Jurisprudence and Rulings

A hadith from Imam al-Kazim (AS) states that buying wheat increases one’s wealth, buying flour halves it, and buying bread causes it to be lost. The hadith points to the health, economic, spiritual, and psychological dimensions of buying each of these items, and locates blessing in preserving the integrity of food, self-sufficiency, and a spiritual connection with the Creator.

A person’s rights are not discharged except by making amends and obtaining their forgiveness. But if someone is unable to repay what is owed, God, the Absolutely Self-Sufficient, may make restitution on their behalf—provided they have fulfilled all the requirements of repentance. Taking a careless attitude toward the rights of others deprives a person of the grace to repent and the opportunity to make amends.

A pure spirit is breathed into a pure seed, and an impure spirit into an impure seed. The harmful effects of unlawful earnings are not confined to the seed; they also affect a person’s constitution and character, and become visible in outward appearance. A tendency toward base behavior and an insatiable appetite for sin are among the signs of the consequences of consuming what is unlawful.

Sincere repentance and making amends for unlawful earnings purify a person. Any impurity in their children is their own responsibility; the parent has merely provided the means by which it may have been passed on. If someone has raised children for years on unlawful earnings and then repents, sincere repentance and making amends will purify them.

The rationale for zakat on livestock—cattle, sheep, and camels—is not easy to explain. In general, however, zakat is an act of worship that purifies and increases one’s wealth. These animals benefit not only their owners in material ways but society as well. Wealth that does not fall into one of the nine prescribed categories is subject to khums, not obligatory zakat.

The just and most learned jurist is a radiant light of the Qur’an and the Prophet’s Household, and a voice for the Two Weighty Things. So long as he upholds this station and meets the standards of superior knowledge and sound judgment, the authority of God’s proof remains a shelter for all people, and obedience to him is obligatory.

Recognising the most learned and best-qualified jurist, like believing in the prophets and the revealed scriptures, is something inspired in a person through their innate disposition and relationship with God. This recognition comes through sincere seeking and striving in the cause of truth, and God shows the paths of guidance to those who do good.

Those who remove their hijab in the name of opposing the system, or appear naked in public, fall into a category of disbelief, and their actions must be disavowed. Under certain conditions, the duty to enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong must not be neglected in dealing with them. In this context, disbelief means abandoning God’s commands and committing what He has forbidden.

Reports describe writing Qur’anic passages and drinking them for healing, but these practices are said to involve particular principles and mysteries and to require expertise. God is the true Healer; no remedy can be effective without His permission. The Qur’an itself is a healing for what is in the hearts, and a guidance and mercy for the believers.

Someone who rejects general deputyship rejects God’s ruling, because the one who derives rulings from the Ahl al-Bayt (AS) gives voice to their unspoken traditions, and his ruling carries the authority of God’s ruling. Anyone who turns away from certainty and chooses denial has rejected God’s ruling.

Sūrat al-Naḥl, verse 67, refers to how people make use of dates and grapes: they can produce both intoxicating drinks and wholesome food. Like the tongue, which may be used for good or ill, this is a sign for those who reflect. However, the verse was abrogated when the prohibition of wine was revealed.

Sending blessings upon the Prophet and his family is a special form of prayer that, like the funeral prayer, does not require ablution. It is the finest way to remember the Lord and is considered a form of worship. This hadith is reported in al-Tabarsi’s *al-Ihtijāj*.

Although the Qur’an prescribes no specific ḥadd punishment for unveiling, it is considered a form of corruption and carries a severe penalty because of its grave consequences and the seriousness with which God regards it. This major sin is the root of many other sins and, in itself, encompasses a range of offences.

The healing power of Quranic verses extends to both emotional and physical conditions. Divine healing is both general and particular; particular healing is granted to believers. Seeking healing through the Quran should go hand in hand with taking practical steps towards better health. In certain circumstances, however, it can work miracles, bringing healing while also nurturing the capacity to receive it.

The acceptance of other deeds depends on the acceptance of prayer, but this does not mean that prayer is the sole condition for accepting one’s worship. Prayer is like the main pillar of the edifice of devotion: without it, other deeds collapse. A complete prayer includes asking for guidance to the straight path and helping God’s servants along the way.

Through prayer, the worshipper comes under God’s boundless mercy, and the angels surround them. To maintain presence of heart, prayer should be offered as an earnest expression of one’s inner state—that is, the heart should accord with the words spoken. Prayer is the highest means of drawing near to God and purifying the soul; its fruit is willing submission to the Beloved’s will and judgment.

Praying at the earliest time is essential to attaining the highest spiritual ranks and brings divine pleasure. The superiority of the beginning of the prayer time over its end is like the superiority of the Hereafter over this world, though this does not apply to the sick or the traveler. The joy of praying at the earliest time carries the fragrance of God’s pleasure, and the most beloved deeds to God are those performed promptly.

The minimum remembrance in bowing and prostration is to glorify God three times, as this practice is established in reports and was part of the Sunnah of the Prophet and the Imams. Some reports also consider one glorification sufficient, but saying it three times is preferable and carries greater merit. Repeating it helps engage the heart and mind in remembering and exalting God.

Income from employers who do not believe in the principles of religion and insult the sacred personages of the Imams (AS) is ill-omened and tainted, even if all the rules of business have been observed. Quranic verses stress the need to migrate in such circumstances.

Wearing cotton garments is approved by the Ahl al-Bayt and carries no restrictions. Wearing wool, however, is conditional: it may be worn for night worship, to feel the hardship of the poor, to identify with ordinary people, in illness or cold, or temporarily to cultivate humility. At times, wool garments have also been a symbol of hypocrites.