Khaberni - The Parliamentary Financial Committee, chaired by Dr. Nimer Al-Suleihat, discussed on Wednesday the budgets of the Department of the Chief Islamic Judge and the General Iftaa Department for the fiscal year 2026, during a meeting of His Eminence the Chief Islamic Judge, Sheikh Abdel Hafeez Al-Rabtah, the Grand Mufti of the Kingdom Ahmad Al-Hasanat, and the Acting Director General of the General Budget Department Ayman Abu Al-Rub, along with a number of directors of relevant administrations.
Al-Suleihat emphasized the importance of the Department of the Chief Islamic Judge in the judicial system, appreciating its efforts in carrying out the tasks entrusted to it in accordance with the legislation and its role in enhancing community security and providing support to various segments of society.
He praised the role of the General Iftaa Department in clarifying Islamic rulings and entrenching the concept of moderate and balanced Islamic jurisprudential reference, in addition to issuing fatwas and providing family guidance and counseling.
On his part, Sheikh Al-Rabtah reviewed the budget of the Department of the Chief Islamic Judge for the year 2026, which recorded a 9% increase from the re-estimated figures of 2025, with a total expenditure of 36.330 million dinars, an increase of 2.976 million dinars, divided between current expenses valued at 33.545 million dinars and capital expenses reaching 2.785 million dinars, covering the completion of the construction of Islamic courthouses and the maintenance of Islamic court buildings in various regions of the kingdom, in addition to meeting the department's needs in the fields of computing and automation development.
He referred to the challenges facing the department, especially after the approval of the new human resources system, which witnessed a decline in the allocations for Islamic judges.
For his part, Al-Hasanat clarified that the Jordanian Iftaa has gained significant trust both locally and globally and contributed to relieving the burden on other state institutions by solving family issues and financial disputes before reaching litigation in the courts.
He indicated that the Iftaa Department issued about 360,000 fatwas this year, including 170,000 fatwas over the phone, alongside other fatwas through various communication means, where the department's website registered more than 15 million visits.
He added that the budget of the General Iftaa for the fiscal year 2026 is estimated at about 4.309 million dinars, an increase of 444,000 dinars from last year's re-estimation, distributed between current expenses valued at 3.604 million dinars and capital expenses allocated for purchasing a new building for the department.
The increase in the current expenses item included compensations for employees amounting to 310,000 dinars to cover the annual increase in salaries, cost of vacancies, and new hires, while the number of Muftis is 60, including the Grand Mufti and the Secretary-General, with 26 offices spread across the kingdom.
In their turn, members of the committee commended the role played by both the Department of the Chief Islamic Judge and the General Iftaa, emphasizing the need to support both departments and considering the establishment of a lending fund and the possibility of establishing a college for family reform under the General Iftaa Department.
