Jurisprudence and Rulings

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.

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.

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.

The wisdom of sacrifice lies in drawing closer to God and in learning to let go of what we cherish most for the sake of His pleasure. Slaughtering an animal reminds us to be ready to relinquish the “Ishmaels” within us. The Qur’an also presents sacrifice as one of God’s rites and a means of giving thanks.

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.

A lie told for a good reason is permissible only when the person is knowledgeable and skilled in its use, and knows when to resort to it. If a lie is told to prevent a sin and there is no other way to do so, it is unobjectionable. Otherwise, resorting to it is not recommended.

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.

Marriage, when entered into in accordance with the Prophet’s tradition and God’s rulings, with the intention of drawing closer to God, is blessed. But even a good deed becomes a cause of damnation if it is done with the intention of bringing about harm. True faith is demonstrated when someone accepts God’s rulings and decrees wholeheartedly, even when they go against personal desires—just as the Quran acknowledges that fighting may be something people dislike.

Prostrating to release negative energy taints the prayer with shirk, because the sincere intention of worship, which should be directed toward God, is turned toward oneself. Although prayer and prostration have many effects and benefits, they should not be treated merely as a means to worldly ends such as releasing energy or improving health. Doing so diminishes the devotional value of prayer and takes it away from the path of tawhid.

If your primary intention in fasting is to draw closer to God, but you also think about losing weight, this detracts from the sincerity of the act. However, you can make your dietary regimen an act of fasting by purifying your intention, so that you can both get in shape and worship sincerely.

Giving charity to ward off misfortune or weeping for Imam Husayn (AS) is not, in itself, shirk. But if the intention is not sincere and the act is done solely to obtain worldly benefits, its spiritual reward is diminished. Hoping in God and seeking His forgiveness are ways of drawing near to Him and are acts of worship.

Any intention in prayer other than drawing near to God is considered an association with God; prayer should be offered solely with the intention of seeking nearness to Him, so that it may be accepted in His presence. Nevertheless, with God’s permission, prayer may be made a means of attaining one’s needs, because drawing near to God is itself an act of worship, and that nearness provides the means by which one’s needs may be fulfilled.

Praying at the earliest prescribed time brings countless benefits and blessings. Yet if we pray solely for those benefits, we may lose sight of the true purpose: nearness to God and the meeting with Him. Any aim in prayer other than drawing near to God diminishes its sincerity and may even amount to associating partners with Him. Sincere intention for God is the foundation of prayer and the key to its acceptance.

We can become visitors to the House of God from afar by performing deeds that carry the reward of Hajj. Praying a special two-rak‘ah prayer during the first ten days of Dhu al-Hijjah, serving one’s family sincerely (an act better than a thousand years of worship, Hajj and ‘umrah), and striving to set things right can all place a person among God’s visitors. Reciting “يا رب البیت الحرام” and similar invocations can also make a person a visitor to God.

When choosing a job or business, it is essential to observe religious obligations such as khums and zakat, respect workers’ rights, employ people of faith, and avoid sinful conduct in the workplace. One should also avoid hoarding wealth and becoming attached to worldly concerns, observe prayer times and perform the prayers, and regard the workplace as a setting for worship.