skills/sistani-guidance/references/books/jme/pages-025-036.md

# Jurisprudence Made Easy

PDF pages 25 to 36. Physical PDF numbering, not inferred printed labels.

Mechanical text extraction, not a verified transcription. Read the full rule or dialogue across page boundaries and retain its footnotes.

Source characters are preserved except corrupt control glyphs, which are marked. Blank layout lines are removed. Do not silently repair other wording.

Previous block: [pages 13 to 24](pages-013-024.md).

Next block: [pages 37 to 48](pages-037-048.md).

## PDF PAGE 25

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25
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.
```

## PDF PAGE 26

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26
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 gleanedfrom the Dialogue on
Najis Things, in my daily life. In so doing, I mightbe able to
rectify my misconception of najasah. I was eager to know
fromtoday’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 withnajasah. I wonder how lost purity is
restored to these things?
- “The First” of purifying agents is water. By washing najis
thingswith water, you render them tahir again. That is
why we should start ourdiscussion 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 plantationswith. The water of oceans, seas, rivers,
streams, wells, and that which weuse at our homes
through mains supply is pure water. For example, the
waterof 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 qualifythe type of water. For example, you say rose
water, grape water, melon waterand so on. However, this
is not a matter that concerns us. As you may havenoticed,
our discussion revolves around the water we drink and
use to washand clean things that became najis.
Moreover, pure water is of two types: immunized
(mu’tasim) and thatwhich is not immunized.
* Immunized! What precisely do you mean?
- Immunized water is that which does not become najis
```

## PDF PAGE 27

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27
when najasahmeet with it, except when either its colour,
taste, or smell changes as aresult. Water that is not
immunized is that which turns najis as soon itcomes into
contact with anything najis, even though none of its three
attributesis affected by the pollutant.
* Could you tell me more about immunized waters?
- 1. Abundant water that satisfies the capacity of a kurr (a
unitof size, equivalent to 384 litres) or larger, such as the
water connectedto our homes through the water grid, the
water of storage tanks installedin 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, andsprings.
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, andthat which is termed “little
water”. By now, you know they become najis oncontact
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, irrespectiveof its quantity. An example
of water that comes under this banner is thatof 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
```

## PDF PAGE 28

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28
water”, thelatter can be regarded as abundant whereby it
remains immunized as long asit is fed from an abundant
source of water. To give you some examples,
yourdomestic storage tank that is normally connected to
water mains supply becomesabundant; likewise, if you
placed a bowl or a saucepan under the running waterof a
sink tap, the water in it becomes abundant, and so on.
That is, as longas the water remains running.
* Fine. What, if a drop of blood falls in the water of a tank
thesize of a kurr, that is not connected to the mains?
- It will not become najis, unless blood keeps dripping that
the colourof 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
purityof the water?
- The water in the plate will become tahir. [However, it will
becomenajis again, if you turn the tap off. This is because,
if the plate becomesnajis, it becomes tahir only when it is
washed three times], as shall be explainedto you later.
* If we were to pour water from a pitcher, or watering can,
onto somethingnajis, 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, bethey floor, garments, mats, utensils, etc. in such a
quantity that it soaksthem, they become tahir.
* Is it sufficient that rain pours on such najis objects once
to renderthem tahir?
- Yes, except in the case of the human body and garments
that becamenajis through contamination with urine. They
need to be washed a number oftimes. [The same goes for
najis utensils].
```

## PDF PAGE 29

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29
* 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 havelittle 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 ofwater, 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 shouldbe washed three times so that they become
tahir again.
3. Objects that became najis through contamination by
nursing babiesshould be rendered tahir by soaking the
affected parts with water; therewill be no need for
wringing the garments, for example.
4. Utensils licked or lapped by dogs should first be
scrubbed withsoil 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 wateronce. 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
najisthrough other means, they should be washed with
either little water and wrungor with abundant water
```

## PDF PAGE 30

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31
without the need for wringing.
6. Restoring the purity of the body, that became najis by
urine, shouldbe done following the way outlined in the
preceding paragraph. However,if the water was little, you
should separate the water used for purificationfrom the
body as is customary.
7. If the interiors of utensils have become najis as a result
of anysource of najasah, other than those of alcohol, dogs,
licking by a pig, deathof a rodent, they should be washed
three times with little water, or [threetimes 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 withlittle water.
* How can I render my hand tahir after it has become
najis, if I havelittle water?
- If it was not made najis through urine, you can pour
water on itonce. As soon as the water becomes separated
from your hand, it becomes tahiragain.
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 woodenmaterial - straw rugs, not the strings used in
making them, and bamboo matstahir 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 isremoved.
* What, if the najis ground was dry, how can we restore its
originaltaharah?
```

## PDF PAGE 31

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31
- 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 shoneon 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 consideredpart of the earth, became contaminated
with urine. They were then rendereddry 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 renderedtahir by sun light].
The Third purifying agent is the removal of najasah from
certain partsof 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 thenajasah.
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 fromthe beak of a chicken, or the mouth of a
cat, the beak and the mouth shouldbecome tahir again.
* Does the needle, used in injecting medicine into the
body of a humanor animal, become najis as a result of
meeting blood inside the body?
- No, it does not become najis, if it comes out
uncontaminated withblood. This is because najasah does
not materialize through meeting najisthings inside the
body per se.
The Fourth purifying agent is earth:
Whatever comes under the definition of earth, such as
```

## PDF PAGE 32

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32
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 thereforecan 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 rubbingthem against earth, provided that the material
najasah is removed as a resultof walking or wiping. It is to
be noted, however, that the najasah shouldhave
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 purifyingagent].
The Fifth purifying agent is the state of belonging or
affiliation.
* For example?
- If the unbeliever, who is deemed najis, becomes a
Muslim, he isrendered tahir. Subsequently, his young
offspring become tahir. The samegoes for the grandfather,
grandmother, mother, and their young babies, afterthey
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
resultthe 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 becometahir, 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 wouldbecome tahir, and so would the hands
that did the washing.
The Sixth purifying agent is Islam.
```

## PDF PAGE 33

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33
* How does Islam work as a purifying agent? And whom
does it rendertahir?
- Islam renders tahir an infidel who was deemed najis. That
is, afterhe had embraced Islam.
Accordingly, all parts of his body become tahir.
The Seventh purifying agent is the absence of a Muslim
who is adultor 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 whetherit was najis or not. However, you may know
it is the case, irrespective ofwhether or not he was a
practising Muslim. Your brother has gone away
andreturned. To the best of your knowledge, your brother
has rendered his shirttahir, in which case, you should
assume that the shirt be tahir, withoutthe need to ask him.
The Eighth purifying agent is transfer.
* For example?
- Human blood that was sucked by a mosquito. If you had
smashed theinsect 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 dispersalof its parts.
* Could you give me an example?
- If a najis wood, or the dried animal dung used in fire, is
burnedand subsequently turned into ashes, the latter is
tahir.
The Tenth purifying agent is the blood trapped inside the
```

## PDF PAGE 34

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34
carcass ofanimals slaughtered according to Islamic law.
The Eleventh purifying agent is the change of alcohol into
vinegarbecause, while in the process of fermentation, it
turns najis. If it turnsinto vinegar, it becomes tahir.
The Twelfth purifying agent is weaning the animal that
developed ahabit of eating human excrement. This is
because the meat of such an animalbecomes haraam to
consume, so does drinking its milk. Its urine, dung,
ordroppings, and sweat become najis too.
* How do we achieve the weaning of this animal?
- It could be achieved by preventing it from eating human
excrementfor 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.
```

## PDF PAGE 35

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35
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
```

## PDF PAGE 36

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36
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.
```