Risalah ( ar, رسالـة) is the
Arabic
Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walte ...
word for treatise, but among the
Shia
Shīʿa Islam or Shīʿīsm is the second-largest branch of Islam
Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the ...
, the term is used as shorthand for a Resalah Amaliyah (risalah-yi'amaliyyah, ar, رسالهی عملیه) or treatise on practical law. These treatises are also known as collections of juridical edicts or clarifications of questions ( ar, توضيح المسائل). They are usually written by a mujtahid as part of the process of becoming a
Marja'-e-Taqlid, i.e. a Grand Ayatollah.
These books contain the cleric's practical rulings on the application of
Islam to daily life.
They are arranged according to topics such as ritual purity, worship, social issues, business, and political affairs. In considering each application they outline the principles and texts used to reach a specific ruling. They are used by a Marja's followers to conform their behaviour to Islam.
All resalahs begin with an explicit disclaimer stating that no proof shall be given for any of the five articles of faith in the
Roots of Religion (''Usul al-dín'').
See also
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Ayatollah
Ayatollah ( ; fa, آیتالله, āyatollāh) is an Title of honor, honorific title for high-ranking Twelver Shia clergy in Iran and Iraq that came into widespread usage in the 20th century.
Etymology
The title is originally derived from ...
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Taqleed
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Usooli
Usulis ( ar, اصولیون, fa, اصولیان) are the majority Twelver Shi'a Muslim group. They differ from their now much smaller rival Akhbari group in favoring the use of '' ijtihad'' (i.e., reasoning) in the creation of new rules of ' ...
Notes and references
Shia Islam
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