TRANSLITERATION TABLE

1.                      His birth and studies:

Ayatullah Seestâni was born in 1349 A.H. (1928) in the month of Rabi al-Awwal in the holy city of Mashad, Irân. His noblc father was one of the devout 'Ulamâ of his region, and in order to help his son conrinuc his Islamic studies and to ga‎n a deeper knowledge of the Islâmic sciences, his fathcr exposed him to the 'Ulamâ and scholars of the Havvza 'Ilmiyyah.

He took his introductory 'Arabic studies, including doquence (balâgha) from onc of the renouncd teachers of 'Arabic in. Khurasân by the name of Muhammad Taqi آdib Nishaburi. He also studied Fiqh, Usul, Mantiq, and Aaâid under the great 'Ulamâ and teachers of Khurasân, and in that same city, took part in Dars-e-Khârij (the highest levcف ofstudics in the Hawza). At this rime, he also bencfittcd by thc presence of Allamah Muhaqqiq Mirzâ Mahdi Isfahani (May Allah sancûfy his spirit).

To advancc fürthcr and to completc his studics, hc travclled to the city of Qum in 1368 A.H. (1957), so that he would be able to make use of thc various 'Ulamâ at thc grand Hawza in this city.

The Hawza 'Ilmiyyah of Qum, was at that time under the supervision and guidance ofthe sole Marja' ofthe Shi'a world, آyatullâh al-' Uzma as-Sayyid al-Hâjj Husayn Burüjerd‎  (May Allâh sanctify his spirit).

yatullâh Seestani who was present in the lcssons of Fiqh and Usül, which at that time were bcing taught by آyatullah Burüjerd‎, was quickly counted as one of his brightest students in the fields of Fiqh, Usül, and Rijâl.

He also took part in the classes of Ayatullah al-'Uzma Hujjat Kuhkumrai and other teachers and scholars to quench his thrist for knowledge.

In the year 1371 A.H. (1960), Ayatullah Seestani once again moved, this time to Najaf al-Ashraf. At that time, the Hawza of Najaf was blooming and full of splendor and glory, and Ayatullah Seestani, with all that he could, took part in the classes being offered, and learnt the Islamic sciences from the most well known 'Ulama (if that time.

For more than 10 years he took part in the lessons of Ayatullah al-'Uzma as-Sayyid Abul Qasim al-Musawi al-Khui (May Allah be pleased with him). At this time, he also took part in the lessons taught by Ayatullah al-'Uzma Mohsin al-Hakim (May Allah sanctify his spirit). He also completed one complete course in Usul al-Fiqh under the auspices of Ayatullah al-"Uzma ash-Shaykh Husayn Hilli (May Allah be pleased with him).

After years of studies and participation in the lessons of Usul, Fiqh, and Mantiq, and spending time deeply reflecting and pondering on the sacred texts of the Hawza, and after years of studies in the Hawzas of Mashad, Qum, and Najaf, in the year 1381 (1970), he started to teach his own les­sons of Dars-e-Kharij, revolving around the book, al-Makasib by Shaykh Ansari (May Allah be pleased with him). After teaching Dars-e-Kharij based on the framework found in al-Makasib for years, he advanced his lessons onto a higher level by teaching from the book al-Urwatu! Wuthqa.

Until today, Ayatullah Seestani has taught "Kitab at-Taharat", a good por­tion of the rules found in "Kitab as-Salat", and parts of "Kitab al-Khums".

2.                      The great knowledge of the teacher:

Very quickly, the light of knowledge began to emit from the personality of Ayatullah Seestani, which was evident from his lessons in the Hawza.

Ayatullah Seestani is one of the few people who at a very young age, was given written certification that he had reached the level of Ijtihad, by his teacher Ayatullah Khm. In the same year that he received his certification

from Ayatullah Khui, the great Alim of Hadith and Rijal, 'Allama al-Hajj Aqa Buzurg Tehran! confirmed the same honour on Ayatullah Seestani in the fields of Rijal and Hadith. It should be noted that at the time of receiv­ing these two confirmations, Ayatullah Seestani was not even 31 years old!

3.                      Works of this Scholar:

Ayatullah Seestani, for the past 34 years, has been continuing the important task of teaching Dars-e-Kharij in Fiqh and Usul, and Rijal, and the fruits of his struggle for knowledge, and the accomplishments of this Faqhl have been preserved in writing - some of which are listed below:

                      1.          A Sharh (explanation) ofUrwatu! Wuthqa

                      2.          al-Bahuth ul-Usuliyah

                      3.          Kitab al-Qadha

                      4.          Kitab al-Bay' wa al-Khiyarat

                      5.          A Short treatise on the topic of Salat al-Musaffir (Arabic)

                      6.          A Short treatise on the topic of the Qiblah (Arabic)

                      7.          A Short treatise on the topic of Ijtihad and Taqlid (Arabic)

                      8.          A Short treatise on the topic of Interest (Riba')

                      9.          A Short treatise on the topic of the compilation of Hadith in Islam (Arabic)

...and various other books.

Ayatullah al-' Uzma as-Sayyid 'All al-Husayni as-Seestani and

Ayatullah al-'Uzma as-Sayyid Abul-Qasim al-Khui (RA)

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

The practical laws of Islam that arc related to the actions that one must per­form and those that must be avoided, and are the responsibility of everyone to learn, are called the Ahkam (rules).

Every action that a person performs has a specific ruling in Islam. The vari­ous actions that we perform, which are related to our responsibility (to Allah) are divided into five catagories: Wajib, Haram, Mustahab, Makrith, and Mubah.

Wajib: Those actions which must be performed, and turning away from them, incur Allah's punishment - for example Salat, and Sawm.

Haram: Those actions which must be avoided, and performing them incur punishment from Allah, like lieing and oppression.

Mustahab: These are actions which are recommended to be per­formed and earn the person a reward, but turning away from such actions does not incur punishment from Allah - for example saying Salam and giving Sadaqa.

Makruh: Those actions which are better if not performed, and if avoided, earn a reward, but if performed, do not accompany a pun­ishment - for example, blowing over hot food and eating hot food.

Mubah: Those actions whose performance or turning away from are equal; meaning neither gets a reward, nor punishment - for ex­ample walking or sitting.

(Ijtihad and Taqhd )

A person is able to perform the rites of Islam, either by way of "Ijtihad" or "Taqlid".

"Ijtihad" refers to the intense struggle in the way of extracting the rules of Islam from their sources, of which the most important are Hie Qur'an and the Ahadith of the Masiimin (Peace be upon all of them) » after learning the necessary sciences (of Islam) that enable the person to be able to extract the Ahkam from their sources. A person who has this intellectual power is called a "Mujtahid'^'.

"Taqlid" means following and to go behind someone, and in the context of Islam, refers to following a Mujtahid; meaning a person performs his responsibilities according to the fatawa of a Mujtahid.

ISSUE 1: A Mujtahid to whom others do taqlid, is refcred to as a "Mar/a' Taqlid", and the person who docs taqlid is called a "Muqallid"'.

ISSUE 2: Someone who is not a Mujtahid, and is not able to derive the rules and commandments of Allah from their sources must do taqlid to a Mujtahid; meaning he must perform his responsibilities according to the fatawa (of a Mu;'tahid), or act according to Ihtiyat.

ISSUE 3: Acting according to Ihtiyat means that one performs ones actions in such a way that he has certainity that he has fulfilled his responsibility (to Allah). For example, if a group ofMujtahidin consider an action haram, and another group do not consider that action haram, one would not per­form that action; and if some Mujtahidin consider anaction wajib, and oth­ers consider it mustahab he would perform tthat action.

ISSUE 4: The responsibility of most people in the rules of Islam is to per­form taqlid, because the number of people who are able to perform the rules of Islam by reaching Ijtihad or by practicing Ihtiyat arc few in number.

ISSUE 5: The Mujtahid to whom one does taqlid to, must be:

           ·           Just (Adil)

           ·           Male

           ·           Living

           ·           Baligh

           ·           Shi'a Ithna-Asheri

           ·           In the rulings where is it clear that there arc differences, must be the most knowledgeable (A'lam).

ISSUE 6: If the Mujtahid to whom a person is doing taqlid to, passes away and he was more knowledgeable than the other Mujtahidin who are living, the Muqallid must stay on the taqlid of the Mujtahid who passed away. But if among the Mujtahidin who are alive, one is more knowledgeable that the one who passed away, one must do taqlid to that Mujtahid who is alive and who is the most knowledgeable.

ISSUE 7: A'lam is that person who is the most strong from among the Mu­jtahidin in extracting the rules of Islam from their sources.

ISSUE 8: There are three ways to distinguish the Mujtahid and the most knowledgeable:

                  ·           A person himself has certainity; for example he himself is of the "People of Knowledge" and himself is able to discern who is a Mu­jtahid and A'lam.

                  ·           The statement of two knowledgeable and Just people, who are able to discern who is a Mujtahid and A'lam, on the condition that two knowledgeable and Just people do not go against their state-ment, and if someone goes against their statement, the statement of a person whose investigation was deeper should be accepted, and even if one person whom one has trust in, states that one is a Mu­jtahid or A'lam.

                  ·           A group of the "People of Knowledge" who are able to deter­mine who is a Mujtahid and A'lam, if they verify who is a Mujtahid or A'lam, and if one finds certainity in their words.

ISSUE 9: The ways to obtain the fatawa of the Mujtahid arc:

                  ·           Hearing it from the Mujtahid himself.,

                  ·           Hearing it from two Just people.

                  ·           Hearing it from even one person in whom one has certainity in his words.

                  ·           Seeing it in the Rcsalah of the Mujtahid, as long as one has certainity in its authenticity.

ISSUE 10: If a person does not know if the fatwa of the Mujtahid has changed or not, and even if he has a doubt that his fatwa has changed, he is able to act upon that which is written in the Resalah, and it is not necessary for him to do any investigation.

ISSUE 11: It is wajib (mandatory) that a person learns those rules which he will always be in need of.

The difference between Ihtiyat Mustahab and Ihtiyat Wajib

ISSUE 12: Ihtiyat Mustahab always accompanies a fatwa, meaning, in that ruling, along with the Mujtahid expressing his opinion, he also gives an pre­cautionary measure, and in that ruling, the Muqallid can act either according to the fatwa or the Ihtiyat, and is not allowed to refer to another Mujtahid. An example of this is:

Washing a najis dish in Kurr Water once makes the dish tahir, although the Ihtiyat is that it is washed three times.

Ihtiyat Wajib does not accompany a fatwa, and the Muqallid must act ac­cording to that Ihtiyat, but he is also able to refer this rule to another Mu-jtahid (perform Ruju) to whom it is permissable to do taqlid to - for exam­ple:

The Ihtiyat is that one does not perform sajdah on the leaf of the grapi tree.