36. Turning the Face during Prayer
Al-Bizanti narrated, saying: "I asked him (i.e. al-Rida`) about the person who turns (his face) during prayer: Does such a person turn aside from his prayer? He answered: 'If the prayer is obligatory and he (or she) turns his (or her) face, then he (or she) must turn aside from his (or her) prayer, repeat it, and do not regard it (as prayer).'
1"
Certainly, turning the face changes the form of prayer, and all things which change the form of prayer invalidate it.
37. Zakat al-Fitra
Mohammed b. al-Qasim b. al-Fadl reported, saying: "I wrote to Abu al-Hasan al-Rida, peace be on him, to ask him: Does the guardian pay
Zakat al-Fitra 2 on behalf of the orphans who have wealth? So he wrote: 'There is no
zakat (imposed) on the orphan.'
3 "
As for
Zakat al-Fitra, it is not obligatory on the orphan nor on his guardian, who has no right to take it out of the orphan's wealth, as it is indicated by the narration through which the jurists have given a religious edict, for there is no religious duty on the orphan until he or she reaches ritual puberty (15 years in the case of boys and 9 years in the case of girls).
38. Zakat due on Deposit and Loan
Ibrahïm b. Abu Mahmud narrated, saying: "I said to Abu al-Hasan al-Rida, peace be on him: The person has a deposit or a debt, but he does not reach them, and then he takes them, when
zakat is payable on him? He replied: 'If he takes them and a year has passed, he must pay
zakat.'
4 " On of the conditions of
zakat is that one has the authority to dispose of wealth, for it is not obligatory on the wealth over which its owner has no authority because of his absence from it.
____________
1. Ibid.,
2. Zakat al-Fitra: the amount (in cash or kind) paid to the need at the end of the month of Ramadn; see text for more details.
3. Wasa'il al-Shia, vol. 6, p. 455. Furu' al-Kafi, vol. 1, p. 153.
4. Al-Tahdhib, 358.
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For example if the owner is able to regain his deposit (and one year) has passed, then it is due on him to pay
zakat. Similarly, he must pay the
zakat due on his loan after he has received it and one year has passed.
39. Zakat on Crops
Sa'd b. Sa'd al-Ash'ari narrated on the authority of Abu` al-Hasan al-Rida, peace be on him, saying: "I asked him: 'When
zakat is due on wheat, barley, dates, and raisins?' He answered: 'When they are reaped and assessed.'
1"
The famous jurists think that
zakat is due on wheat and barley when they become ripe; on dates when they become yellow or red; on grapes when they are unripe; and other than that is said.
2
40. 'Alawide's zakat is for the 'Alawides
Ahmed b. Mohammed b. Abu` Nasr reported from al-Rida, saying: "I asked him about alms (
zakat): Is it lawful for the Hashimites to take alms (
zakat)? 'No,' he replied, 'but it is lawful for them to take alms from each other.'
3"
41. Zakat must be paid when due
Sa'd b. Sa'd al-Ash'ari narrated on the authority of Abu` al-Hasan al-Rida, peace be on him, saying: "I asked him about the person on whom
zakat is obligatory three times a year, shall he delay them to pay them at one time? 'No,' he answered, 'pay it (
zakat) when it becomes due.
4' " If the person has numerous items on which
zakat is payable such as the crops, the livestock, gold, and silver, he must pay the
zakat of each kind when it becomes due.
____________
1. Furu'al-Kafi, vol. 1, p. 147.
2. Al-Urwat al-wuthqa.
3. Qurb al-Isnad, p. 163. Wasa'il al-Shia, vol. 6, p. 190.
4. Furu' al-Kafi, vol. 1, p. 147. Wasa'il al-Shia, vol. 6, p. 213.
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42. The Fitra on behalf of him who does not belong to the Family
'Abd al-Rahman b. al-Hajjajj narrated, saying: "I asked Abu al-Hasan al-Rida, peace be on him, about the man who spends on a man who does not belong to his own family, but he finds difficulty in spending on him and his clothing, is his
fitra obligatory on him? 'No,' he answered, 'the
fitra of his family is obligatory as alms on him apart from him (i.e. the man who does not belong to the family.' Then he said: 'The family are: the child, the slave, and the wife who is the mother of the child.'
1"
Zakat al-fitra is obligatory on the responsible and his family when the night of ('Id) al-Fitr comes. There is no difference between those whose expenditure is obligatory on him and other than them, between the young and the old. It is not obligatory on him to pay fitra on behalf of those who do not belong to his own family, and in whose clothing and expenditure he finds difficulty. Generally speaking, fitra is paid on behalf of the person when actually belongs to the family, as the jurists have mentioned.
43. The One-Fifth Tax (Khums)
'Ali b. al-Husayn b. 'Ali b. Faddal reported on the authority of his father, on the authority of Abu al-Hasan al-Rida, peace be on him, who said (in a tradition): "'Abd al-Muttalib had five practices (
sunan), which Allah, for him, put into effect in Islam: He ('Abd al-Muttalib) made it prohibited for sons to marry their fathers' women, specified one hundred camels as blood money, circumambulated the House (the Ka'ba) seven times, found a treasure and took out the one-fifth of it, and called (the well) Zamzam when he dug it as a watering place for pilgrims.
2 "
____________
1. Man la Yahdarahu al-Faqih, vol. 1, p. 64.
2. Wasa'il al-Shia, vol. 6, p. 345.
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44. Khums on Treasure
Shaykh al-Mufïd narrated through his chain of authorities, saying: "Imam al-Rida, peace be on him, was asked about the amount of treasure on which
khums is obligatory, and he replied: '
Khums is obligatory on the thing on which
zakat is obligatory;
khums is not obligatory on the thing which does not reach the minimum amount of property liable to payment of
zakat.
1 "
Treasure is the property stored in the earth; whether it is of the coined and uncoined gold and silver or of other than them. One of its conditions is that it must reach the minimum amount which is twenty dinars. If it does not reach this amount, then there is no khums on it.
45. Khums must be given to the Imam
Mohammed b. Zayd al-Tabari reported, saying: "A Persian merchant, who was a follower of Abu al-Hasan al-Rida, peace be on him, asked him to exempt him from
khums, and he wrote to him: 'In the name of Allah the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Surely Allah is All-embracing, generous. He has guaranteed reward according to work. No property is lawful except through the way which Allah has made lawful. Surely
khums helps us (serve) our religion, our family, our followers, spend freely, and protect our honor from him whose power we fear. So do not cut us off from
khums, and as far as possible do not deprive yourselves of our supplication. Surely giving
khums is a key to your daily bread, forgiving your sins, and what you pave for yourselves for the day of your neediness. The Muslim is he who fulfills what Allah has entrusted to him; the Muslim is not he who responds through his tongue and opposes through his heart. Greetings.'
2 "
46. Khums should be paid to the Imam
Mohammed b. Zayd narrated, saying: "A group of people from Khurasan came to Imam al-Rida, peace be on him, and asked him to
____________
1. Al-Maqna'a p. 46.
2. Ibid. Wasa'il, vol. 6, p. 375.
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exempt them from
khums, and he said: 'I do not exempt (anyone from) this. You show sincere affection toward us through your tongues, while you deprive us of the right which Allah has apportioned to us and appointed us for it, which is
khums. We will not exempt anyone of you from it.'
2 "
This tradition and the one before it indicate that khums should be paid to the present Ima`m, and in the period of his occultation (ghayba) it should be given to his deputy, who is the general authority of Islamic world.
47. Religious Expiation on breaking the fast through the Lawful and Unlawful
'Abd al-Salam b. Salih al-Harawi reported, saying: "I said to al-Rida, peace be on him: O son of Allah's Apostle, it has been reported from your fathers that there are three religious expiations on him who has a sexual intercourse in the month of Ramadan or breaks the fast during it; it has also been narrated from them that there is one religious expiation, then which of the two traditions should we follow? 'Both of them,' he replied, 'When the man has a sexual intercourse with a prohibited woman or breaks the fast through the unlawful, then three are three religious expiations due on him: releasing a slave, fasting two successive months, feeding sixty needy ones, and compensating that day; and if he indulges in lawful intercourse or breaks the fast through the lawful, then there is one expiation obligatory on him; and if he is forgetful, then there is nothing due on him.'
2 "
In the light of this narration and other narrations transmitted from the Imams of guidance, the Imami jurists have given a religious decision that if one breaks the fast through the unlawful during the day such as drinking wine or eating a usurped thing or the like, he is subjected to all the religious expiations, which are: releasing a slave, fasting two successive months, feeding sixty needy ones, and
____________
1. Al-Maqna'a, p. 46. Al-Wasa'il, vol. 6, p. 375.
2. Al-Tahdhib, vol. 1, p. 4111. Man la Yahdarahu al-Faqih, vol. 2, p. 121.
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compensating that day; and if he breaks the fast through a lawful thing such as drinking water, then he has to choose between these three religious expiations.
48. Liquid Enemas
Ahmed b. Mohammed b. Abu` Nasr al-Bizanti narrated that he asked Imam al-Rida, peace be on him, about one who had a liquid enema in the month of Ramadan, and he, peace be on him, answered: "It is not permissible for him to have a liquid enema.
1"
The Imami jurists have depended on this narration and other narrations reported from the Imams of
ahl al-Bayt, peace be on them, hence they have given a religious decision that a liquid enema is one of the things which invalidate the fast.
49. Brushing Teeth in the Month of Ramadan
Musa b. Abu al-Hasan al-Razi reported on the authority of al-Rida`, peace be on him. He said: "One of those who were sitting in his presence asked him about cleaning teeth with the stick (
al-Siwak) in the month of Ramada`n, and he replied: 'It is permissible.' So one of them declared: 'The wetness of the stick goes down, what do you say about the wetness of the stick which goes down?' He (the Ima`m) replied: 'The water of gargle moistens (the mouth) more than the wet stick does. If someone says that water is necessary for gargle according to the
Sunna, then the stick is also necessary according to the
Sunna which Gabriel brought to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family.'
2 "
50. Intention for Travel at Night
In a tradition Safwan narrated on the authority of al-Rida, peace be on him, who said: "If one wants to go to al-Nahrwa`n and returns from it, then he should make an intention for travel and breaking the fast at night. If he enters upon morning and has not make the intention
____________
1. Wasa'il al-Shi'a vol. 8, p. 39.
2. Al-Tahdhib, vol. 1, p. 416. Al-Wasa'il, vol. 8. p. 133.
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for the travel (at night) and it seems to him (that he has not made the intention) after he has started the travel, then he should shorten (his prayers) and should not break (the fast) of that day of his.
1 "
In the light of this narration, Imam al-Khu'i has given a religious decision that the traveler should make an intention for travel at night. If he does not make the intention and travels before the declination (of the sun), then it is obligatory on him to complete the fast and to compensate for (it).
51. Recommended Fast is not compensated
Al-Marzba`n b. 'Umra`n reported, saying: "I asked al-Rida`, peace be on him: I want to travel, then shall I fast the month of mine in which I shall travel? 'No,' he answered. Then I asked: Shall I compensate for it when I return?' 'No,' he replied, 'you do not compensate for it just as you do not fast it.'
2 " Similar to this narration is what has been reported by Sa'd b. Sa'd al-Ash'ari on the authority of Abu` al-Hasan al-Rida`, peace be on him. He said: "I asked him about the three-day fast in (each) month: Is it obligatory on the traveler to compensate for it? 'No,' he answered.
3 "
52. Fast on the Day of Doubt
Mohammed b. Sinan reported, saying: "I asked al-Rida`, peace be on him, about the day of doubt, and he answered: 'Surely my father would fast on it, so fast on it.'
4 "
If one doubts whether the new moon of the month of Ramadan has appeared or not: The Imam (al-Rida), peace be on him, ordered (the Muslims) to fast on it; and the intention for the fast is according to what the jurists have mentioned that one makes intention as (a day) of Sha'ban as recommendation or compensation. If it appears that it (the day) is of Ramadan, then it is sufficient for him, but if one fasts on it through the intention of Ramadan, then his fast is invalid.
5"
____________
1. Al-Tahdhib, vol. 1, p. 416. Al-Wasa'il, vol. 8, p. 133.
2. Furu'al-Kafi, vol. 1, p. 168. Al-Wasa'il, vol. 7, p. 133.
3. Furu' al-Kafi, vol. 1, p. 198.
4. Al-Maqna'a, p. 48.
5. Minhajj al-Salihin, Chapter on Fasting.
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53. If a Fast of Ramadan is Missed
In a tradition al-Fadl b. Sha`dha`n narrated on the authority of al-Rida`, peace be on him, who said: "If someone says: If one becomes sick or travels in the month of Ramada`n, and he does not end his travel or does not recover from his illness until another month of Ramada`n comes, then why should he pay redemption and should not compensate for (it)? If he recovers or resides (in his homeland), then why should he compensate (the fast) and should not pay redemption? It is said: Because that fast was obligatory on him in this month in that year. As for him who does not recover, he, as the whole year has passed and Allah has overcome him and not helped him to perform the fast, then he must not fast. Likewise, all those whom Allah overcomes such as one who faints for a day and a night, then it is not obligatory on him to compensate the prayers, just as al-Sadiq, peace be on him, said: 'If Allah overcomes him, then he has an excuse.' For the month has come, and he is still ill, so it is not incumbent on him in the month of him and the year of him because of the illness in which he is; but it is obligatory on him to pay redemption just as Allah, the Exalted, says:
Let him fast for two successive months; then as for him who is not able let him feed sixty needy ones, and just as He says: So a compensation by fasting or alms or sacrificing. So He has put alms in the place of fasting when it is difficult for him to fast. If it is said that one was not able then and now he is able, it is said: As another month of Ramada`n has come to him, it is obligatory on him to pay redemption for the past (Ramada`n); if he is in the rank of him upon whom it is incumbent to fast as a religious expiation, but he is not able, then redemption is due on him; and if redemption is obligatory on him, then he should not fast; the fast drops but redemption is a must. If he recovers between them (i.e. between the past and the present months of Ramada`n) and he has not fasted the past month of Ramada`n, then redemption is obligatory on him because he has neglected it, and (also) the fast because he has been able.
1"
____________
1. Wasa'il al-Shia, vol. 7, pp. 246-247.
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If one misses the month of Ramada`n or some of it because of an illness and the excuse continues to the next Ramada`n, he should not fast it but he should pay a mudd (750 gms) of food as alms for each day. However, if he misses it because of an excuse other than illness, then both compensation and redemption are obligatory.
1
