Jurisprudence Made Easy
Introduction to the Arabic edition
“.. Oh my Lord! Expand my breast for me, Make my affair easy to me,
Loosen the knot from my tongue, and (that) they may understand my word”.
(20/25-28).
May praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may peace and
benediction be with our Prophet, Mohammad and his Pure Progeny.
In writing this book, I tried to use a style that is simple and
familiar. My aim has been to disentangle the complexity of the
jurisdical text, making it readily accessible to those who need to be
acquainted with and act upon it among the laity.
I have sought to employ a method that aims at encouraging the reader to
want to know more about the injunctions of religion. In so doing, I
confined myself to discussing those matters of religious dictates that
are more important to the mukkalaf (Compos mentis: The person obligated
to observe the precepts of religion). For further in-depth details, the
reader may consult the books of Islamic jurisprudence and manuals of
religious practice.
Every now and then, I have also tried to make the link in the reader’s
mind between the science of jurisprudence and that of ethics (akhlaq),
and between his actions and the spirit of those actions.
The book has been divided into three main sections. The first deals
with acts of worship (ibadaat), making prayer the main axis, for “It is
the pillar of religion. If it was accepted, other deeds of the mukallaf
would be accepted. If it was rejected, the other deeds would be
rejected”.
After the Dialogue on Taqleed (the following, by a lay person of a
learned scholar, Mujtahid, in matters of religious practice), the
structure of the discussion required me to deal with that which renders
the body najis (ceremonially unclean). This has been so for the simple
reason that no prayer can be performed without the person performing it
being tahir (ceremonially clean). Thus, najis as well as tahir things
are discussed, leading to the discussion of prayer itself.
To complete the circle of purity of the heart, the mind and personal
hygiene the mukallaf should have when having audience with his Creator
in prayer, I have discussed other acts of worship, such as fasting and
hajj (pilgrimage to Mekkah).
Section two of the book is dedicated to financial transactions, such as
buying and selling, agencies, hiring, companies and others.
Section three deals with man’s personal status, such as matrimonial
matters, votive offering (nadhr), covenants, oaths, etc. Discussed in
this section too are matters of al amr bil ma’rouf wan nahi anil munkar
(enjoining what is good and forbidding what is wrong) and two dialogues
on general themes.
According to this plan, the book shall feature the following
dialogues:
Taqleed, Najis and Tahir things, Janabah (the state of being najis
after a sexual act that may or may not lead to ejaculation), Haydh
(menstruation), Wudhu (an act of ablution that is required before the
performance of certain acts of worship), Ghusl (obligatory ceremonial
bathing that is required after certain acts or occurrences), Tayamum
(Dry ablution, i.e. using dust instead of water, as in the cases of
wudhu and ghusl when, for specific reasons, these acts are not
possible), Jabirah (splint), Prayer, in two parts, Fasting, Hajj, Zakat
(the poor rate: A legally prescribed tax), Khums (a type of religious
levy, equivalent to one fifth of taxable income), Trade, Slaughtering
and Hunting, Marriage, Divorce, Votive Offering, Oath, and Covenant,
Making a Will, Inheritance, Waqf (religious endowment), Enjoining what
is good and forbidding what is evil, and the two all-round dialogues,
covering matters ranging from women issues, reproduction, medical,
ethical, science and technology, entertainment to donating human
organs.
This edition of the book has been the subject of checking and scrutiny
by the Office of Grand Ayatullah as-Sayyid as-Seestani in Holy Najaf to
ensure that the contents conform to his edicts. Where necessary
modifications have been made to ensure compliance.
I hope that I have succeeded in what I set out to do. I thank all those
who lent me their support in the process of writing this book.
Finally, I pray to Allah, the Most High, to make me amongst those,
“..given his book in his right hand, these shall read their book..”
(17/71), make my work pure in His way on, “The day on which property
will not avail, nor sons, except him who comes to Allah with a heart
free (of evil)”. (26/88, 89). “..Oh Lord! do not punish us if we forget
or make a mistake..”. (2/286). “..Oh Lord! Thy forgiveness (do we
crave), and to Thee is the eventual course”. (2/285).
May praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds.
The Author