Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

Section 4: From Hegira to the Universal Invitation

Chapter One: Emigration to Yathrib

Chapter Two: The Prophet's Major proceedings in Medina

Chapter Three: Conspiracies of the Jews

Chapter Four: Establishment of Muslim Military Forces

Chapter 1: Emigration to Yathrib

The Basis of Islam's Influences in Yathrib

Wadi al-Qura is a long valley along with the trade route from Yemen to Damascus. Along this valley, which runs from the north to the south, there were numerous oases surrounded by grass and pastures.1 The caravans made use of them on their trips along this valley. On one of these oases, five hundred kilometers north of Mecca, there was the old city of Yathrib which was later called Madinat al-Rasul (the city of the Messenger) after the Holy Prophet's emigration to it and then al-Madinah (Medina).

The structure and social conditions of Yathrib was quite different from those of Mecca whose people were engaged in agriculture and orchard keeping. There lived in this city three great Jewish tribes of Banu’l-Nadhir, Banu-Qaynuqa’ and Banu-Quray¨ah. The two famous tribes of Aws and Khazraj are originally from the Yemen (i.e. descendants of Qahtan); but after the destruction of the Ma'rib Dam, they migrated from the south to live in Yathrib along with the Jewish inhabitants.

During the years of the Holy Prophet’s promulgation of Islam in Mecca, some events occurred in Yathrib which paved the way for his emigration. These events had made this city the center for the propagation of Islam. Among these events were the following:

The Jews had owned the fertile lands around the city; they had created numerous palm groves, enjoyed wealth and excelled all others economically.2 Once in a while, some quarrels occurred between them and the tribes of Aws and Khazraj. The Jews used to threaten them, saying, “In the near future, there shall come a new prophet whom we will follow and with his help we will root you out, just like the peoples of ‘Ad and Iram.”3

Because the Jews enjoyed a higher cultural status and they were respected by the idolaters, who believed in whatever the Jews would tell them, the issue of prophethood had rooted in the minds of the tribes of Aws and Khazraj.

Since older times, wars and bloodshed took place between the tribes of Aws and Khazraj. The last of these conflicts was the war of Bu’ath. These conflicts had resulted in a lot of casualties and damages on both sides who, because they had suffered greatly, looked forward to ceasefire and compromise. However, there was no impartial person to carry out such a mission. ‘Abdullah Ibn Ubayy, who was not of the elderly chiefs of Khazraj, had announced his impartiality during the battle of Bu’ath and desired for a ceasefire and reconciliation so that he might govern both of them. He had prepared for the coronation ceremonies.4 However, the encounters of Aws and Khazraj with the Holy Prophet in Mecca changed the direction of events dramatically and ‘Abdullah Ibn Ubayy lost his chance.

The First Muslim Group of Yathrib

Through their pilgrimages to Mecca, the people of Yathrib had known about the Holy Prophet's mission since the early years of his open invitations to Islam. Some of them had met him in Mecca and become Muslims; but later on, they had either died or been killed.5 They had never been able to invite anybody into Islam. In the eleventh year of prophethood, the Holy Prophet met six of the elderly chiefs of Khazraj during the season of Hajj and invited them to Islam. They told each other, “Be aware; this is the same prophet predicted by the Jews. Now we should not fall behind them in accepting his religion.” Then, they accepted Islam by telling the Holy Prophet, “We have left our people in the worst form of enmity. We hope that God will make them conciliate through you. Now, we will return to Yathrib and start inviting them to Islam. If they accept this religion, there will be nobody dearer to us than you.”

Upon their return to Yathrib, this group invited people to Islam. Not long after, the name of Islam was heard in every house of Yathrib and the Holy Prophet's name was uttered by everybody.6

The First Treaty of ‘Aqabah

By the twelfth year of the prophethood, twelve people of Yathrib swore allegiance to the Holy Prophet at the foot of the ‘Aqabah of Mina7 at the time of Hajj.8 Among this group, ten people were from Khazraj and two others from Aws. This showed that these two groups had set their quarrel aside and showed interest in coming under the banner of Islam. They swore that they would not associate anybody with God, steal, engage themselves in adultery, kill their own children, accuse one another, and they would obey the Holy Prophet in performing good deeds.9

The Holy Prophet promised them heaven as a reward for their keeping this treaty.10 After the Hajj ceremony, they returned to Yathrib and asked the Holy Prophet to appoint a teacher to teach them the Holy Qur'an and the principles of Islam. The Holy Prophet sent Muz’ab ibn ‘Umayr to them.11 Due to his hard work in propagation, a great number of people accepted the Islamic faith. In Mecca, the chiefs opposed Islam; but the youth and the deprived ones accepted it as religion. However, in Yathrib, it was the other way round; the chiefs pioneered to adopt Islam and people naturally followed their suit. This was one of the factors for the spread of Islam in this city.

The Second Treaty of ‘Aqabah

In the thirteenth year of prophethood and at the Hajj ceremony, a group of seventy-five people, eleven of whom were from Aws and two women, entered Mecca. On the twelfth of Dhu’l-Hijjah, the second treaty of ‘Aqabah was concluded with a lot of precautions. The signers pledged that if the Holy Prophet emigrated to their city, they would protect him like their own relatives and children and fight anybody who would fight against him. For this reason, this treaty came to be called bay’at al-harb (the pledge of war). At the end of this meeting, the signers elected twelve representatives to manage their affairs upon their return to Yathrib.12

The initial Stages of emigration to Yathrib

Despite all the precautions that the Holy Prophet and the people of Yathrib had taken, Quraysh found out the secrets behind this treaty. Consequently, they endeavored to arrest the treaty signers. Since those who paid homage to the Holy Prophet had left Mecca in time, they could flee to safety except for one who was arrested.

After the departure of the people of Yathrib, Quraysh increased their pressure on Muslims, because they realized that the Holy Prophet had safeguarded a stronghold in Yathrib; they therefore increased their pressures on Muslims. Once again, life in Mecca had become intolerable.13 For this reason, the Holy Prophet ordered Muslims to emigrate to Yathrib, telling them, “Go to Yathrib; God will provide you with brethren and a safe place.”14 For two and a half months, (i.e. from the middle of Dhu’l-Hijjah up to the end of Safar)15 Muslims gradually headed for Yathrib despite all hardships that Quraysh put in their way. Hence, no Muslim remained in Mecca except for the Holy Prophet, Imam ‘Ali, Abu-Bakr and some others. In the history of Islam, those Muslims who emigrated to Yathrib are called muhajirun (Emigrants) and those who helped out the Holy Prophet in Yathrib are called Ansar.

Conspiracy of murdering the Holy Prophet

After the settlement in Yathrib of Meccan Muslims, the chiefs of Quraysh realized that Yathrib had turned into a strong shelter for the Holy Prophet and his followers, and that people of Yathrib were ready to fight for their faith. For this reason, they feared the Holy Prophet's emigration. This matter caused the Quraysh to face several problems:

(1) Muslims were no longer under their domination and control, because Yathrib was an independent city and Quraysh had no power there.

(2) Since people of Yathrib had convened a war treaty with the Holy Prophet, he might then start a siege on Mecca for revenge.16

(3) Even without a probable war, Quraysh were still at a loss, because Yathrib was a lucrative market for their merchants and they would face economic disasters through losing control over this city.

(4) Yathrib was on the trade route from Mecca to Damascus and Muslims could easily make this route unsafe and vulnerable; they might also jeopardize trade as a whole.

These worries forced the chiefs of Quraysh to gather at Dar al-Nidwah (the consular center) for further consultation and deliberations. Some proposed that the Holy Prophet be exiled or imprisoned. However, these two proposals were rejected for certain reasons. Finally, they decided to murder him although such an act would not look very simple, because Banu-Hashim would seek revenge. To avoid such expected vengeance, they decided to appoint one young man from every tribe so that they could murder him in his bed. In this way, Banu-Hashim could not rise to avenge because the assassination would have taken place with several men from different tribes; and Banu-Hashim could not fight all these tribes; so, they would have to receive ransom and blood-money and the story would come to an end. To carry out their plot, chiefs of Quraysh selected the first night of Rabi’ al-Awwal. God refers to their conspiracy with the following words:

And when those who disbelieved devised plans against you that they might confine you, slay you, or drive you away; and they devised plans and Allah too had arranged a plan; and Allah is the best of planners. (8:30)

The Prophet's Migration

Through Divine revelation, the Holy Prophet knew about the conspiracy of Dar al-Nidwah; he was then ordered by God to leave Mecca. He informed Imam ‘Ali (a.s) about his plan and ordered him to replace him in bed that night and cover himself with his bedspread. Imam ‘Ali (a.s) immediately accepted this mission.

Accompanied by Abu- Bakr, the Holy Prophet headed for Thawr Cave to the south of Mecca that night and stayed there for three days until chiefs of Quraysh despaired of finding him. He wanted to find a safe time to continue his migration. God, in the Holy Qur'an, refers to the Holy Prophet's loneliness and to the worries of his companion. Despite all precautious actions that the chiefs of Quraysh had taken, they could not locate the Holy Prophet:

If you will not aid him, Allah certainly being the second of the two, when they were both in the cave, when he said to his companion: Grieve not, surely Allah is with us, So Allah sent down His tranquility upon him and strengthened him with hosts which you did not see, and made lowest the word of those who disbelieved; and the word of Allah that is the highest; and Allah is Mighty, Wise. (9:40)

A Great Sacrifice

That night, Imam ‘Ali (a.s) replaced the Holy Prophet in bed. The armed forces of Quraysh besieged the Holy Prophet's house. In the morning, they drew their swords and entered the house in a rampage, but they found Imam ‘Ali, not the Holy Prophet, in the bed. Realizing that they had been betrayed, they charged against ‘Ali. Drawing his sword, he stood opposite against and refused to tell them where the Holy Prophet was.17

Anybody who would replace the Holy Prophet in bed had little chance to survive. However, ‘Ali, who had replaced the Holy Prophet in bed many times before that event, such as he had done when they were besieged in Abu-Talib Col, in purpose of securing his safety, sacrificed his life to protect the Holy Prophet's. Referring to this bravery and sacrifice of Imam ‘Ali, Almighty God says:

And among men is he who sells himself to seek the pleasure of Allah; and Allah is Affectionate to the servants. (2:207)

Exegetes of the Holy Qur'an agree that this verse was revealed on account of the sacrifice and bravery of ‘Ali at that night, which is called laylat al-mabit.18

Referring to the conspiracy of Quraysh during that dangerous night, Imam ‘Ali, in one of his sermons, describes his mental condition as follows:

The Prophet ordered me to spend that night on his bed (while he would be leaving for Medina) and use my life as a shield for the protection of his life. I accepted it on the spot. I would be glad to die for him. The Prophet left me and I slept on his bed. The Quraysh armed forces entered, hoping to murder him. When they charged at the room where I was staying, I stood up, drew my sword and protected myself. This is the issue of which God is aware and people know.”19

The Prophet's Arrival at Quba

Prior to his departure from Mecca, the Holy Prophet asked Imam ‘Ali to give back people's deposits20 and prepare for the departure of his daughter, Fatimah, and some other men and women from Banu-Hashim, who had not yet departed Mecca.21

On the fourth of Rabi’ al-Awwal (the 14th year after prophethood), the Holy Prophet left Thawr Cave for Yathrib.22 Eight days after that, he arrived at the district of Quba, on the outskirts of Yathrib, where the tribe Banu-’Amr ibn ‘Awf lived.23 He waited there for a few days, waiting for ‘Ali's arrival. During this time, he established a mosque there.24

After the Holy Prophet's migration, ‘Ali (a.s) stayed for three days in Mecca and carried out his obligations and tasks.25 He then accompanied his mother Fatimah bint Asad and Fatimah daughter of the Holy Prophet and Fatimah daughter of al-Zubayr ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib and two others to Quba where they joined the Holy Prophet.26

Arrival at Yathrib

Upon the arrival of ‘Ali at Quba, the Holy Prophet headed for Yathrib with a group of Banu’l-Najjar (his maternal uncles). On their way, he performed the first Friday Prayer at the resort of Banu-Salim ibn ‘Awf. Upon their arrival at Yathrib, they were passionately welcomed by people. The heads and chiefs of the tribes took the rein of the Holy Prophet's palfrey and begged him to stay with them. He answered, “Let the camel proceed; it has a mission to perform; wherever it sleeps, I will stay.”

By this decision, the Holy Prophet most probably wanted not to give the honor of being the host to any special group so that he could avoid future conflicts. His discretion was similar to one concerning the place of the installation of the Black Stone of the Kaaba.

Finally, the camel came to rest in the district of Banu’l-Najjar, on a piece of land belonging to the two orphans, close to the house of Abu-Ayyub Ansari (Khalid ibn Zayd Khazraji). All people were now crowding around the Holy Prophet; they asked him to give them the honor to be their guest. Abu-Ayyub took the Holy Prophet's baggage to his own home and the Holy Prophet followed. He stayed there until the Masjid al-Nabi (The Prophet’s Mosque) was established and there was a room built next to it for the Holy Prophet to live in.27

The Start of the Hijri Calendar

The Prophet's migration was the basis of a great change; it was a focal point in the progress of Islam. Due to this historic event, Muslims were free from shackles and they could live freely and run gatherings. This was of utmost significance at that time. If this migration had not occurred, Islam would have been strangled in Mecca and it would have never had any chance to grow. After the migration, Muslims could establish their political and military organization and Islam grew in the Arabian Peninsula.

However, the following two questions require answer: Who established this calendar for the first time? Since when was it put into effect? Muslim historians unanimously agree that this feat was done by ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab after consultation and deliberations with the Holy Prophet's grand companions.28 However, another research indicates that the initiator for this feat was the Holy Prophet himself. Some great Muslim historians have written that the Holy Prophet, after his migration to Yathrib in Rabi’ al-Awwal, ordered that events should be referred in relation to this day.29 The documents for this claim are some of the Holy Prophet's letters, documents and communications which are handed down to us and dated from the above date. There are two samples here:

(1) The Holy Prophet signed a treaty with the Jews of Muqna ending with the following statement: Written by ‘Ali ibn Abi-Talib in the ninth year of Hegira.30

(2) In a treaty with the Christians of Najran, we read the following: The Holy Prophet ordered ‘Ali to write down: This treaty is signed in the fifth year of Hegira.31

Based on some documents, the recording of events and affairs up to the fifth year of Hegira took place on the basis of months alone. Here are some such documents:

Abu-Sa’id Khidri says: Fasting during the month of Ramadhan was enacted as obligatory one month after the change of the kiblah (i.e. the direction faced in prayers) during the eighteenth month of Hegira.32

‘Abdullah Ibn Unays, the commander of the army sent to war against Sufyan ibn Khalid writes: I left Medina on Monday, the fifth of Muharram; the fiftieth month of Hegira.”33

Muhammad ibn Maslamah, recounting the campaign against the tribe of Qurta,34 writes: I left Medina on the tenth of Muharram and returned on the last night of Muharram, the fiftieth month after Hegira, after a leave of nineteen days.”35

For these reasons, the founder of the Hijri calendar was the Holy Prophet;36 and since, in the reign of ‘Umar, there appeared some disagreements on the exact dates of some historical events,37 he formalized this calendar on the sixteenth year of Hegira, and in place of Rabi’ al-Awwal - the month in which the Holy Prophet arrived in Medina - he appointed Muharram as the starting point of the Hijri calendar.38

Chapter 2: The Prophet's Major proceedings in Medina

The Construction of a Mosque

Having settled in Yathrib,39 the Holy Prophet deemed necessary to construct a mosque in order to provide Muslims with a center for religious education and a place for their congregation at Friday Prayers. For this reason, he purchased the ground on which the camel had sat on his first arrival and which belonged to the two orphans, from their guardian and constructed a mosque with the assistance of Muslims.40 This mosque came to be called Masjid al-Nabi. This was the Holy Prophet's first social act after Hegira. Upon the completion of the mosque, two chambers were erected close to it as a house for the Holy Prophet and his wives.41 Then, he left Abu-Ayyub's home to live in his new chambers42 until his demise.

The Suffah Followers

Upon the migration to Yathrib, the Ansar housed the Muhajirun and prepared their accommodation to the best of their abilities.43 However, the Suffah followers were a group of strangers and poor individuals who were deprived of everything. A shade was established at the end side of the mosque as a temporary resort for them. The Holy Prophet took good care of them so far as he provided them with food and encouraged the rich Ansar to help them. This group who were zealous in their religion, passionate and virtuous Muslims came to be called the Suffah followers.44 Any new comer to Medina would join his relatives; otherwise, he joined the Suffah group. The number of this group varied: those who could find accommodation would leave the group and at times new comers would join them.45

General Treaty (Contract)

Having settled in Medina, the Holy Prophet worked for guaranteeing better social conditions for its people. In order to envisage and achieve great ultimate goals, he had to have peace and tranquility within the community. Of course, this was hard to achieve because the social structure in Medina was quite heterogeneous. There were different groups of Arabs who belonged to either the tribe of Aws or that of Khazraj. There were also some Jews living in this city who were in touch with those Arabs. There were also new Muslim comers from Mecca. This state of affairs could have ended in social unrest and disasters. For this reason, the Holy Prophet initiated the draft of the first constitution or the greatest historic document in Islam. This contract defined the rights of the citizens of the various groups and secured peace and justice for all citizens. Here, we will mention some items and paragraphs of this great contract:

(1) Muslims and Jews46 constitute a single nation (ummah).

(2) Muslims and Jews are free to follow their faith.

(3) The emigrants of Quraysh, like the pre-Islamic days, should pay blood-money. If anyone of them commits homicide or becomes captive, others should pay the ransom in accordance with accepted terms among believers and free the captive in this way.

(4) Banu-’Amr ibn ‘Awf (a tribe of Ansar) and other branches should pay blood-money like others.

(5) Nobody is allowed to give asylum to anybody's slaves, children or other family members without his consent.

(6) The signers of this contract collectively have to defend the city of Medina.

(7) Medina is a sacred city and any kind of bloodshed is forbidden there.

(8) The final judge and arbitrator for the settlement of the probable disagreements and conflicts will be Muhammad (S).47

A cursory look at the events of those days shows that this contract, which was concluded in the earlier months of the Holy Prophet's arrival at Medina,48 was effective in securing tranquility for citizens. Up to the second year of Hegira, i.e. until the Battle of Badr which occurred due to the conspiracies of Banu-Qaynuqa’, no disturbance or turbulence is recorded.

A Brotherly Contract between Muhajirun and Ansar

The Prophet's second social act of significance during the first year of Hegira49 was the convention of a brotherly treaty between the Muhajirun and Ansar. Previously, these two Muslim groups had some rivalry over business and racial issues, because Ansar had migrated from the south (Yemen) and were from the Qahtani race, and Muhajirun belonged to the Northern Arabs and to the ‘Adnani race; and during the days of Ignorance, there were severe racial conflicts between the two.

Ansar also used to work in agriculture and gardening, while the Meccan Arabs were traders who considered agriculture lowly and classless affair. Furthermore, these two groups had been brought up in two quite different social settings and now they were considered religious brethren. They had gathered in Medina and the probabilities existed that the remnants of the previous cultures still remained in their souls and minds; and that some ancient obstacles might be renewed. For this reason, the Holy Prophet initiated a brotherly contract between these two groups designating each Muhajir (Meccan emigrant) as a brother for a corresponding Ansar,50 except for ‘Ali who was proclaimed a brother for every Muslim although the Holy Prophet fraternized him with himself.51

Of course, in concluding this brotherly convention between Muhajirun and Ansar, their degrees of faith and virtue were taken into consideration.52 The brotherhood of the Holy Prophet and ‘Ali, both of whom belonged to Muhajirun is justifiable.

This treaty brought forth more unity among Muhajirun and Ansar. This is shown in the financial support of Ansar to Muhajirun.

At the time of the distribution of the booties of the Battle of Banu’l-Nadhir, Ansar gave them all to Muhajirun53 . Ansar’s immense generosities caused Muhajirun to thank them in the presence of the Holy Prophet.54 God has appreciated their benevolence in the following words:

It is the poor who fled, those who were driven from their homes and their possessions, seeking grace of Allah and His pleasure, and assisting Allah and His Apostle: These it is that are the truthful.

And those who made their abode in the city and in the faith before them love those who have fled to them, and do not find in their hearts a need of what they are given, and prefer them before themselves though poverty may afflict them, and whoever is preserved from the niggardliness of his soul, these it is that are the successful ones.

Nonaggression Pact with Three Jewish Tribes

Besides a general treaty in which both Aws and Khazraj and other Jews of these two tribes had participated, the Holy Prophet convened separate treaties with the three Jewish tribes of Banu-Qaynuqa’, Banu’l-Nadhir and Banu-Quraydhah. This treaty could be termed a nonaggression pact.

As we have already said, these three tribes lived in Medina and its suburbs.55 In this contract, the signatories were obliged:

(1) Not to cooperate with the enemies of Muslims and not to provide them with horses and weaponry;

(2) Not to take any step against the Holy Prophet and Muslims;

(3) To be punished by the Holy Prophet through killing them or enslaving their children and wives or confiscating their wealth if they ever tried to ignore any article of this contract.

This contract was signed by the heads of the three abovementioned tribes, i.e. Mukhayriq, Huyay ibn Akhtab and Ka’b ibn Asad.56 Apparently, in those days the Jews neither felt any threat from Muslims nor reckoned their impartiality as an asset, since they assumed the Muslims' other enemies would suffice them. That was the reason for their taking the lead in signing the contract.57 Thus, through these proceedings, the environments of Medina and the neighboring districts became calm; and the Holy Prophet was at ease. Now it was the time for him to confront Quraysh’s inevitable threats and to prepare himself for the establishment of a new society.

The Hypocrites

In addition to the Jews, there was another group of opponents, called munafiqun (hypocrites) by the Holy Qur'an. They were formed after the Holy Prophet's migration to Yathrib. The members of this group called themselves Muslims on the surface, but they were actually either idolaters58 or Jews.59 Having observed Islam's daily increasing popularity and their lacking of power, the hypocrites kept their faces, pretended to be Muslims and entered the rank of Muslims, but behind the curtains, they had some secret affairs with the Jews and conspired against Muslims. Their leader was ‘Abdullah ibn Ubayy who had prepared himself for ascendance to power in Yathrib. However, he was deprived of such leadership due to the Holy Prophet's arrival at the political arena. For this reason, he secretly hated the Holy Prophet.60

The hypocrites performed a series of destructive actions against Islam. In Surahs al-Baqarah (No. 2), Al-’Imran (No. 3), al-Tawbah or Bara'ah (No. 9), al-Nisa' (No. 4), al-Ma'idah (No. 5), al-Anfal (No. 8), al-’Ankabut (No. 29), al-Ahzab (No. 33), al-Fath (No. 48), al-Hadid (No. 57), al-Munafiqun (No. 63), al-Hashr (No. 59) and al-Tahrim (No. 66), the Holy Qur'an has referred to them. It was more difficult for the Holy Prophet to confront this group than the unbelievers or the Jews, because he could not fight them since they pretended to be Muslims. The sabotage and obstruction of this group continued in a systematized way up to the death of ‘Abdullah ibn Ubayy in the ninth year of Hegira.61 Later, this movement lost its vigor gradually.

Chapter 3: Conspiracies of the Jews

The Jews' Sabotage

The Jews, like Christians, were aware of the advent of the Holy Prophet. In the word of the Holy Qur'an, the people of the Book considered the Holy Prophet their own child:

Those whom We have given the Book recognize him as they recognize their sons. (2:146)

They had seen his attributes in the Torah and the Gospel;62 they were therefore expected to become Muslims even earlier than the tribes of Aws and Khazraj, because the Jews had threatened them that they would take revenge on them when the Promised Prophet would come with the Divine Mission. However, only a few of them accepted Islam. At the beginning of Hegira, however, their relationships with Muslims were usual as is concluded from their signing of the nonaggression pact with the Holy Prophet. However, this tranquility did not last long; after a while, they started quarrelling. Among their sabotages was their denial of the Holy Prophet's unique attributes by claiming that they could not find Muhammad's traits and characteristics in their Book and that the attributes of the Promised Prophet could not be identified in the Holy Prophet.63 The Holy Qur'an has condemned this approach:

And when there came to them a Book from Allah verifying that which they have, and for a time they used to pray for victory against those who disbelieve. But when there came to them (prophet) that which they did not recognize, they disbelieved in him; so Allah's curse is on the unbelievers. (2:89)

The Jews engaged in sabotage through different approaches:

(1) They had irrational and illogical demands, such as receiving a letter from the skies.64

(2) They put out complicated religious questions to disturb the Muslims' thoughts and minds.65 However, they always received strong reactions and answers from the Holy Prophet.

(3) They endeavored to weaken the base of the Muslims' faith by saying:

Avow belief in that which has been revealed to those who believe, in the first part of the day, and disbelieve at the end of it, perhaps they go back on their religion. (3:72)

(4) They attempted to bring about division and turbulence among Muslims. Sha's Ibn Qays, a Jew, tried to enliven once again the old hatreds among Aws and Khazraj. However, this act became futile through the proper act of the Holy Prophet.66

Motives of the Jews' Oppositions

The Jews were generally interest-seeking, greedy and stubborn people.67 The Holy Qur'an regards the polytheists and them as the most violent enemies of Islam:

Certainly you will find the most violent of people in enmity for those who believe to be the Jews and those who are polytheists, and you will certainly find the nearest in friendship to those who believe to be those who say: We are Christians; this is because there are priests and monks among them and because they do not behave proudly. (5:82)

This was because these two groups were not rational beings and they did not stop showing their animosities and aggressions against Islam. The Jews opposed Islam for the following reasons:

(1) The Jews treated the Holy Prophet racially; they were jealous because he was Jew; rather an Arab.68

(2) Prior to the influence of Islam in Yathrib, the Jews enjoyed a better socio-economic status because they had had control over the economy of the city through crafts, industry, agriculture,69 and usury.70 At the same time, taking advantage of the differences between Aws and Khazraj, the Jews weakened their powers. Through their contracts with Banu-Qaynuqa’ who belonged to the tribe of Khazraj and through unity with Banu’l-Nadhir and Banu-Quray¨ah who belonged to the tribe of Aws, they could easily created animosity between these two tribes.71 After the Holy Prophet's migration, the two tribes united and went under the banner of Islam thus increasing the power of Islam tremendously. The Jews realized that the dominating power would very soon be in the hands of Muslims and they would inevitably be the big losers. This situation was quite unbearable for them.

(3) The Jewish clerks and rabbis were prestigious; they enjoyed a lot of respect among the illiterate people who blindly followed them without questioning. At times, these clerks and rabbis issued orders contrary to God's. Nevertheless, people followed them without asking.72 Furthermore, they used to receive a lot of gifts and charities as the protectors of the Torah. They therefore feared that they might lose this source of income with the progress of Islam.73

(4) They showed animosity to Archangel Gabriel who brought God's messages to Muhammad (S);74 they used this as an excuse to antagonize the Holy Prophet.

(5) The Holy Qur'an condemned many of the Jews' acts and behaviors and many of the Torah’s instructions75 and disagreed with the Jews in many ordinances.76 This issue had its roots in the past. Prior to Islam, they were culturally superior to the idolaters and they were respected by the unbelievers.77 After the advent of Islam, this trend, more or less, continued; sometimes Muslims in Medina used to ask them some religious questions and they translated the Torah into Arabic for Muslims, while their religious data were mostly skewed and erroneous. For this reason, the Holy Prophet recommended Muslims not to accept their statements.78 Once, the Holy Prophet told ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab, “I swear to God in Whose hands is my soul that if Moses were alive now, he would follow me.”79 These issues added to the Jews' hatred and enmity towards Islam; they sometimes used to say, “This man has planned to disagree with all of our plans.”80

Changing the kiblah

While living in Mecca and sometime after Hegira, the Holy Prophet used to pray facing the direction of Jerusalem. After the Jews surfaced their enmity, they used this issue as a means to oppose him; they said, “Muhammad is not independent in his religion; he uses our kiblah through different techniques.” They over exaggerated this issue. Now, the Holy Prophet was under undue pressure. At nights, he used to stare at the skies, waiting for some revelations so that the Jews’ propaganda could be stopped. Seventeen months after Hegira,81 while he was performing the Noon (²uhr) Prayer with Muslims facing Jerusalem, the Angel of Revelation came to the Holy Prophet and ordered him to change the direction of kiblah towards Kaaba; therefore, he faced the Kaaba at that very prayer. This was God's command:

Indeed, We see the turning of your face to heaven, so We shall surely turn you to a kiblah which you shall like; turn then your face towards the sacred mosque. And wherever you are, turn your face towards it, and those who have been given the Book most surely know that it is the truth from their Lord; and Allah is not at all Heedless of what they do. (2:144)

The change of kiblah, which brought forth independence for Muslims, brought disastrous consequences for the Jews. They looked for another excuse and asked, “Why have Muslims put aside their previous kiblah?” Prior to the change of kiblah, God made the Holy Prophet realize their position; He told him that east or west, everywhere belonged to God and people should face any direction which He orders when they perform their prayers. God told the Holy Prophet that no place on the earth has any innate honor of its own:

The fool will say: what has turned them from their kiblah which they had? Say: The east and the west belong only to Allah; He guides whom He likes to the right path. (2:142)

With this answer, the Jews had no excuse to delve into negative propaganda and with the change of kiblah, the common grounds between the two old and new religions were gone and the relationship between the two weakened:

And even if you bring to those who have been given the Book every sign, they would not follow your kiblah nor can you be a follower of their kiblah; neither are they the followers of each other's kiblah; and if you follow their desires after the knowledge that has come to you, then you shall most surely be among the unjust. (2:145)

What is understood from the Qur'an is to stop the Jews' nagging and to test Muslims as to what degree they are obedient to Allah:

And thus We have made you a medium (just) nation that you may be witnesses over the people and that the Apostle may be a witness over you; and We did not make that which you would have to be the kiblah but that We might distinguish him who follows the Apostle from him who turns back upon his heels, and this was surely hard except for those whom Allah has guided aright; and Allah was not going to make your faith to be fruitless; most surely Allah is Affectionate, Merciful. (2:143)

In some narrations, this test of faith has been interpreted in the following way: Meccan people preferred the Kaaba; but God made Jerusalem the kiblah to distinguish the true and genuine believers who, contrary to their own wishes and only for God's sake, worship Him in this issue from those acting obstinately. For the people of Medina who preferred Jerusalem, God made the Kaaba the Muslims' kiblah so that these two could be identified.82

Dialogue on Taqleed

Inaugurating the Dialogue on Taqleed, my father said:

- Let me first explain to you what is taqleed.

Taqleed is the following, by a lay person, of a Jurist in matters of religious practice. Thus, you apply the Jurist’s legal opinion (fatwa). It is as if you have put the responsibility squarely on the Jurist’s shoulders, in that he will stand accountable before Allah insofar as your compliance with his fatwa is concerned.

* Why do we do taqleed?

- By now, you know that The Creator is the source of The Law. He prescribed for you certain acts you should do and others you should not do. However, where to draw the line is not so clear-cut. That said, you may be able to know some of His commands and prohibitions, depending on your upbringing and environment at large.

As you may know, Islamic shari’a law has covered all aspects of your life. Thus, it has stipulated for each aspect a number of rulings. How are you going to know the demarcations of these rulings while you go about your life? How would you know what is halal to act upon it and what is haraam to shun it?

I wonder, do you have to resort for every incidence, be it minor or major, to the legal proof to be able to deduce a legal judgement?

* Why not?

- There is a yawning gap between your time and that of the early days of Islam. Matters have further been complicated due to the fact that many legal texts were lost; the language and writing style, and norms of expression have changed; the role of pseudo transmitters, who concocted many hadiths (Prophetic traditions) was damaging; this in turn has led to the problem of who is and who is not genuine among the transmitters of hadith. All these have made the process of reaching at a legal opinion the more difficult.

However, let us assume that you were able to ascertain the veracity of the transmitters of any legal text and that you were able to understand the meaning of the terminology used. Do you think that you would be able to discern the multifaceted and complex science of jurisprudence? And would you be able to arrive at what you need to understand?

* So, what should I do?

- You should turn to the experts in this field, i.e. the jurists, and derive what you need to know of legal judgements from them. That is, you emulate them. This is not the exclusive reserve of jurisprudence, rather the norm in every science and discipline. Modern civilization has it that you find the principle of specialized professions in every discipline that you turn to when in need.

Let us take an example. Let it be from the realm of medicine. Should you fall ill, God forbids, what would you do?

* I would consult a doctor and explain to him the symptoms of my illness. He could then prescribe for me the appropriate medicine.

- Why don’t you diagnose your illness and prescribe the medicine?

* I ‘m not a doctor.

- The same goes for jurisprudence. You need to consult a jurist to be able to know the bounds of Allah’s injunctions. You may need to seek his specialist knowledge in solving your legal problems, should you have any. This works in exactly the same way when you seek the specialist knowledge of the doctor and enlist his help in curing your illness.

Since you spare no effort in looking for an experienced doctor in his field of specialization, you will need to look for the most knowledgeable amongst the jurists to follow. This is so because you need his expertise to explain to you religious matters and show you how to act upon them as he sees fit.

* How would I know that a particular alim is a jurist, and whether he is the most erudite and the best in the field?

- Let me put it this way: How would you know that a particular doctor is the best in his field to trust his medical judgement?

* I would be able to know after asking those who are concerned with and experts in medical matters. I could also know him through his scientific prowess and widespread good reputation among the generality.

- Precisely! By the same means, you should be able to know the jurists or the most erudite among them.

You may ask a committed Muslim who is known to be of impeccable character, trustworthy, just, knowledgeable and expert in knowing the scientific level of people in a particular discipline.

Popularity of the jurist which sets him in a different league from his peers, so much so that this leads to certainty as regards his juridical prowess and knowledge, is another avenue.

* Are there any other conditions, apart from that of juridical excellence, that should be present in the jurist we should follow?

- He should be a man, adult, sane, believer, just, living not dead, of pure pedigree, and should not be prone to mistakes, forgetfulness, and inattention.

* Well. Here I am, a fully-fledged man. I now know something about taqleed. What else should I do?

- You should follow the most erudite among the jurists of your time. Act upon his fatwa in the different spheres of your life. They could be rulings relating to acts of worship, such as wudhu, ghusl, salah, sawm, hajj, khums, zakat and so on. You should also act upon his legal opinion in matters concerning transactions, such as buying and selling, marriage, banking, will, waqf, etc.

I joined my father in numerating many other examples:

* Enjoining good and forbidding evil, belief in Allah, His apostles and messengers and ..

- No, belief in God and His unity, the prophethood of our Prophet Mohammad (s.a.w), the imamate of the twelve Imams, and resurrection are matters outside the remit of taqleed. They are of the fundamentals of religion. A Muslim has to believe in them unequivocally, leading up to belief in Allah, using one’s own effort and what intellectual power Allah has instilled in you to reach personal satisfaction and certainty in the matter.

* Well. Do I have the right to follow a jurist who is less knowledgeable?

- You can, provided that you know of no difference in the fatwa of the jurist you follow and the most knowledgeable one in the questions you need to act upon.

* Suppose I chose to follow the most erudite among the jurists and it happened that he had no fatwa on certain matters concerning me, or he had a fatwa, but I was not aware of it, what should I do?

- You rely on the fatwa of the next most knowledgeable.

* What, if the rest were all of the same calibre insofar as juristic knowledge is concerned?

- You may consult the one who is more cautious than the others in passing judgement.

* Should they all be of the same degree of godliness and caution, what should I do?

- You may act upon the fatwa of any one of them, except in certain situations, where you should act according to ihtiyat (Precaution - a level of legal judgement) that I can’t explain to you right now.

* All right. If need be, I can consult the doctor to know his opinion on the state of my health. How would I know the fatwa of the jurist I follow so that I can act upon it? Do I have to consult him on every occasion?

- There are few ways by which you may know his fatwa. You may ask him directly. You may ask other people whom you trust. You may consult his books, especially his treatise on articles of religious practice (Risalah Amaliyah), if you were sure of the authenticity of the copy you have.

* If this is the case, I need not look beyond this house, for I cannot find a more trustworthy person than you. Can I ask for your help in knowing the fatwa of my religious authority (jurist)?

I could see a broad smile on the face of my father; he sat straight and the spark in his eyes was suggesting that we would begin a lively discussion.

* Shall we start with prayer.

- Why not! prayer, however, requires man to be ceremonially clean.

* So, what renders human beings impure?

- What renders humans impure are two things:

1. Material things, such as najis things, i.e. tangible matters.

2. Immaterial things that are contingent on certain actions; if done, you need to perform wudhu, ghusl, or tayamum to remove the impurity. These are things like janabah, haydh, istihadha (Undue menses), touching a dead body, etc.

However, before prayer, we need to know najis things. Also, we need to know the purifying agents to ensure the purity of the body from that which may have defiled it.

We can then stop over certain occurrences, such as going to the toilet, breaking wind, sleep, etc. that require wudhu or tayamum.

We may then resume the conversation on things such as janabah, haydh, nifas (bleeding that occurs after childbirth, miscarriage, or abortion), etc. that require ghusl or tayamum.

Thus, eliminating from our way all that which may forestall our effort to seek nearness to Allah through prayer. This may make us taste the joy of standing before God, and chanting His Glory and Praise. That we may draw solace and peace of mind from being in His audience, and singing His love and praise.

After those topics, we may turn to fasting, hajj, etc.

* So, we shall start discussing najis things.

- Yes, tomorrow. Inshallah (God willing).

* Inshallah.

Dialogue on Najis things

My father started the dialogue with determination, saying:

- Let me tell you of a principle, that will have an impact on your life, in that “Everything is tahir”. Everything: Seas, rivers, rain water, trees, sahara, mountains, streets, buildings, tools, utensils, clothes, your brethren, etc.

Everything is tahir, until it becomes najis or contaminated, except..

* Except, what?

- Except that which is intrinsically najis.

* What are the things that are naturally najis?

- Ten things:

1. and 2. Human urine and excrement. The urine and dung of animals that are not halal to eat, if they have ethereal souls, such as cats; [the urine of other creatures if they do not have ethereal souls, yet they have flesh].

* What is an ethereal soul?

- It is a term that we will come across often during this conversation. So, we better throw some light on it.

We may describe an animal as having an ethereal soul, if, when slaughtered, blood gushes out from its body because of the presence of arteries.

As for the animal that has no ethereal soul, the blood seeps out gently when it is killed, such as fish. This is because it has no arteries.

3. Meeta (carcass) of animals that have ethereal souls.

* What is meeta?

Any animal that perishes without being slaughtered according to Islamic shari’a law.

* Such as?

- Any animal that dies as a result of disease, accident, or was killed in an unlawful way. The carcasses of these animals are called meeta.

* When a human being dies, does his body become najis?

- Yes, except martyrs and those who performed ghusl before they are executed according to Islamic penal code.

* Do all other bodies remain najis?

- No, a Muslim’s dead body becomes tahir once three types of ghusl are carried out on the body, which I will explain to you in a forthcoming session.

4. Human semen and the semen of an animal with an ethereal soul, even of the kind whose meat can be consumed.

5. Human blood and the blood of animals with ethereal souls.

* What about the blood of animals who have no ethereal souls?

- It is tahir, such as fish blood.

6. All parts of a wild dog’s body whether alive or dead.

7. All parts of a pig’s body whether alive or dead.

* What about seals?

- They are tahir.

8. Alcohol [and beer].

9. The unbelievers, whether alive or dead, excluding Christians, Jews, and Magians.

10. The sweat of animals that feed on human excrement.

These ten things are all inherently najis. Their najasah (impurity) will render other objects najis by any means of contact, if there is dampness.

* What, if there is no wetness?

- The najasah does not spread to things that meet with it, when dry or if there was slight moistness.

* Are urine and dung of animals, and urine and droppings of birds, that are halal to eat, such as cows, sheep, chicken and other birds, etc. tahir or najis?

- They are tahir.

* What about bats’ droppings?

- They are tahir.

* Could you tell me about these parts of dead animals and birds: feather, mohair, wool, nails, horns, bones, teeth, beaks, and claws. Are they tahir?

- They are all tahir.

* What about meat we buy in the marketplace, if we find traces of blood in it?

- This blood is tahir, and the blood that remains in the carcass of the animal after it has been slaughtered, according to Islamic shari’a law, is tahir.

* What about the droppings of rats and mice?

- They are najis.

If you consider what I talked to you about, you could have answered this question yourself. You may recall our discussion earlier about animals that have arteries which cause blood to gush out when they are slaughtered.

The serene twinkle in the eyes of my father, I noticed at the start of this conversation, has reappeared. He glanced at me and added:

As you may remember, when we started this dialogue, I spoke to you of a general principle that could have an impact on your life. I will conclude it with more basic principles of equal importance.

Principle number one: Everything is tahir. If, however, you become doubtful whether it is still the case, you should rule out your doubt, i.e. it remains tahir.

* Such as?

- If you think that your bed linen is tahir, you may consider it tahir.

Principle number two: Any thing that was najis, and you are not sure whether you made it tahir, remains najis.

* For example?

- Your hand. You were absolutely sure that it was najis. If, afterwards, you became unsure whether you made it tahir, it remains najis.

Principle number three: Anything you do not have prior knowledge as to its state, i.e. being tahir or najis, it should now be considered tahir.

* For instance?

- A liquid in a glass, whose state of purity is suspect. That is, if you do not know whether it is tahir or najis, you should assume that the liquid is tahir.

Principle number four: Anything you are in doubt as to its being najis or not, as a result of coming into contact with some najis thing, you should not carry out any investigation, be it simple or not, to ensure it was tahir. You should assume that it is tahir.

* Such as?

- Suppose you were sure of your shirt being tahir. Now, some doubt lingers in your mind that it might not be the case. Maybe, you think it might have been contaminated with urine, in which case, you need not carry out any investigation; for instance, you start looking for traces of urine on the shirt. You should assume that it is tahir.

Dialogue on ritual purity (Taharah)

Before my father came to attend this session, I had been meditating. I was trying to find applications to the theoretical information, I gleaned from the Dialogue on Najis Things, in my daily life. In so doing, I might be able to rectify my misconception of najasah. I was eager to know from today’s session how purity is restored to things after they have been contaminated.

No sooner had my father arrived, I started by asking him:

* Yesterday, you told me that things become tainted if they meet with najasah. I wonder how lost purity is restored to these things?

- “The First” of purifying agents is water. By washing najis things with water, you render them tahir again. That is why we should start our discussion with water.

Water is of two kinds: pure and diluted.

* What is pure water?

- Pure water is that which we and animals drink, and irrigate plantations with. The water of oceans, seas, rivers, streams, wells, and that which we use at our homes through mains supply is pure water. For example, the water of rivers and brooks remains pure, even though it may contain some impurities, such as soil and sand.

* What then is diluted water?

- Diluted water is known by the additional name you give it to qualify the type of water. For example, you say rose water, grape water, melon water and so on. However, this is not a matter that concerns us. As you may have noticed, our discussion revolves around the water we drink and use to wash and clean things that became najis.

Moreover, pure water is of two types: immunized (mu’tasim) and that which is not immunized.

* Immunized! What precisely do you mean?

- Immunized water is that which does not become najis when najasah meet with it, except when either its colour, taste, or smell changes as a result. Water that is not immunized is that which turns najis as soon it comes into contact with anything najis, even though none of its three attributes is affected by the pollutant.

* Could you tell me more about immunized waters?

- 1. Abundant water that satisfies the capacity of a kurr (a unit of size, equivalent to 384 litres) or larger, such as the water connected to our homes through the water grid, the water of storage tanks installed in our homes, if they were of a kurr capacity, and smaller water storage tanks, if they were directly connected to mains water supply.

2. Well water.

3. Running water, such as that of rivers, tributaries, streams, and springs.

4. Rainfall.

These are the immunized waters.

* What then are waters that are not immunized?

- These are waters found in small reservoirs, utensils, bottles, tumblers, etc. that are stagnant, apart from well water that is less than kurr, and that which is termed “little water”. By now, you know they become najis on contact with najis things.

* What about diluted water?

- It is judged by the same criterion as that applied in the case of “little water”. However, it becomes najis on contact with najis things, irrespective of its quantity. An example of water that comes under this banner is that of tea. Liquids that may come under the same definition are milk, kerosene, medicinal liquids, etc. They turn najis when they meet with najasah.

Moreover, when “abundant water” is connected to “little water”, the latter can be regarded as abundant whereby it remains immunized as long as it is fed from an abundant source of water. To give you some examples, your domestic storage tank that is normally connected to water mains supply becomes abundant; likewise, if you placed a bowl or a saucepan under the running water of a sink tap, the water in it becomes abundant, and so on. That is, as long as the water remains running.

* Fine. What, if a drop of blood falls in the water of a tank the size of a kurr, that is not connected to the mains?

- It will not become najis, unless blood keeps dripping that the colour of the water changes to yellowish, for example.

* What, if it falls in a small plate?

- It will render it najis.

* What, if we turn the tap on, thus restoring the original purity of the water?

- The water in the plate will become tahir. [However, it will become najis again, if you turn the tap off. This is because, if the plate becomes najis, it becomes tahir only when it is washed three times], as shall be explained to you later.

* If we were to pour water from a pitcher, or watering can, onto something najis, does the water become najis?

- No, because najasah does not climb the water column. Accordingly, neither the cascading water nor the water in the can becomes najis.

* How would rain water render najis things tahir?

- When rain continues to fall on things that had become najis, be they floor, garments, mats, utensils, etc. in such a quantity that it soaks them, they become tahir.

* Is it sufficient that rain pours on such najis objects once to render them tahir?

- Yes, except in the case of the human body and garments that became najis through contamination with urine. They need to be washed a number of times. [The same goes for najis utensils].

* Does rain water render tahir other water that became najis?

- Yes, when they mix.

* How do we render tahir objects that had become najis, if we have little water?

- We can render tahir anything najis by washing it once with water, be it abundant or little. However, when washing with a limited quantity of water, you need to separate the water from the najis thing.

* Can all things that turned najis be rendered tahir in this way?

- Yes, except the following:

1. Cutlery that became najis through contamination with alcohol should be washed three times so that they become tahir again.

3. Objects that became najis through contamination by nursing babies should be rendered tahir by soaking the affected parts with water; there will be no need for wringing the garments, for example.

4. Utensils licked or lapped by dogs should first be scrubbed with soil or dust. They should then be washed with water twice. If, however, dog’s saliva falls in such utensils, or they meet any part of the dog’s body, [they should be wiped with soil first, then washed with water three times].

5. Garments contaminated with urine should be washed with running water once. They should be washed twice if the water used was that of taps, kurr, or little water; they should also be wrung. As for garments that became najis through other means, they should be washed with either little water and wrung or with abundant water without the need for wringing.

6. Restoring the purity of the body, that became najis by urine, should be done following the way outlined in the preceding paragraph. However, if the water was little, you should separate the water used for purification from the body as is customary.

7. If the interiors of utensils have become najis as a result of any source of najasah, other than those of alcohol, dogs, licking by a pig, death of a rodent, they should be washed three times with little water, or [three times too] with abundant water, running water, or rain water.

* What, if the interior of utensils become najis in the same way?

- They should become tahir again, if they were washed once, even with little water.

* How can I render my hand tahir after it has become najis, if I have little water?

- If it was not made najis through urine, you can pour water on it once. As soon as the water becomes separated from your hand, it becomes tahir again.

The Second purifying agent is the sun.

* What are the najis things, that the sun can render tahir again?

- It renders ground and buildings - apart from doors and other wooden material - straw rugs, not the strings used in making them, and bamboo mats tahir again. [Other things that are not covered are trees and their leaves, plantations, and fruits before they are picked, etc.].

* How does the sun render the floor and buildings tahir?

- It does so by drying them up, provided that the actual najasah is removed.

* What, if the najis ground was dry, how can we restore its original taharah?

- By pouring water on it. Once sun light causes the water to evaporate, it becomes dry and thus tahir.

* What, if the ground became tainted with urine, then the sun shone on it and it became dry?

- The ground restores its taharah, if no trace of urine was left.

* Suppose things like shingle, stone, soil, and mud, that are considered part of the earth, became contaminated with urine. They were then rendered dry by sun light. Should they be considered tahir?

- Yes, they should be considered tahir.

* What about nails used in buildings?

- [They are not covered by the same principle, i.e. they are not rendered tahir by sun light].

The Third purifying agent is the removal of najasah from certain parts of the human body, and those of animals, that have become contaminated.

* Could you give me an example?

- Removal of blood from the mouth, ear, and nose is a removal of the najasah.

In other words, as soon as the blood is removed they become tahir, i.e. there is no need to use water.

* What about an animal’s body?

- The same rule applies. For example, if the blood disappears from the beak of a chicken, or the mouth of a cat, the beak and the mouth should become tahir again.

* Does the needle, used in injecting medicine into the body of a human or animal, become najis as a result of meeting blood inside the body?

- No, it does not become najis, if it comes out uncontaminated with blood. This is because najasah does not materialize through meeting najis things inside the body per se.

The Fourth purifying agent is earth:

Whatever comes under the definition of earth, such as stones, sand, soil, flooring with bricks or cement - not tarmac, has a purifying quality. It is, however, conditional that the earth should be [dry] and tahir.

* How can I ascertain that it is tahir?

- As long as you do not know that it was najis, it is tahir, and therefore can be considered a purifying agent.

* What are the najis things that the earth renders tahir?

- The soles of feet and shoes are rendered tahir by walking or rubbing them against earth, provided that the material najasah is removed as a result of walking or wiping. It is to be noted, however, that the najasah should have originated from the earth, be it through walking or in any other way. [If it has come about from other sources, earth cannot serve as a purifying agent].

The Fifth purifying agent is the state of belonging or affiliation.

* For example?

- If the unbeliever, who is deemed najis, becomes a Muslim, he is rendered tahir. Subsequently, his young offspring become tahir. The same goes for the grandfather, grandmother, mother, and their young babies, after they have embraced Islam. This should be the case regarding the young child, as long as it is under the guardianship of those who converted to Islam. That is, the child should not be in the company of an unbeliever.

Also, if alcohol turns into vinegar it becomes tahir. As a result the bottle or glass that contains it becomes tahir too.

The dead body becomes tahir, when it undergoes three types of ghusl. As a result the hands and clothes of the person conducting the ghusl become tahir, and so does the bench on which the body was laid for washing.

If a najis garment was washed with little water, for instance, it would become tahir, and so would the hands that did the washing.

The Sixth purifying agent is Islam.

* How does Islam work as a purifying agent? And whom does it render tahir?

- Islam renders tahir an infidel who was deemed najis. That is, after he had embraced Islam.

Accordingly, all parts of his body become tahir.

The Seventh purifying agent is the absence of a Muslim who is adult or a discerning youth.

* What do you mean by the absence of a Muslim?

- The Muslim who is physically not around.

* How does his absence work as a purifying agent?

- When a Muslim is away, all his belongings should be considered tahir, if you think that he rendered them tahir.

* Could you give me an example?

Suppose the shirt of your brother was najis. He does not know whether it was najis or not. However, you may know it is the case, irrespective of whether or not he was a practising Muslim. Your brother has gone away and returned. To the best of your knowledge, your brother has rendered his shirt tahir, in which case, you should assume that the shirt be tahir, without the need to ask him.

The Eighth purifying agent is transfer.

* For example?

- Human blood that was sucked by a mosquito. If you had smashed the insect and your clothes became tainted with that blood, it is tahir.

The Ninth purifying agent is istihala (transformation).

* What is transformation?

- Transformation is a complete change of something to something else, not only by name, but also through change of its properties, or dispersal of its parts.

* Could you give me an example?

- If a najis wood, or the dried animal dung used in fire, is burned and subsequently turned into ashes, the latter is tahir.

The Tenth purifying agent is the blood trapped inside the carcass of animals slaughtered according to Islamic law.

The Eleventh purifying agent is the change of alcohol into vinegar because, while in the process of fermentation, it turns najis. If it turns into vinegar, it becomes tahir.

The Twelfth purifying agent is weaning the animal that developed a habit of eating human excrement. This is because the meat of such an animal becomes haraam to consume, so does drinking its milk. Its urine, dung, or droppings, and sweat become najis too.

* How do we achieve the weaning of this animal?

- It could be achieved by preventing it from eating human excrement for such a period that it could be said that it reverted to its natural self.

* If this was achieved, what then?

- We can then deem its meat, milk, etc… tahir.

Dialogue on Janabah

Unusually, my father was present before me for today’s session. When I joined in, at first my father did not notice my arrival. He was quiet and in a reflective far away mood.

As soon as he became aware of my presence, he said:

- I am starting today’s dialogue with an introduction to the topic of janabah.

In the Dialogue on Najis Things, we discussed impurities that strip the human body and other things off their natural purity.

In the Dialogue on Ritual Purity (Taharah), we talked about the purifying agents that restore to our bodies and those of other things their usurped purity.

You may recall, we said that najis things are material things that are transient occurrences eminating either from the body itself or from outside sources.

There are, however, other intangibles that, if they occur, render the body impure. It would, therefore, require that which could reinstate its lost goodness.

There are two types: Major and minor.

Major occurrences comprise janabah, haydh, nifas, major istihadha, touching a dead body, and death itself.

Minor occurrences cover urine, excrement, breaking wind, sleep, minor istihadha, etc.

Major occurrences are purified by ghusl or wiped off by tayamum.

Minor occurrences can be removed by wudhu or tayamum. Our future dialogues shall cover these aspects one by one. This time, however, we will discuss janabah.

I said to my father.

* How does janabah come about?

- It happens as a result of one of the following:

1. Seminal discharge that takes place as a result of either sexual intercourse, during a dream, masturbation, or any other means.

* What are the characteristics of semen?

- A sticky liquid that smells like dough. Its colour is milky with a hint of either green or yellow. It is ejaculated when orgasm is reached, after which the body feels relaxed.

* If you were not sure whether such liquid was semen?

- There must exist three characteristics for it to be called semen. They are: Sexual desire, ejaculation, and resultant relaxation of the body. In sick people, however, sexual desire is sufficient.

* Do women have semen as men?

- Yes, secretion from the woman’s vagina at the climax of sexual activity is akin to man’s semen. This could happen when the woman is either awake or asleep.

2. Sexual intercourse, irrespective of whether or not it led to ejaculation. It’s sufficient for sexual intercourse to be termed as such when only the part of penis that contains the foreskin is thrust into the female’s vagina.

* What if the semen is secreted or a sexual intercourse takes place?

- Janabah occurs to both parties, where applicabe, irrespective of age and state of mind.

* If this was the case, then what?

- Ghusl becomes obligatory, so that you can, for example, perform prayer, or do tawaf (Circumambulation - turning seven times around the Ka’ba) for hajj. That is, prayer and tawaf cannot be deemed valid without the ghusl. As for how to do ghusl, this I’ll explain to you in the Dialogue on Ghusl.

However, certain acts become unlawful if you are in a state of janabah, such as:

1. Touching the writing of the Holy Qur’an.

2. Touching the Name of the Almighty, i.e. the Arabic name, Allah [and other names and adjectives attributed to Him, such as “al-Khaliq” - The Creator].

3. Recitation of the four verses of “as-Sajdah” in Chapters “Iqr’a, an-Najm, as-Sajdah, and Fussilat” of the Holy Qur’an.

4. Entering mosques and/or staying in them, taking anything out or putting anything in them [albeit from the outside or when passing by]. It is permissible, however, for a person in a state of janabah to pass through, such as entering from one door and making an exit from another, except in the case of the Grand Mosque at Mekkah and the Holy Mosque of the Prophet at Medina. [The same rule applies in the case of the holy shrines of the Infallibles].

* Are the forecourts and corridors, when they are not considered part of the well-defined area of the mosque, covered by the same rule?

- No, they are not.

* Since we are on the subject of janabah, I still have a burning desire to ask you a question, but I feel rather embarrassed.

- Ask whatever you like. The maxim has it, “There shall be no embarrassment in matters of religion”.

* Sometimes, when I am sexually aroused, I notice a rather sticky, transparent and white liquid secreted from my penis.

- Yes, this type of liquid is tahir. You are, therefore, not required to perform ghusl or wudhu when you experience it. There is another type of secretion that sometimes follows urination. This too is tahir.

* What about masturbation?

- It is haraam. You must avoid it. It suffices to mention that, in some narrations, Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) “An acronym for Alaihis Salaam - meaning, may peace be with him”, described it as a form of adultery.

Dialogue on Haydh

My father took his seat. I could notice a broad smile on his face that led me to assume that he was bent on something unusual.

- I’ll talk to you today on haydh.

Before today, I did not know what haydh is, although I remember I hearing the word before. What had interested me in the subject was that I hear women whisper about it, with noticeable embarrassment, as if there was something shameful in the word. However, I do not hide a secret if I say that as soon as I was faced with a real situation of the subject being discussed in the open, a kind of shaming started to creep into me. I do not know why I was gripped with embarrassment. I resigned to the fact that if haydh was indeed so humbling a matter to talk about, how my father is going to discuss it with me?

Yet, aren’t we discussing matters of Islamic law? Surely, this topic should be within the remit of Islamic jurisprudence. So, why should we feel embarrassed to talk about it? Is it not mentioned in the Holy Qur’an? Didn’t the Prophet (s.a.w.) and the Imams (a.s.) talk about it to their companions. And after all, why should we feel a sense of shaming to talk about a subject whose rules we must know in order to follow?

My self-examination was short-lived as my father resumed his talk.

- Haydh is a bleeding from a woman’s genitals. It occurs at regular monthly intervals and whose colour is dark red. When it leaves the body, women can feel its warmth.

* Is there a certain age group of women who experience haydh?

- Although it varies from person to person, it can start at the age of nine lunar calendar years till the age of sixty, which is the climacteric.

* So, between 9 and 60 years?

- Yes, any blood that can be seen before the age of nine and after the age of sixty does not fall under the definition of menstral blood.

* How many days does the bleeding last?

- The minimum period is three days and the maximum ten.

* Suppose it lasted three days, then stopped?

- This cannot be considered period blood.

* What if it lasts more than ten days?

- This is not haydh blood.

* How should one treat the case of a woman whose haydh ended, then she had ghusl only to see blood again, say after nine days?

- The blood that the woman saw should not be treated as haydh blood, because the period separating any two periods should not be less than ten days.

* When does the woman consider herself as having a period?

- When she starts bleeding at the time of her temporary period, or before her regular period, say one or two days earlier.

* How should a woman be described as having a temporary period?

- She could be described as such when the period blood appears twice in any period of two months or more.

* How do you describe a woman who does not fit the two categories mentioned above, such as the young woman who experiences period blood for the first time, or a woman with an irregular period?

- A woman in any of the two examples you’ve just quoted can describe herself as having a period when one of the following two conditions arise:

1. For the blood to be termed as menstrual blood, it should be red or black in colour, warm, and could pour out profusely.

2. When the woman is sure the blood continues for three uninterrupted days and over.

* Well, suppose she thought that it was period blood according to point one. Accordingly, she stopped performing prayer. However, the bleeding stopped before the lapse of the three-day period. What should she do?

- She should perform prayer in lieu of the period of bleeding.

* If the bleeding continues for ten days or less, but exceeds the duration of her normal period?

- She can still be considered as having period throughout the duration of the bleeding, albeit some of the blood can no longer satisfy the conditions of period blood.

* What if the woman has regular periods, in both the number of days and the date of the period, yet the bleeding continues for more than ten days?

- She should observe the bleeding that coincides with the duration of her period only as that of menstruation.

* Suppose the same woman failed to have her period on time, then the blood appeared and continued for more than ten days. However, some of the blood bore the characteristics of period blood, some of it did not. Which one should be treated as haydh?

- The first one. Yet she should take into account the number of days of her previous normal period. If that part of the blood that fulfils the conditions of period blood was less than the number of days of a normal period, she should complete it by adding the remaining days of that part of the blood that did not satisfy the conditions of period blood. If, however, the bleeding she was experiencing satisfied the criteria of period blood, she should stick to the number of days of her normal period and consider it haydh.

* Should the bleeding continue for more than ten days in the case of a woman who either experiences bleeding for the first time or that whose period is irregular, how should they differentiate the period blood from other kinds of bleeding?

- All depends on the characteristics of the blood and the duration. If some of it bears the qualities of period blood and it continued for a period of three to ten days, should be treated as haydh. The remaining type of blood should be considered istihadha, which shall be the subject of a forthcoming session.

* If the woman was in doubt as to whether her period has ended, what should she do?

- She must check.

* In what way?

- She should insert a piece of cotton into her vagina and leave it for a short while and retrieve it. If no traces of blood could be seen, she must assume she is tahir, do ghusl and resume acts of worship. Should the piece of cotton, however, found to be soiled with blood, she must maintain that she is still in haydh.

* When the woman knows she has haydh, what are the things that are permissible for her to do and those that are not?

- The rules regarding woman’s periods are:

1. No prayers should be performed, be they obligatory or voluntary.

2. She is not required to perform any prayer instead of the ones she missed while she had the period.

3. It is not permissible for her to fast.

4. She must fast instead of the days she missed while she had the period during Ramadhan.

5. Tawaf during hajj, be it obligatory or voluntary is not in order.

6. She cannot be declared divorced while still having her period, except in certain situations.

7. It is haraam to have sexual intercourse with a woman who is having a period. It is permissible, however, after the bleeding had stopped. However, it is permissible before performing ghusl [and after washing the vagina].

8. It is haraam for her to embark on any act of worship, in the same way as certain acts are not permissible for a person who is in a state of janabah. This, as you may recall, was discussed in detail in the (Dialogue on Janabah).

9. When her period is over, she should perform ghusl in order to be able to perform prayer. This, I will explain to you in the (Dialogue on Ghusl).

Dialogue on Taqleed

Inaugurating the Dialogue on Taqleed, my father said:

- Let me first explain to you what is taqleed.

Taqleed is the following, by a lay person, of a Jurist in matters of religious practice. Thus, you apply the Jurist’s legal opinion (fatwa). It is as if you have put the responsibility squarely on the Jurist’s shoulders, in that he will stand accountable before Allah insofar as your compliance with his fatwa is concerned.

* Why do we do taqleed?

- By now, you know that The Creator is the source of The Law. He prescribed for you certain acts you should do and others you should not do. However, where to draw the line is not so clear-cut. That said, you may be able to know some of His commands and prohibitions, depending on your upbringing and environment at large.

As you may know, Islamic shari’a law has covered all aspects of your life. Thus, it has stipulated for each aspect a number of rulings. How are you going to know the demarcations of these rulings while you go about your life? How would you know what is halal to act upon it and what is haraam to shun it?

I wonder, do you have to resort for every incidence, be it minor or major, to the legal proof to be able to deduce a legal judgement?

* Why not?

- There is a yawning gap between your time and that of the early days of Islam. Matters have further been complicated due to the fact that many legal texts were lost; the language and writing style, and norms of expression have changed; the role of pseudo transmitters, who concocted many hadiths (Prophetic traditions) was damaging; this in turn has led to the problem of who is and who is not genuine among the transmitters of hadith. All these have made the process of reaching at a legal opinion the more difficult.

However, let us assume that you were able to ascertain the veracity of the transmitters of any legal text and that you were able to understand the meaning of the terminology used. Do you think that you would be able to discern the multifaceted and complex science of jurisprudence? And would you be able to arrive at what you need to understand?

* So, what should I do?

- You should turn to the experts in this field, i.e. the jurists, and derive what you need to know of legal judgements from them. That is, you emulate them. This is not the exclusive reserve of jurisprudence, rather the norm in every science and discipline. Modern civilization has it that you find the principle of specialized professions in every discipline that you turn to when in need.

Let us take an example. Let it be from the realm of medicine. Should you fall ill, God forbids, what would you do?

* I would consult a doctor and explain to him the symptoms of my illness. He could then prescribe for me the appropriate medicine.

- Why don’t you diagnose your illness and prescribe the medicine?

* I ‘m not a doctor.

- The same goes for jurisprudence. You need to consult a jurist to be able to know the bounds of Allah’s injunctions. You may need to seek his specialist knowledge in solving your legal problems, should you have any. This works in exactly the same way when you seek the specialist knowledge of the doctor and enlist his help in curing your illness.

Since you spare no effort in looking for an experienced doctor in his field of specialization, you will need to look for the most knowledgeable amongst the jurists to follow. This is so because you need his expertise to explain to you religious matters and show you how to act upon them as he sees fit.

* How would I know that a particular alim is a jurist, and whether he is the most erudite and the best in the field?

- Let me put it this way: How would you know that a particular doctor is the best in his field to trust his medical judgement?

* I would be able to know after asking those who are concerned with and experts in medical matters. I could also know him through his scientific prowess and widespread good reputation among the generality.

- Precisely! By the same means, you should be able to know the jurists or the most erudite among them.

You may ask a committed Muslim who is known to be of impeccable character, trustworthy, just, knowledgeable and expert in knowing the scientific level of people in a particular discipline.

Popularity of the jurist which sets him in a different league from his peers, so much so that this leads to certainty as regards his juridical prowess and knowledge, is another avenue.

* Are there any other conditions, apart from that of juridical excellence, that should be present in the jurist we should follow?

- He should be a man, adult, sane, believer, just, living not dead, of pure pedigree, and should not be prone to mistakes, forgetfulness, and inattention.

* Well. Here I am, a fully-fledged man. I now know something about taqleed. What else should I do?

- You should follow the most erudite among the jurists of your time. Act upon his fatwa in the different spheres of your life. They could be rulings relating to acts of worship, such as wudhu, ghusl, salah, sawm, hajj, khums, zakat and so on. You should also act upon his legal opinion in matters concerning transactions, such as buying and selling, marriage, banking, will, waqf, etc.

I joined my father in numerating many other examples:

* Enjoining good and forbidding evil, belief in Allah, His apostles and messengers and ..

- No, belief in God and His unity, the prophethood of our Prophet Mohammad (s.a.w), the imamate of the twelve Imams, and resurrection are matters outside the remit of taqleed. They are of the fundamentals of religion. A Muslim has to believe in them unequivocally, leading up to belief in Allah, using one’s own effort and what intellectual power Allah has instilled in you to reach personal satisfaction and certainty in the matter.

* Well. Do I have the right to follow a jurist who is less knowledgeable?

- You can, provided that you know of no difference in the fatwa of the jurist you follow and the most knowledgeable one in the questions you need to act upon.

* Suppose I chose to follow the most erudite among the jurists and it happened that he had no fatwa on certain matters concerning me, or he had a fatwa, but I was not aware of it, what should I do?

- You rely on the fatwa of the next most knowledgeable.

* What, if the rest were all of the same calibre insofar as juristic knowledge is concerned?

- You may consult the one who is more cautious than the others in passing judgement.

* Should they all be of the same degree of godliness and caution, what should I do?

- You may act upon the fatwa of any one of them, except in certain situations, where you should act according to ihtiyat (Precaution - a level of legal judgement) that I can’t explain to you right now.

* All right. If need be, I can consult the doctor to know his opinion on the state of my health. How would I know the fatwa of the jurist I follow so that I can act upon it? Do I have to consult him on every occasion?

- There are few ways by which you may know his fatwa. You may ask him directly. You may ask other people whom you trust. You may consult his books, especially his treatise on articles of religious practice (Risalah Amaliyah), if you were sure of the authenticity of the copy you have.

* If this is the case, I need not look beyond this house, for I cannot find a more trustworthy person than you. Can I ask for your help in knowing the fatwa of my religious authority (jurist)?

I could see a broad smile on the face of my father; he sat straight and the spark in his eyes was suggesting that we would begin a lively discussion.

* Shall we start with prayer.

- Why not! prayer, however, requires man to be ceremonially clean.

* So, what renders human beings impure?

- What renders humans impure are two things:

1. Material things, such as najis things, i.e. tangible matters.

2. Immaterial things that are contingent on certain actions; if done, you need to perform wudhu, ghusl, or tayamum to remove the impurity. These are things like janabah, haydh, istihadha (Undue menses), touching a dead body, etc.

However, before prayer, we need to know najis things. Also, we need to know the purifying agents to ensure the purity of the body from that which may have defiled it.

We can then stop over certain occurrences, such as going to the toilet, breaking wind, sleep, etc. that require wudhu or tayamum.

We may then resume the conversation on things such as janabah, haydh, nifas (bleeding that occurs after childbirth, miscarriage, or abortion), etc. that require ghusl or tayamum.

Thus, eliminating from our way all that which may forestall our effort to seek nearness to Allah through prayer. This may make us taste the joy of standing before God, and chanting His Glory and Praise. That we may draw solace and peace of mind from being in His audience, and singing His love and praise.

After those topics, we may turn to fasting, hajj, etc.

* So, we shall start discussing najis things.

- Yes, tomorrow. Inshallah (God willing).

* Inshallah.

Dialogue on Najis things

My father started the dialogue with determination, saying:

- Let me tell you of a principle, that will have an impact on your life, in that “Everything is tahir”. Everything: Seas, rivers, rain water, trees, sahara, mountains, streets, buildings, tools, utensils, clothes, your brethren, etc.

Everything is tahir, until it becomes najis or contaminated, except..

* Except, what?

- Except that which is intrinsically najis.

* What are the things that are naturally najis?

- Ten things:

1. and 2. Human urine and excrement. The urine and dung of animals that are not halal to eat, if they have ethereal souls, such as cats; [the urine of other creatures if they do not have ethereal souls, yet they have flesh].

* What is an ethereal soul?

- It is a term that we will come across often during this conversation. So, we better throw some light on it.

We may describe an animal as having an ethereal soul, if, when slaughtered, blood gushes out from its body because of the presence of arteries.

As for the animal that has no ethereal soul, the blood seeps out gently when it is killed, such as fish. This is because it has no arteries.

3. Meeta (carcass) of animals that have ethereal souls.

* What is meeta?

Any animal that perishes without being slaughtered according to Islamic shari’a law.

* Such as?

- Any animal that dies as a result of disease, accident, or was killed in an unlawful way. The carcasses of these animals are called meeta.

* When a human being dies, does his body become najis?

- Yes, except martyrs and those who performed ghusl before they are executed according to Islamic penal code.

* Do all other bodies remain najis?

- No, a Muslim’s dead body becomes tahir once three types of ghusl are carried out on the body, which I will explain to you in a forthcoming session.

4. Human semen and the semen of an animal with an ethereal soul, even of the kind whose meat can be consumed.

5. Human blood and the blood of animals with ethereal souls.

* What about the blood of animals who have no ethereal souls?

- It is tahir, such as fish blood.

6. All parts of a wild dog’s body whether alive or dead.

7. All parts of a pig’s body whether alive or dead.

* What about seals?

- They are tahir.

8. Alcohol [and beer].

9. The unbelievers, whether alive or dead, excluding Christians, Jews, and Magians.

10. The sweat of animals that feed on human excrement.

These ten things are all inherently najis. Their najasah (impurity) will render other objects najis by any means of contact, if there is dampness.

* What, if there is no wetness?

- The najasah does not spread to things that meet with it, when dry or if there was slight moistness.

* Are urine and dung of animals, and urine and droppings of birds, that are halal to eat, such as cows, sheep, chicken and other birds, etc. tahir or najis?

- They are tahir.

* What about bats’ droppings?

- They are tahir.

* Could you tell me about these parts of dead animals and birds: feather, mohair, wool, nails, horns, bones, teeth, beaks, and claws. Are they tahir?

- They are all tahir.

* What about meat we buy in the marketplace, if we find traces of blood in it?

- This blood is tahir, and the blood that remains in the carcass of the animal after it has been slaughtered, according to Islamic shari’a law, is tahir.

* What about the droppings of rats and mice?

- They are najis.

If you consider what I talked to you about, you could have answered this question yourself. You may recall our discussion earlier about animals that have arteries which cause blood to gush out when they are slaughtered.

The serene twinkle in the eyes of my father, I noticed at the start of this conversation, has reappeared. He glanced at me and added:

As you may remember, when we started this dialogue, I spoke to you of a general principle that could have an impact on your life. I will conclude it with more basic principles of equal importance.

Principle number one: Everything is tahir. If, however, you become doubtful whether it is still the case, you should rule out your doubt, i.e. it remains tahir.

* Such as?

- If you think that your bed linen is tahir, you may consider it tahir.

Principle number two: Any thing that was najis, and you are not sure whether you made it tahir, remains najis.

* For example?

- Your hand. You were absolutely sure that it was najis. If, afterwards, you became unsure whether you made it tahir, it remains najis.

Principle number three: Anything you do not have prior knowledge as to its state, i.e. being tahir or najis, it should now be considered tahir.

* For instance?

- A liquid in a glass, whose state of purity is suspect. That is, if you do not know whether it is tahir or najis, you should assume that the liquid is tahir.

Principle number four: Anything you are in doubt as to its being najis or not, as a result of coming into contact with some najis thing, you should not carry out any investigation, be it simple or not, to ensure it was tahir. You should assume that it is tahir.

* Such as?

- Suppose you were sure of your shirt being tahir. Now, some doubt lingers in your mind that it might not be the case. Maybe, you think it might have been contaminated with urine, in which case, you need not carry out any investigation; for instance, you start looking for traces of urine on the shirt. You should assume that it is tahir.

Dialogue on ritual purity (Taharah)

Before my father came to attend this session, I had been meditating. I was trying to find applications to the theoretical information, I gleaned from the Dialogue on Najis Things, in my daily life. In so doing, I might be able to rectify my misconception of najasah. I was eager to know from today’s session how purity is restored to things after they have been contaminated.

No sooner had my father arrived, I started by asking him:

* Yesterday, you told me that things become tainted if they meet with najasah. I wonder how lost purity is restored to these things?

- “The First” of purifying agents is water. By washing najis things with water, you render them tahir again. That is why we should start our discussion with water.

Water is of two kinds: pure and diluted.

* What is pure water?

- Pure water is that which we and animals drink, and irrigate plantations with. The water of oceans, seas, rivers, streams, wells, and that which we use at our homes through mains supply is pure water. For example, the water of rivers and brooks remains pure, even though it may contain some impurities, such as soil and sand.

* What then is diluted water?

- Diluted water is known by the additional name you give it to qualify the type of water. For example, you say rose water, grape water, melon water and so on. However, this is not a matter that concerns us. As you may have noticed, our discussion revolves around the water we drink and use to wash and clean things that became najis.

Moreover, pure water is of two types: immunized (mu’tasim) and that which is not immunized.

* Immunized! What precisely do you mean?

- Immunized water is that which does not become najis when najasah meet with it, except when either its colour, taste, or smell changes as a result. Water that is not immunized is that which turns najis as soon it comes into contact with anything najis, even though none of its three attributes is affected by the pollutant.

* Could you tell me more about immunized waters?

- 1. Abundant water that satisfies the capacity of a kurr (a unit of size, equivalent to 384 litres) or larger, such as the water connected to our homes through the water grid, the water of storage tanks installed in our homes, if they were of a kurr capacity, and smaller water storage tanks, if they were directly connected to mains water supply.

2. Well water.

3. Running water, such as that of rivers, tributaries, streams, and springs.

4. Rainfall.

These are the immunized waters.

* What then are waters that are not immunized?

- These are waters found in small reservoirs, utensils, bottles, tumblers, etc. that are stagnant, apart from well water that is less than kurr, and that which is termed “little water”. By now, you know they become najis on contact with najis things.

* What about diluted water?

- It is judged by the same criterion as that applied in the case of “little water”. However, it becomes najis on contact with najis things, irrespective of its quantity. An example of water that comes under this banner is that of tea. Liquids that may come under the same definition are milk, kerosene, medicinal liquids, etc. They turn najis when they meet with najasah.

Moreover, when “abundant water” is connected to “little water”, the latter can be regarded as abundant whereby it remains immunized as long as it is fed from an abundant source of water. To give you some examples, your domestic storage tank that is normally connected to water mains supply becomes abundant; likewise, if you placed a bowl or a saucepan under the running water of a sink tap, the water in it becomes abundant, and so on. That is, as long as the water remains running.

* Fine. What, if a drop of blood falls in the water of a tank the size of a kurr, that is not connected to the mains?

- It will not become najis, unless blood keeps dripping that the colour of the water changes to yellowish, for example.

* What, if it falls in a small plate?

- It will render it najis.

* What, if we turn the tap on, thus restoring the original purity of the water?

- The water in the plate will become tahir. [However, it will become najis again, if you turn the tap off. This is because, if the plate becomes najis, it becomes tahir only when it is washed three times], as shall be explained to you later.

* If we were to pour water from a pitcher, or watering can, onto something najis, does the water become najis?

- No, because najasah does not climb the water column. Accordingly, neither the cascading water nor the water in the can becomes najis.

* How would rain water render najis things tahir?

- When rain continues to fall on things that had become najis, be they floor, garments, mats, utensils, etc. in such a quantity that it soaks them, they become tahir.

* Is it sufficient that rain pours on such najis objects once to render them tahir?

- Yes, except in the case of the human body and garments that became najis through contamination with urine. They need to be washed a number of times. [The same goes for najis utensils].

* Does rain water render tahir other water that became najis?

- Yes, when they mix.

* How do we render tahir objects that had become najis, if we have little water?

- We can render tahir anything najis by washing it once with water, be it abundant or little. However, when washing with a limited quantity of water, you need to separate the water from the najis thing.

* Can all things that turned najis be rendered tahir in this way?

- Yes, except the following:

1. Cutlery that became najis through contamination with alcohol should be washed three times so that they become tahir again.

3. Objects that became najis through contamination by nursing babies should be rendered tahir by soaking the affected parts with water; there will be no need for wringing the garments, for example.

4. Utensils licked or lapped by dogs should first be scrubbed with soil or dust. They should then be washed with water twice. If, however, dog’s saliva falls in such utensils, or they meet any part of the dog’s body, [they should be wiped with soil first, then washed with water three times].

5. Garments contaminated with urine should be washed with running water once. They should be washed twice if the water used was that of taps, kurr, or little water; they should also be wrung. As for garments that became najis through other means, they should be washed with either little water and wrung or with abundant water without the need for wringing.

6. Restoring the purity of the body, that became najis by urine, should be done following the way outlined in the preceding paragraph. However, if the water was little, you should separate the water used for purification from the body as is customary.

7. If the interiors of utensils have become najis as a result of any source of najasah, other than those of alcohol, dogs, licking by a pig, death of a rodent, they should be washed three times with little water, or [three times too] with abundant water, running water, or rain water.

* What, if the interior of utensils become najis in the same way?

- They should become tahir again, if they were washed once, even with little water.

* How can I render my hand tahir after it has become najis, if I have little water?

- If it was not made najis through urine, you can pour water on it once. As soon as the water becomes separated from your hand, it becomes tahir again.

The Second purifying agent is the sun.

* What are the najis things, that the sun can render tahir again?

- It renders ground and buildings - apart from doors and other wooden material - straw rugs, not the strings used in making them, and bamboo mats tahir again. [Other things that are not covered are trees and their leaves, plantations, and fruits before they are picked, etc.].

* How does the sun render the floor and buildings tahir?

- It does so by drying them up, provided that the actual najasah is removed.

* What, if the najis ground was dry, how can we restore its original taharah?

- By pouring water on it. Once sun light causes the water to evaporate, it becomes dry and thus tahir.

* What, if the ground became tainted with urine, then the sun shone on it and it became dry?

- The ground restores its taharah, if no trace of urine was left.

* Suppose things like shingle, stone, soil, and mud, that are considered part of the earth, became contaminated with urine. They were then rendered dry by sun light. Should they be considered tahir?

- Yes, they should be considered tahir.

* What about nails used in buildings?

- [They are not covered by the same principle, i.e. they are not rendered tahir by sun light].

The Third purifying agent is the removal of najasah from certain parts of the human body, and those of animals, that have become contaminated.

* Could you give me an example?

- Removal of blood from the mouth, ear, and nose is a removal of the najasah.

In other words, as soon as the blood is removed they become tahir, i.e. there is no need to use water.

* What about an animal’s body?

- The same rule applies. For example, if the blood disappears from the beak of a chicken, or the mouth of a cat, the beak and the mouth should become tahir again.

* Does the needle, used in injecting medicine into the body of a human or animal, become najis as a result of meeting blood inside the body?

- No, it does not become najis, if it comes out uncontaminated with blood. This is because najasah does not materialize through meeting najis things inside the body per se.

The Fourth purifying agent is earth:

Whatever comes under the definition of earth, such as stones, sand, soil, flooring with bricks or cement - not tarmac, has a purifying quality. It is, however, conditional that the earth should be [dry] and tahir.

* How can I ascertain that it is tahir?

- As long as you do not know that it was najis, it is tahir, and therefore can be considered a purifying agent.

* What are the najis things that the earth renders tahir?

- The soles of feet and shoes are rendered tahir by walking or rubbing them against earth, provided that the material najasah is removed as a result of walking or wiping. It is to be noted, however, that the najasah should have originated from the earth, be it through walking or in any other way. [If it has come about from other sources, earth cannot serve as a purifying agent].

The Fifth purifying agent is the state of belonging or affiliation.

* For example?

- If the unbeliever, who is deemed najis, becomes a Muslim, he is rendered tahir. Subsequently, his young offspring become tahir. The same goes for the grandfather, grandmother, mother, and their young babies, after they have embraced Islam. This should be the case regarding the young child, as long as it is under the guardianship of those who converted to Islam. That is, the child should not be in the company of an unbeliever.

Also, if alcohol turns into vinegar it becomes tahir. As a result the bottle or glass that contains it becomes tahir too.

The dead body becomes tahir, when it undergoes three types of ghusl. As a result the hands and clothes of the person conducting the ghusl become tahir, and so does the bench on which the body was laid for washing.

If a najis garment was washed with little water, for instance, it would become tahir, and so would the hands that did the washing.

The Sixth purifying agent is Islam.

* How does Islam work as a purifying agent? And whom does it render tahir?

- Islam renders tahir an infidel who was deemed najis. That is, after he had embraced Islam.

Accordingly, all parts of his body become tahir.

The Seventh purifying agent is the absence of a Muslim who is adult or a discerning youth.

* What do you mean by the absence of a Muslim?

- The Muslim who is physically not around.

* How does his absence work as a purifying agent?

- When a Muslim is away, all his belongings should be considered tahir, if you think that he rendered them tahir.

* Could you give me an example?

Suppose the shirt of your brother was najis. He does not know whether it was najis or not. However, you may know it is the case, irrespective of whether or not he was a practising Muslim. Your brother has gone away and returned. To the best of your knowledge, your brother has rendered his shirt tahir, in which case, you should assume that the shirt be tahir, without the need to ask him.

The Eighth purifying agent is transfer.

* For example?

- Human blood that was sucked by a mosquito. If you had smashed the insect and your clothes became tainted with that blood, it is tahir.

The Ninth purifying agent is istihala (transformation).

* What is transformation?

- Transformation is a complete change of something to something else, not only by name, but also through change of its properties, or dispersal of its parts.

* Could you give me an example?

- If a najis wood, or the dried animal dung used in fire, is burned and subsequently turned into ashes, the latter is tahir.

The Tenth purifying agent is the blood trapped inside the carcass of animals slaughtered according to Islamic law.

The Eleventh purifying agent is the change of alcohol into vinegar because, while in the process of fermentation, it turns najis. If it turns into vinegar, it becomes tahir.

The Twelfth purifying agent is weaning the animal that developed a habit of eating human excrement. This is because the meat of such an animal becomes haraam to consume, so does drinking its milk. Its urine, dung, or droppings, and sweat become najis too.

* How do we achieve the weaning of this animal?

- It could be achieved by preventing it from eating human excrement for such a period that it could be said that it reverted to its natural self.

* If this was achieved, what then?

- We can then deem its meat, milk, etc… tahir.

Dialogue on Janabah

Unusually, my father was present before me for today’s session. When I joined in, at first my father did not notice my arrival. He was quiet and in a reflective far away mood.

As soon as he became aware of my presence, he said:

- I am starting today’s dialogue with an introduction to the topic of janabah.

In the Dialogue on Najis Things, we discussed impurities that strip the human body and other things off their natural purity.

In the Dialogue on Ritual Purity (Taharah), we talked about the purifying agents that restore to our bodies and those of other things their usurped purity.

You may recall, we said that najis things are material things that are transient occurrences eminating either from the body itself or from outside sources.

There are, however, other intangibles that, if they occur, render the body impure. It would, therefore, require that which could reinstate its lost goodness.

There are two types: Major and minor.

Major occurrences comprise janabah, haydh, nifas, major istihadha, touching a dead body, and death itself.

Minor occurrences cover urine, excrement, breaking wind, sleep, minor istihadha, etc.

Major occurrences are purified by ghusl or wiped off by tayamum.

Minor occurrences can be removed by wudhu or tayamum. Our future dialogues shall cover these aspects one by one. This time, however, we will discuss janabah.

I said to my father.

* How does janabah come about?

- It happens as a result of one of the following:

1. Seminal discharge that takes place as a result of either sexual intercourse, during a dream, masturbation, or any other means.

* What are the characteristics of semen?

- A sticky liquid that smells like dough. Its colour is milky with a hint of either green or yellow. It is ejaculated when orgasm is reached, after which the body feels relaxed.

* If you were not sure whether such liquid was semen?

- There must exist three characteristics for it to be called semen. They are: Sexual desire, ejaculation, and resultant relaxation of the body. In sick people, however, sexual desire is sufficient.

* Do women have semen as men?

- Yes, secretion from the woman’s vagina at the climax of sexual activity is akin to man’s semen. This could happen when the woman is either awake or asleep.

2. Sexual intercourse, irrespective of whether or not it led to ejaculation. It’s sufficient for sexual intercourse to be termed as such when only the part of penis that contains the foreskin is thrust into the female’s vagina.

* What if the semen is secreted or a sexual intercourse takes place?

- Janabah occurs to both parties, where applicabe, irrespective of age and state of mind.

* If this was the case, then what?

- Ghusl becomes obligatory, so that you can, for example, perform prayer, or do tawaf (Circumambulation - turning seven times around the Ka’ba) for hajj. That is, prayer and tawaf cannot be deemed valid without the ghusl. As for how to do ghusl, this I’ll explain to you in the Dialogue on Ghusl.

However, certain acts become unlawful if you are in a state of janabah, such as:

1. Touching the writing of the Holy Qur’an.

2. Touching the Name of the Almighty, i.e. the Arabic name, Allah [and other names and adjectives attributed to Him, such as “al-Khaliq” - The Creator].

3. Recitation of the four verses of “as-Sajdah” in Chapters “Iqr’a, an-Najm, as-Sajdah, and Fussilat” of the Holy Qur’an.

4. Entering mosques and/or staying in them, taking anything out or putting anything in them [albeit from the outside or when passing by]. It is permissible, however, for a person in a state of janabah to pass through, such as entering from one door and making an exit from another, except in the case of the Grand Mosque at Mekkah and the Holy Mosque of the Prophet at Medina. [The same rule applies in the case of the holy shrines of the Infallibles].

* Are the forecourts and corridors, when they are not considered part of the well-defined area of the mosque, covered by the same rule?

- No, they are not.

* Since we are on the subject of janabah, I still have a burning desire to ask you a question, but I feel rather embarrassed.

- Ask whatever you like. The maxim has it, “There shall be no embarrassment in matters of religion”.

* Sometimes, when I am sexually aroused, I notice a rather sticky, transparent and white liquid secreted from my penis.

- Yes, this type of liquid is tahir. You are, therefore, not required to perform ghusl or wudhu when you experience it. There is another type of secretion that sometimes follows urination. This too is tahir.

* What about masturbation?

- It is haraam. You must avoid it. It suffices to mention that, in some narrations, Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) “An acronym for Alaihis Salaam - meaning, may peace be with him”, described it as a form of adultery.

Dialogue on Haydh

My father took his seat. I could notice a broad smile on his face that led me to assume that he was bent on something unusual.

- I’ll talk to you today on haydh.

Before today, I did not know what haydh is, although I remember I hearing the word before. What had interested me in the subject was that I hear women whisper about it, with noticeable embarrassment, as if there was something shameful in the word. However, I do not hide a secret if I say that as soon as I was faced with a real situation of the subject being discussed in the open, a kind of shaming started to creep into me. I do not know why I was gripped with embarrassment. I resigned to the fact that if haydh was indeed so humbling a matter to talk about, how my father is going to discuss it with me?

Yet, aren’t we discussing matters of Islamic law? Surely, this topic should be within the remit of Islamic jurisprudence. So, why should we feel embarrassed to talk about it? Is it not mentioned in the Holy Qur’an? Didn’t the Prophet (s.a.w.) and the Imams (a.s.) talk about it to their companions. And after all, why should we feel a sense of shaming to talk about a subject whose rules we must know in order to follow?

My self-examination was short-lived as my father resumed his talk.

- Haydh is a bleeding from a woman’s genitals. It occurs at regular monthly intervals and whose colour is dark red. When it leaves the body, women can feel its warmth.

* Is there a certain age group of women who experience haydh?

- Although it varies from person to person, it can start at the age of nine lunar calendar years till the age of sixty, which is the climacteric.

* So, between 9 and 60 years?

- Yes, any blood that can be seen before the age of nine and after the age of sixty does not fall under the definition of menstral blood.

* How many days does the bleeding last?

- The minimum period is three days and the maximum ten.

* Suppose it lasted three days, then stopped?

- This cannot be considered period blood.

* What if it lasts more than ten days?

- This is not haydh blood.

* How should one treat the case of a woman whose haydh ended, then she had ghusl only to see blood again, say after nine days?

- The blood that the woman saw should not be treated as haydh blood, because the period separating any two periods should not be less than ten days.

* When does the woman consider herself as having a period?

- When she starts bleeding at the time of her temporary period, or before her regular period, say one or two days earlier.

* How should a woman be described as having a temporary period?

- She could be described as such when the period blood appears twice in any period of two months or more.

* How do you describe a woman who does not fit the two categories mentioned above, such as the young woman who experiences period blood for the first time, or a woman with an irregular period?

- A woman in any of the two examples you’ve just quoted can describe herself as having a period when one of the following two conditions arise:

1. For the blood to be termed as menstrual blood, it should be red or black in colour, warm, and could pour out profusely.

2. When the woman is sure the blood continues for three uninterrupted days and over.

* Well, suppose she thought that it was period blood according to point one. Accordingly, she stopped performing prayer. However, the bleeding stopped before the lapse of the three-day period. What should she do?

- She should perform prayer in lieu of the period of bleeding.

* If the bleeding continues for ten days or less, but exceeds the duration of her normal period?

- She can still be considered as having period throughout the duration of the bleeding, albeit some of the blood can no longer satisfy the conditions of period blood.

* What if the woman has regular periods, in both the number of days and the date of the period, yet the bleeding continues for more than ten days?

- She should observe the bleeding that coincides with the duration of her period only as that of menstruation.

* Suppose the same woman failed to have her period on time, then the blood appeared and continued for more than ten days. However, some of the blood bore the characteristics of period blood, some of it did not. Which one should be treated as haydh?

- The first one. Yet she should take into account the number of days of her previous normal period. If that part of the blood that fulfils the conditions of period blood was less than the number of days of a normal period, she should complete it by adding the remaining days of that part of the blood that did not satisfy the conditions of period blood. If, however, the bleeding she was experiencing satisfied the criteria of period blood, she should stick to the number of days of her normal period and consider it haydh.

* Should the bleeding continue for more than ten days in the case of a woman who either experiences bleeding for the first time or that whose period is irregular, how should they differentiate the period blood from other kinds of bleeding?

- All depends on the characteristics of the blood and the duration. If some of it bears the qualities of period blood and it continued for a period of three to ten days, should be treated as haydh. The remaining type of blood should be considered istihadha, which shall be the subject of a forthcoming session.

* If the woman was in doubt as to whether her period has ended, what should she do?

- She must check.

* In what way?

- She should insert a piece of cotton into her vagina and leave it for a short while and retrieve it. If no traces of blood could be seen, she must assume she is tahir, do ghusl and resume acts of worship. Should the piece of cotton, however, found to be soiled with blood, she must maintain that she is still in haydh.

* When the woman knows she has haydh, what are the things that are permissible for her to do and those that are not?

- The rules regarding woman’s periods are:

1. No prayers should be performed, be they obligatory or voluntary.

2. She is not required to perform any prayer instead of the ones she missed while she had the period.

3. It is not permissible for her to fast.

4. She must fast instead of the days she missed while she had the period during Ramadhan.

5. Tawaf during hajj, be it obligatory or voluntary is not in order.

6. She cannot be declared divorced while still having her period, except in certain situations.

7. It is haraam to have sexual intercourse with a woman who is having a period. It is permissible, however, after the bleeding had stopped. However, it is permissible before performing ghusl [and after washing the vagina].

8. It is haraam for her to embark on any act of worship, in the same way as certain acts are not permissible for a person who is in a state of janabah. This, as you may recall, was discussed in detail in the (Dialogue on Janabah).

9. When her period is over, she should perform ghusl in order to be able to perform prayer. This, I will explain to you in the (Dialogue on Ghusl).