The Creed of Compassion-Islamic Teachings & Answering Doctrinal Misconceptions

Issue No.394- All the conditions mentioned earlier for the validity of wuḍū (like the water being ṭāhir and so on) are also required in ghusl. However, in the case of ghusl, it is not necessary for the body to be washed from up to down, and there is no harm if there is no consecutiveness between washing parts in sequential ghusl. However, if a person is unable to control urine or faeces, he should do ghusl consecutively and perform his prayer immediately. The same ruling applies to a mustaḥāḍah woman.

Issue No.608- There are a large number of mustaḥab ghusls in Islamic sharia. Some of them are listed below:1- Friday ghusl is one of the most important and most emphasized of all the mustaḥab ghusls. It is better not to miss it, as much as possible. Its prescribed time commences after fajr adhān to noon. If, however, a person does not perform it until noon, he can perform it until Friday afternoon, as an obligatory precaution, without the intention of neither adā (on time) nor qaḍā; rather with the intention of what is due [1] . If a person does not perform his ghusl on Friday, it is mustaḥab that he performs the missed ghusl on Saturday at any time between dawn and sunset as qaḍā. Howsever, if one knows that it will not be possible for him to obtain water on Friday for his ghusl or it is probable that he would not be able to perform it on Friday, he can perform the ghusl on Thursday with the intention of performing the ghusl beforehand.2- Ghusl of the nights of the holy month of Ramadan as follows: ghusl on the 1st night of the month and all the odd nights (e.g., the 3rd, 5th, 7th, etc.) and from the night of the 21ston, every night to the final night of the month. The time of these ghusls is the entire night, and it is better to perform the ghusl at sunset. However, from the night of 21stto the end of the month of Ramadan, it is better to perform it between maghrib and ‘ishā’ prayers. The recommended precaution is to perform the ghusls of the holy month of Ramadan and the ghusls that will be mentioned in the coming issues with the intention of hope that it might be a desirable act for almighty Allah (rajā’).3- Ghusl on Eid al-Fitr (the first day of the month of Shawwal) and Eid al-Adha (the Feast of Sacrifice). The time of these ghusls is from fajr adhān up to sunset. However, it is better to perform it before the Eid prayer.4- Ghusl on the night of Eid al-Fitr: The time of this ghusl is from maghrib adhān to fajr adhānfajr adhān, and it is better to perform it in the earlier part of the night.5- Ghusl on the 8thand 9thof the month of Dhu al-Hijjah, which are respectively called the day of Tarwīyah and the day of ‘Arafah.6- Ghusl on the 1stday of the month of Rajab, mid Rajab, the 27th(The day of Mab’ath [2] ) and the last day of Rajab.7- Ghusl on the 18thof the month of Dhū al-Hijja (Eid al-Ghadir [3] ) 8- Ghusl on the 15thof the month of Sha'ban (birthday of the 12thImam, May Allah hasten his reappearance), and ghusl on the 17th of Rabiʿ al-Awwal (birthday of the holy Prophet(ṣ) and ghusl on the Persian New Year (21 March).9- Giving ghusl to a new-born child.10- Ghusl by a woman who has perfumed herself for someone other than her husband, and ghusl by one who slept in a state of intoxication.11- Ghusl by a person who saw a person hanged. However, if he unintentionally saw him, or if he had gone there for an urgent purpose, for example to testify, ghusl is not mustaḥab for him.12- Ghusl for repentance: that is when one commits a sin and repents, it is mustaḥab for him to do ghusl thereafter.

Issue No.507- “Muhtazar” which is used in Arabic for a dying person has some rulings that will be mentioned in the coming issues.

Issue No.2352- There are three groups of persons who inherit from a deceased on the basis of kinship: 1) The first group consists of the deceased’s parents and children, and in the absence of children, the grand children, however down in the family line they may go, and among them whoever is nearer to the deceased inherits his property. And so long as even a single person from this group is present, people belonging to the second group do not inherit.2) The second group consists of the grandfather and the father of the grandfather (as far as the line continues), the grandmother and the mother of the grandmother (as far as the line continues), the sisters and brothers, and in the absence of sisters and brothers their children, whoever from among them is nearer to the deceased, will inherit from him. And so long as even one person from this group is present, people belonging to the third group do not inherit.3) The third group consists of paternal uncles and aunts and maternal uncles and aunts, however distant they are and their descendants, however down the family line they go. Of course, whoever from among them is nearer to the deceased, will inherit from him. And so long as even one person from the uncles and aunts of the deceased is alive, their children do not inherit, and so long as their children are alive, the children of their children will not inherit. There is only one exception to this and that is in case the deceased person has a half-blood paternal uncle and a full-blood male paternal cousin; the former does not inherit anything from his property, rather his property will be inherited by the cousin.

Issue No.2364- The second group of persons who inherit on the basis of relationship, consists of the grandfather, grandmother, brothers and sisters and if the deceased does not have brothers and sisters, their children inherit the property. This group will inherit only if there does not exist anyone from the first group.

Issue No.2379- The third group of heirs consists of the paternal uncle and aunt, the maternal uncle and aunt, and their children. If none of the persons belonging to the first and second group is present, the third group will inherit.

Issue No. 2116- The following are the nine conditions under which suckling a child becomes the cause of being maḥram:1- The milk should be due to giving birth to a child. Hence, if the breast of woman gets milk without having given birth to a child, and a child is fed by that, it does not become the cause of being maḥram.2- The child should suck the milk of a woman who is alive. Hence, it is of no consequence if milk is sucked from the breast of a woman who is dead.3- The milk of the woman should not be the result of a haram act. Therefore, if the milk of an illegitimate child is given to another child, the latter will not become the maḥram of anyone.4- The child should suck the breast, therefore, if the milk is poured into the mouth of the baby, as an obligatory precaution, he should not marry that woman and those who are her maḥram.5- The milk should not be mixed with any other thing.6- The milk should be from one husband. Hence, if a woman, who is still able to breastfeed a child, is divorced and marries another man and becomes pregnant and the milk of the first husband still remains in her body until she delivers her child then in case, she feeds a child eight times with the milk of her first husband and feeds the same child seven times with the milk of her second husband that child will not become the maḥram of anyone. Similarly, if a woman breastfeeds a child fully from the milk of the first husband and then breastfeeds another child from the milk of the second husband, those two children will not become maḥram to each other. 7- The child does not vomit the milk on account of illness. In case, the child vomits the milk, the obligatory precaution is that the persons who are to become his maḥram on account of suckling of milk, should not marry him and should not look at him as a maḥram.8- The child should suckle fifteen times, or for one full day and night as will be explained in the next issue, or the suckling should be of such quantity that it could be said that the bones of the child were strengthened and its flesh grew as a result of the milk. The recommended precaution though, is that if a child is suckled ten times, those who become maḥram with the child owing to the suckling should not marry the child and should not look at him/her as a maḥram either.9- The child should not have completed two years of age. Hence, if the child is suckled after it has completed two years of age, the child does not become maḥram to anyone. Even if, for example, he sucks milk fourteen times before completing his two years of his age and sucks it one time after completing his two years he does not become the maḥram of anyone. However, if from the time the woman gave birth to her child two years has passed and her milk continues and she breastfeeds a child, the obligatory precaution is that, the child should not marry those women who become his maḥram due to suckling and should not look at them as maḥram either.

Issue No.1910- The voice becoming thick and growing of stiff hair on the face and above the lips, etc. are not signs of one’s maturity, unless one becomes sure of becoming mature due to these changes.

Issue No.1789- The parties involved in a transaction may pronounce the formula of purchase and sale in any language they know. Hence, if the seller says in English, “I have sold this property in exchange for this amount of money” and the buyer says, “I have accepted it”, the transaction is in order. The same goes for when they pronounce it with other statements that clearly express the same meaning. However, if the formula is not pronounced, but the seller hands over the commodity to the buyer with the intention of selling it to him, and the buyer also takes it with the intention of buying it, it will be sufficient, provided that all the conditions of transaction have been met.

Issue No.1782- The commodity which is sold, and the thing which is gained in exchange, should fulfil the following conditions:1) Its quantity should be known by means of weight, volume or number.2) It should be deliverable. Therefore, selling an animal which has run away is not correct as an obligatory precaution, even if it is sold along with a deliverable item. 3) One should specify the features of the commodity which influence the value of the commodity or make it desirable to people.4) Another person should not have any right to the commodity or the item gained in exchange. Therefore, a property that has been put up as collateral cannot be sold without permission. The buyer can also give the profit of his own property instead of money. For example, if a carpet is bought and in return, the profit of his house is given for one year, The buyer and seller are free in fixing the price or rate of a commodity but if, in some cases, this privilege leads to corruption and disorder in the economic system of the Islamic society, the Islamic judge can fix the rate and make others deal on its basis.

Issue No.1775- There are some conditions for sellers and buyers:1) They should be mature [1]. 2) They should be sane.3) They should not be of those who are prohibited from making use of their property (e.g., when one is banned from making use of his property by an Islamic judge due to insolvency). 4) Both parties should be serious in their intentions in transacting a commodity. Hence, if a person states that he has sold his property in a humorous manner, that transaction is void. 5) They should not be forced into transaction. 6) They should be the rightful owners of the commodity which they wish to sell, or should be representatives of the rightful owner, or be the legal guardian of the minor.

Issue No.1776- Transaction with an immature person is void even though his legal guardian permits him such. However, there is no harm if the transaction is made with the guardian of the child and the minor serves as a means of giving money to the seller or the commodity to the buyer but the seller and the buyer should be certain that the child will take the commodity or the money to its owner.