Resolutions of Iftaa' Board



Resolutions of Iftaa' Board

Resolution No.(281): "Ruling on Building a Quranic Center on Part of an Endowed Plot of Land"

Date Added : 03-11-2019

Resolution No.(281)(17/2019), By The Board of Iftaa', Researches and Islamic Studies:

"Ruling on Building a Quranic Center on Part of an Endowed Plot of Land"

Date: 25/Safar/1441 AH, corresponding to 24/10/2019 AD.

 

Praise be to Allah the Lord of the Worlds.

On its tenth session held on the above date, the Board reviewed the letter (24/10/2019) sent from His Excellency, the Minister of Endowments, Holy Sites and Islamic Affairs, Prof. Abdulnaser Abulbasal, and it reads as follows:

What is the ruling of Sharia on building a mosque and a Quranic center on part of a plot of land endowed as a graveyard from the state treasury?

After careful consideration, the Board decided what follows:

There is nothing wrong with building a mosque and a Quranic center on part of the above plot of land since the state hasn`t endowed it only as burial ground. Rather, it specified using it for that purpose as dictated by the public interest. Therefore, this specification isn`t binding. In other words, that land may be used for other purposes; unlike the case where the condition of the endower is as binding as the text of Sharia. Thus, if the administrator of that endowment saw the need for building the mosque and the Quranic center on that land then there is nothing wrong with that. And Allah the Almighty Knows Best.

 

Chairperson of Iftaa` Board,

Grand Mufti of Jordan,

Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalayleh

Sheikh Abdulkareem Al-Khasawneh, Member

Dr. Ahmad Al-Hasanat, Member

Sheikh Sa`eid Al-Hijjawi, Member

Judge Khalid Woraikat, Member

Dr. Mohammad Al-Zou`bi, Member

Dr. Rashaad Al-Kelaani, Member

Dr. Majid Darawsheh, Member

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Summarized Fatawaa

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.

 
Are the mother's maternal and paternal uncles, and the father's maternal and paternal uncles, considered among the unmarriageable kin (Maharim)?

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
A mother’s maternal uncle and her paternal uncle, as well as a father’s maternal uncle and his paternal uncle, are all considered among the unmarriageable kin (Maharim). And Allah the Exalted knows best.

Is Fajr (dawn) Sunnah a confirmed one?

All praise be to Allah The Lord of The Worlds                                                                                                                                                                                  Of course, it is a confirmed Sunna which the Prophet (PBUH) used to offer in a regular basis. And Allah Knows Best.

How is the beginning of Ramadan determined?

1. Completing 30 days of Sha‘ban, or
2. Sighting the crescent moon after sunset on the 29th day of Sha‘ban.
It is Sunnah to search for the moon, and it is obligatory to follow the official authorities responsible for announcing it.