The Creed of Compassion-Islamic Teachings & Answering Doctrinal Misconceptions

Issue No. 1349- If a person who is fasting, wakes up from sleeping while ejaculation is taking place, it is not obligatory on him to stop it from being discharged.

Issue No. 1371- If a junub person does not perform ghusl intentionally until fajr adhān, his fast is void, as an obligatory precaution, and in case he cannot perform ghusl or the time is short, he should perform tayammum. However, if it is not on purpose, his fast is valid. The same ruling applies to a woman who has become pure from ḥayḍ or nifās and does not perform ghusl until fajr adhān. She must act in the same way as a person in the state of janābah.

Issue No. 1389- If a person who is fasting vomits intentionally his fast becomes void, although he may do that on account of ailment or food poisoning. However, the fast does not become void, if one vomits involuntarily or inadvertently.

Issue No. 1472- The fast of the following six groups is invalid though it is recommended for them to refrain from the fast invalidators:1- Travellers who have terminated their fast during their journey and reach their hometown before ẓuhr or the place where they intend to stay for ten days.2- Travellers who reach their hometown after ẓuhr or a place where they intend to stay for ten days.3- Patients who recover before ẓuhr and have committed one of the invalidators.4- Patients who recover after ẓuhr, though they may not have eaten anything by then.5- Women who become pure from ḥayḍ or nifās during the day time.6- Non-Muslim individuals who become Muslims after ẓuhr, but if they become Muslims before ẓuhr and they have not committed any of the invalidators, they should observe fast, as an obligatory precaution.

Issue No. 1401- The kaffāra of a fast is one of the three things:(a) to free a slave (b) to fast for two months (c) to completely feed sixty poor people. (It would be sufficient if he gives one mudd (roughly 750 grams) of food such as wheat, barley or similar things to each one of them). One is able to choose between either options, acknowledging that slaves no longer exist. One can give bread whose wheat should be equal to one mudd instead of wheat. Furthermore paying equal amount of money is not sufficient unless one is certain that the money will be spent for buying bread.

Issue No.1- It is not permissible for a Muslim to follow a Mujtahid in the fundamentals of religion; he must believe in them with his own insight and understanding. However, he should follow a Mujtahid in the branches of religion, i.e., practical laws or codes of practice. If he himself is a Mujtahid (a jurist who is capable of inferring and deducing divine laws from religious jurist who is capable of inferring and deducing divine laws from religious sources), he can act upon his own views but if he is not a Mujtahid, he should follow an expert in this field in the same way as people, who do not have the expertise and information in some matters, refer to experts and seek their advice. He who is not a Mujtahid can also act on such precaution that should assure him that he has fulfilled his religious obligations. For example, if some Mujtahids consider an act to be haram while others say that it is mubāḥ (permissible), he should not perform that act. Similarly, if some Mujtahids consider an act to be obligatory (wājib) while others consider it to be mustaḥab (recommended), he should perform it. However, since it is difficult to act on precaution (iḥtīyāṭ) as, relatively speaking, it demands a considerable amount of knowledge on Islamic jurisprudential issues, the best way for the general public is to refer to a Mujtahid and follow him.

Issue No.1- It is not permissible for a Muslim to follow a Mujtahid in the fundamentals of religion; he must believe in them with his own insight and understanding. However, he should follow a Mujtahid in the branches of religion, i.e., practical laws or codes of practice. If he himself is a Mujtahid (a jurist who is capable of inferring and deducing divine laws from religious jurist who is capable of inferring and deducing divine laws from religious sources), he can act upon his own views but if he is not a Mujtahid, he should follow an expert in this field in the same way as people, who do not have the expertise and information in some matters, refer to experts and seek their advice. He who is not a Mujtahid can also act on such precaution that should assure him that he has fulfilled his religious obligations. For example, if some Mujtahids consider an act to be haram while others say that it is mubāḥ (permissible), he should not perform that act. Similarly, if some Mujtahids consider an act to be obligatory (wājib) while others consider it to be mustaḥab (recommended), he should perform it. However, since it is difficult to act on precaution (iḥtīyāṭ) as, relatively speaking, it demands a considerable amount of knowledge on Islamic jurisprudential issues, the best way for the general public is to refer to a Mujtahid and follow him.

Issue No.2- Taqlīd in Islamic laws (aḥkām) means relying on the verdicts of a Mujtahid in practice. That is, the person should act according to the verdicts of the Mujtahid.

Issue No.3- It is necessary for the Mujtahid who is followed to be male, mature [1], sane, a Twelver Shi‘a and of legitimate birth. As an obligatory precaution (al-iḥtīyāṭ al-wājib), he should be alive and just (‘ādil) [2].

Issue No.17- If the fatwā of a Mujtahid changes, the follower must follow his latest fatwā. However, the actions that had been performed according to the previous fatwā such as the acts of worship (‘ibādāt) or the transactions (mu‘āmilāt) are valid and correct and it is not necessary to perform them again. In the same manner, if a person switches from one Mujtahid to another, it is not necessary to perform the previous acts again.

Issue No.5- There are three ways of identifying a Mujtahid and the a‘lam:a) One is himself a learned person and is able to identify a Mujtahid or the most learned (a‘lam).b) When two persons, who are learned and just, simply confirm that a person is a Mujtahid or the most learned (a‘lam), provided that two other learned and just persons do not contradict them.c) When one is widely known among learned people and in the seminary sphere to be the most learned (a‘lam) to a degree that causes certainty.

Issue No.7- There are four ways of obtaining the verdicts of a Mujtahid:a) When one hears from the Mujtahid himself or sees his handwriting.b) By reading the Mujtahid's book of “Practical Laws of Islam” (Tawḍīḥ al-Masā’il), provided that one is certain about the correctness of the book.c) When one hears from a trusted person.d) When it is known widely amongst the masses, to a degree causing certainty.