In response to two inquiries from the General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, OIC and the Islamic Development Bank about the Shariah ruling on the use of new vaccines against Covid-19, and about the Sharia’s ruling on disbursing zakat funds to buy vaccines and finance their distribution to the poor, the General Secretariat of the International Islamic Fiqh Academy held on Monday morning the 10th of The month of Rajab 1442 AH, corresponding to 22nd February 2021, a medical jurisprudential seminar to answer the above inquiries under:

“The medical jurisprudential seminar to explain the Shariah ruling on the use of the new vaccines for vaccination against Covid-19 and financing its distribution from Zakat funds for the poor”

1) The Fiqh seminar concluded after discussions and deliberations between the virtuous jurists and doctors that the use of the current vaccines against Covid-19 is permissible in Islam, and their use becomes obligatory upon everyone if the authorities oblige to do so thus Muslims are obliged to be respectful and obedient to the instructions of their authorities especially with regard to issues related to the public interest particularly the protection of the life.
Accordingly, the seminar called on Muslims around the world to abide by the instructions issued by the public health authorities in their communities in order to safeguard their lives and the lives of others.

2) As for the disbursement of zakat funds to buy vaccines and finance their distribution to the poor people and nations, the seminar decided that *this is legally permissible to do so. This is due to the fact that the pandemic of the emerging corona virus (Covid 19) is a global danger that threatens all humanity. Therefore it must be combated with all permissible material and moral means. The portion of the zakat that should be utilized is under the recipient called “for the sake of God”. The share of this recipient could be used to buy vaccines and finance their distribution to the poor.

The seminar called on scholars, preachers, imams and guides to direct people to respond to vaccination campaigns, and to warn against rumors and fatwas that raise confusion about the legality of using the new vaccines, and also called on rich countries to cooperate to provide vaccines to countries which are unable to purchase them and finance their distribution.
The seminar was chaired by His Excellency Sheikh Dr. Saleh bin Abdullah bin Hamid, a member of the Senior Scholars Council, the imam and preacher of the Grand Mosque, the president of the Academy, and the discussions and deliberations were moderated by His Excellency Prof. Dr. Koutoub Moustapha SANO, Secretary General of the Academy, and a blessed elite of eminence, Excellencies, senior male and female scholars, members, experts of the Academy, as well as the distinguished physicians attended the seminar.

To view the full text of the final statement and the recommendations of the seminar, you may kindly “click Here”.