Q30: Sometimes I intend to pray and
there are some white pieces of paper in my pocket. Is it permissible
for me to perform prostration on them?
A: Yes, it is permissible for you to prostrate
on them if they are ritually pure and made out of wood-pulp or
similar material on which prostration is permissible. The same
rule applies if they are made of cotton or linen. (FM, pp. 399-400)
Q31: . . . prostration on cement?
A: Likewise, it is permissible for you
to prostrate on it. (FM, p. 400)
Q32: I listen to a tape recorder, radio
or television emitting the voice of a reciter of the Qur'an,
reciting a verse which demands prostration. Should I prostrate?
A: Certainly not. You are not obliged
to prostrate yourself except when you hear it (the verse) from
the reciter himself, not on his recorded tape. (FM, p. 400)
Q33: If I attain personal confidence
that the astronomical calculations on the birth of the crescent
(hilal) announced by the experts are correct,
can I, relying on my confidence, confirm the first of the month
and fast, or for the Eid and break my fast?
A: Confidence in the birth of the crescent
and its visibility is of no consequence; rather, the actual sighting
has to be confirmed by yourself or someone else. Yes, it is enough
to confirm the actual sighting in another city if it shares the
horizon of your city, such that a sighting in that city would
necessitate a sighting in your city, if there were no barriers
such as clouds, dust, mountains, etc. (FM, p. 403)
Q34: A student, worker or employee
studies or works in an area situated at more than 22 km from his
city. He goes daily to his workplace and returns to his city,
and there is a possibility that this will continue for a year
or more. What is the ruling in this case with respect to his
prayers and fasts (siyam)?
A: He should offer complete (tamm)
prayers and observe the fasts. (FM, pp. 400-401)
Q35: What if he were to travel three
or four times a week during the year, not because his job demands
travelling, but for other purposes like sight-seeing and tourism
or for treating a patient, visiting the shrines of the Imams (a.s.),
etc. What is the ruling on his prayers?
A: He should perform complete prayers
and observe the fasts, since, given his situation he is considered
a frequent traveller according to convention ('urf).
If he were to travel twice a week and stay five days in his hometown
[then it is obligatory for him to offer both the short (qasr)
and the complete (prayers); and, in the month of Ramadan,
to combine observance of the fasts in it (Ramadan) and
their qada after it]. (FM, p. 401)
Q36: A mukallaf offers
morning prayer in his city and then travels in a westerly direction.
He arrives in a city in which the dawn has not yet appeared and
then emerges. Or, he offers noon prayer in his city and then
travels by air, arriving in a city where the sun has not begun
to go down (noon), and only later begins its descent. Or, he
offers the evening prayer in it (city), then travels to a city
where the sun has not yet set, and then sets. Is he obliged to
repeat the prayer in all these hypothetical situations?
A: There are two perspectives. It is
a better precaution (to repeat the prayer), although apparently
it is not (obligatory to repeat it). (MS, p. 464, Q81)
Q37: What is the ruling for a person
who travels after noon (zuhr) during the month
of Ramadan while fasting?
A: [He should complete his fast] and there
is no qada on him. (FM, p. 401)
Q38: And if he travels before noon,
having intended to do so and decided on the trip the night before?
A: [There is no fasting for him on this
day]. He will break his fast after reaching the hadd al-tarakhkhus
and he is obligated to offer its qada after that. (FM,
p. 401)
Q39: What if he travels before noon
but did not intend to travel and had not decided on it the night
before?
A: The same ruling applies as in the previous
case (Q38). (FM, pp. 401-2)
Q40: A traveler in the month of Ramadan
returns to his hometown or place of residence after noon. Is
it obligatory for him to abstain (from things that render a fast
void) in the remaining part of the day?
A: It is not obligatory for him although
it is more appropriate to abstain for the rest of the day. (FM,
p. 402)
Q41: What if he returns before noon
and has broken (the fast) on his trip?
A: The ruling is as previously mentioned
(Q40). (FM, p. 402)
Q42: What if he returns to his hometown
or place of residence and arrives before noon without breaking
the fast on his trip?
A: It is obligatory for him to make the
intention to fast and abstain from things that render a fast void
for the remaining part of that day. In that case, there is no
qada on him. (FM, p. 402)
Q43: What about one whose duty it is
to fast while travelling. After dawn has appeared in his city,
he travels by air with the intention to fast. He arrives in another
city where the dawn has not yet emerged. Is he permitted to eat,
drink, etc.?
A: Apparently, it is permissible. (MS,
p. 466, Q85)
Q44: What about one who travels from
his city in the month of Ramadan after noon and
arrives in a city where the sun has not begun its descent. Is
it obligatory for him to abstain (from things that break the fast)
and complete his fast?
A: That is a better precaution. (MS,
p. 466, Q86)
Q45: If a fasting person in the month
of Ramadan travels by air in a westerly direction
after maghrib -- without breaking (iftar)
his fast in his city -- and arrives at a place where the
sun has not yet set, is it obligatory for him to abstain from
things (that break the fast) until maghrib?
A: Apparently, it is not obligatory although
it is a better precaution. (MS, p. 464, Q80)
Q46: What about one whose duty is to
fast while travelling. If he travels from his city, in which the
crescent of Ramadan has been seen, to a city
where the crescent has not yet been seen because of a variation
in their horizon?
A: He is not obligated to fast on that
day. (MS, p. 466, Q87)
Q47: What if he observes the Eid
in a city in which the crescent of Shawwal has been seen,
and then travels to a city where the crescent has not been seen
due to a variation in their horizon?
A: It is a better precaution for him to
abstain (from things that break the fast) for the rest of the
day and, also, to observe its qada. (MS, pp. 466-67, Q87)
Q48: There are extended cities with
adjoining borders and sides which, in the past, were reckoned
to be separate cities, but after prosperous growth, became one
city. Do you regard them as one or several cities? A person
travels from the farthest point in the East (of the city) with
the intention of travelling to another place, and the time for
prayer comes when he is at the farthest westerly point (of the
city). He wishes to pray. Should he pray qasr
or does he pray complete? And similarly, if he returns from a
journey to the outskirts (of the city), and the time for prayer
comes, does he pray qasr, or complete? What about the
person who is fasting, and leaves (the city) or returns to it?
A: The hypothetical cities all count as
one. The rulings of separate cities does not actually apply to
this case. True, the rule with respect to computing the distance
is from the point at which the term "traveller" (musafir)
becomes applied to someone. Were this city truly one of the larger
cities and the term ("traveller") is applied upon
the exit of a person from his zone or area of residence, even
if it is deemed to be inside the city, then the ruling of "traveller"
applies on him. And the distance would be computed from this
point, which is considered hadd al-tarakhkhus with respect
to that person. If the term ("traveller") does not
apply to him unless he leaves the (larger) city, then the last
region of the city is to be counted as the beginning for distance
measurement with respect to him. God knows best. (MMS, p. 32,
Q64)
Q49: Is it permissible to excavate
the grave of the deceased if it does not entail disrespect for
the deceased?
A: It is not permissible except for special
purposes that have been explained in the books of fiqh,
such as cases of dire necessity. (FM, p. 420)
Q50: In a previous question (Q26),
we informed your eminence about the differences among the Muslims
regarding the direction of the qiblah. What
is the ruling on one who was buried facing a direction adopted
at the time of burial and then (the direction) was changed after
the burial, given that exhumation and identification of those
buried in the previous direction or the new direction would entail
great hardship?
A: In response to the question, it is
not obligatory to execute the change. (MMS, p. 11, Q2)
Q51: A person buys a garment for an
occasion. After wearing it, he puts it away and a year passes
without it being worn a second time. Is khums
obligatory on it? Likewise, (is khums obligatory) with
respect to jewelry temporarily used and then set aside for more
than a year without being used?
A: If the garment is of the type customarily
prepared for similar occasions in the years that follow, then
khums is not obligatory. Otherwise, based on obligatory
precaution, khums applies to it. The same situation applies
to jewelry. God knows best. (MMS, p. 18, Q22)
Q52: Is khums obligatory
for furnishings that the mother prepares for her daughter [like
marital gifts] when a number of years elapse before they come
into use?
A: Khums is not obligatory on them
if not preparing [the marital gifts] gradually damages her prestige,
because it would not be easy for her to prepare them at the time
of her marriage. God knows best. (MMS, p. 18, Q23)
Q53: If one year elapses on bank shares,
is it obligatory to pay khums on them? If it
is obligatory, then is it based on the actual value or purchase
price?
A: It is obligatory to pay khums
on the actual value. (MMS, p. 34, Q67)
Q54: A person builds a house on land
for which he has paid khums. During the construction
of this house a year or more elapses. He has spent money for
one or two years while building it (the house), knowing that he
does not own any home besides this one. Is it obligatory for
him to pay khums for this house? If it is obligatory,
then is the khums calculation based on all the expenditures
in building the house, is it based on the market value of the
house or is it enough to negotiate with al-hakim al-shar'i?
A: He should evaluate the house (excluding
the land) and take out khums on its value except with regard
to the money expended in the year in which he takes up residence
in it (home), for there is no khums on it. (MMS, p. 34,
Q68)
Q55: A person builds a house by borrowing
money, repaying the state bank in installments. He decides to
settle (with al-hakim al-shar'i) on the
khums of the house, knowing that this house is not part
of his necessary (annual) provision (ma'unah).
Is there any khums on these installments that he has paid
to the bank?
A: On the supposition of the question,
khums will be applied on the house at the end of the year
on the total present value (of the house) if he has paid all his
loans; however, if he has paid only part of it, then it is applied
to that proportion. (MMS, pp. 34-35, Q70)
Q56: Is it permissible to set aside
charity money in a specific place, with the intention of charity,
and then to give it to the poor? Can one change it with another
currency?
A: The money does not become a recommended
charity by mere separation. (MMS, p. 35, Q72)
Q57: A man who is financially able
in a particular year is prevented from travelling because he could
not obtain a visa to perform the hajj in that
year. Then, he is forced to spend the money which was set aside
for hajj, after the season, to fulfill his living needs.
Thereafter, he is not able to obtain the money needed to perform
the hajj.
A: If he acquires the ability in later
years, then hajj is obligatory for him, and if he does
not acquire the ability, then it is not obligatory for him. (FM,
pp. 403-4)
Q58: What if I am able to perform hajj
this year while I am a student at the University or high school
and it happens that the time of travelling for hajj conflicts
with my final exams such that the trip for hajj would
lead to my failure and loss of a school year, which causes me
extreme material and emotional difficulty.
A: As long as your travel for hajj
causes you extreme difficulty as you said, it is permissible for
you to abandon the hajj for that year. (FM, p. 404)
Q59: From which direction should one
throw pebbles at jamratu-l-'aqabah (in Mina)?
A: Stone it from the front [because it
is not permissible to stone it from the back]. (FM, p. 404)
Q60: What is the ruling on one who
enters the state of ihram from Jeddah, instead
of Johfah, because of ignorance?
A: If he made a nadhr for the ihram
in Jeddah, then his ihram is valid. (FM, p. 404)
Q61: Is one permitted after tawaf
and sa'y, to cut the hair (taqsir) of someone
else who has requested him to do so, before cutting his own?
A: It is not permissible for one to attend
to the taqsir of others before his own. (FM, p. 404)