Resolutions of Iftaa' Board



Resolutions of Iftaa' Board

Resolution No.(10): "Children are Considered Muslims Following any of their Parents"

Date Added : 04-03-2021

Resolution No.(10) by the Board of Iftaa`, Research and Islamic Studies:
“Children are Considered Muslims Following any of their Parents“           
Date: 8/11/1408 AH, 22/6/1988 AD

Question: What is the ruling of Sharia on the following? 

Mr. (X) obtained a family register in 1979 on basis of being a Christian. Later on, he produced a certificate issued by a Sharia court indicating that he had embraced Islam in 1971. On September 16, 1987, he requested changing his religion from Christianity into Islam in both: the civil register and the family register, based on the above certificate.

Based on the aforementioned certificate, the registrar changed Mr. (X`s) religion from Christianity into Islam, and the latter was issued a new family register on basis of being a Muslim.

In 1974, Mr. (X) married Mrs. (O) at a Catholic church. Later on, his children (A,B,C), who are all above eighteen, came to the registrar and requested keeping their religion as Christians in the civil register, family register and  identification cards.

What is the view of the Iftaa` Board on them keeping their religion as Christians although they were minors when their father embraced Islam in 1974?

Answer: All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds.

The Board is of the view that the children mentioned in the above question are considered Muslims because they were minors when their father embraced Islam. They should have been registered as Muslims by the concerned government departments after their father embraced Islam as stipulated by the rulings of Sharia and the effective Jordanian laws. This is because a minor follows the religion of his/her father as stated by the four Islamic schools of thought.

As regards their request to keep their Christian religion in official documents after having reached the age of puberty, this matter isn`t permissible according to the rulings of Sharia since a person who changes his/her religion from Islam into any other religion is considered an apostate and his/her new religion isn`t recognized. And Allah Knows Best.

 

The Board of Iftaa`
Chairman of the Board, Chief Justice, Mohammad Mohailan
The Grand Mufti of Jordan, Vice Chairman of the Iftaa` Board: Izz al-Deen al-Tamimi
         Dr. Nooh al-Qodat           

    Dr.Ibrahim al-Keelani
        Dr. Abdulfatah Amr       
             Dr. Abdulhalim Ar-Ramahi
           Dr. Mostafa Az-Zarqa     
           Dr. Mahmood al-Sartawi
                Dr. Mahmood al-Reffai       
               Dr. Abdulssalam al-Abbadi
         Dr. Yaseen Daraddkeh

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Summarized Fatawaa

What is the best manner in distributing the meat of the Aqeeqah?

It is better to divide all of it as cooked meat amongst the poor and the needy. Dividing it into three portions is a Sunnah, but it is permissible to keep all of it provided that a portion, even a small one, is given to the poor and needy (one kilo for example).

Is it permissible for the mother to give her children from the Zakah (obligatory charity) of her money?

It is permissible for the mother to give her children from the Zakah of her money if they are Zakah-eligible recipients, and she isn`t obliged to provide for them.

Can a woman perform I‘tikaf in her home?

No, a woman's I‘tikaf is not valid if performed at home, because her home is not a mosque.

When does the time for Udhiyah begin?

 
In the Name of Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
The permissible timeframe for Udhiyah (sacrificial offering) begins on the day of Eid al-Adha—the 10th of Dhul-Hijjah—once the sun has risen and a period of time sufficient to perform two brief prayer units (Rak'ahs) and two short sermons (Khutbahs) has passed. This window remains open until the sun sets on the final day of Tashreeq, which is the 13th of Dhul-Hijjah.
 
Our Master, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), said: "Every valley of Mina is a place of sacrifice, and slaughtering may be done throughout all the days of Tashreeq." (Narrated by Al-Bayhaqi and Ibn Hibban)
 
The days of Tashreeq refer to the 11th, 12th, and 13th of Dhul-Hijjah.
 
The most virtuous time to perform the sacrifice is immediately after concluding the Eid prayer, based on the statement of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): "The first thing we do on this day of ours is to pray, then we return and offer our sacrifice. Whoever does that has acted in accordance with our Sunnah (tradition), and whoever slaughters before that, it is merely meat he has provided for his family; it has nothing to do with the ritual sacrifice." (Reported by Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
 
What is meant here is an estimation of time rather than the actual performance of the prayer itself, as our Master, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), used to offer the Eid al-Adha prayer immediately after sunrise.
 
The sacrifice is valid if performed at any time during these designated days, whether by day or by night, though slaughtering at night is considered disliked (Makruh). And Allah the Almighty Knows Best.