an Udhiyah (sacrificial offering) is a communal Sunnah (Sunnah Kifayah) for members of the same household, provided that their financial maintenance is undertaken by a single provider. By "communal Sunnah," we mean that when one person performs it, the religious recommendation is fulfilled on behalf of the entire household, though the spiritual reward itself belongs uniquely to the one who offered it.
 
Therefore, if any member of the household performs the sacrifice—even if it is someone who is not legally responsible for the household's expenses, such as the wife or one of the children—the recommendation is fulfilled for everyone in that home. However, the reward does not automatically extend to the other members unless the person offering the sacrifice explicitly intends to share the reward with them—similar to how performing a funeral prayer (Janazah) fulfills the communal obligation for everyone, yet the specific reward is earned by those who actually prayed.
 
Additionally, a single sacrifice is sufficient for a man who is married to more than one wife. And Allah the Almighty Knows Best.

I have a brother who is harsh in his dealings [with me], and many problems have occurred between us, and I do not intend to reconcile with him. What is the ruling of Islamic Law on that?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
It is not permissible for a Muslim to abandon or boycott his fellow Muslim brother for more than three days. This is based on the saying of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him: "It is not lawful for a Muslim to forsake his brother for more than three [days], meeting each other but one turns away and the other turns away, and the better of the two is the one who initiates the greeting (salam)." (Reported by al-Bukhari.)
A Muslim must strive to end such estrangement (hajr), so as not to fall under the prohibition mentioned in the hadith. If he takes the initiative to reconcile but the other party does not respond, then there is no sin upon him. We remind [ourselves] of the saying of Allah, the Exalted: "And let them pardon and overlook. Do you not wish that Allah should forgive you? And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful." (An-Nur/22). And Allah, the Exalted, 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.