|
Considering the multitude of questions and inquiries we received on the issue of emulation during this period, we found that publishing some of these questions and answers on this issue would be beneficial, and we highlighted the rulings on remaining on the emulation of the dead religious authority and other related rulings.
Q: On the issue of remaining on the emulation of a religious authority after his death, what source should the Mukallaf return to so as to establish its permissibility?
A: He should return to the opinion of a living religious authority on the issue of persisting on the emulation of a dead religious authority.
Q: What is the lawful procedure that one should follow so as to remain on the emulation of a religious authority after his death, in a lawful manner?
A: The Mukallaf should either return to the opinion of a certain living religious authority to remain on the emulation of the religious authority he used to emulate, after his death, or rely on the consensus of the living religious authorities on continuing to emulate a dead religious authority, even if he does not return to the opinion of one of them in particular.
Q: Is it obligatory or just permissible to remain on the emulation of a dead religious authority?
A: If the Mukallaf believes that the dead religious authority is the most knowledgeable, it is established by some jurisprudents that it is obligatory to remain on his emulation.
Q: Is it permissible to go back to the dead religious authority when one commences emulation?
A: Some jurisprudents deem it permissible to return to the opinions of a dead religious authority right from the beginning of emulation. Therefore, one could emulate a dead religious authority when he commences emulation by resorting to the opinion of these jurisprudents.
Q: Is knowledgeability a condition that ought to be met by the religious authority to be emulated?
A: Knowledgeability is a controversial issue, yet many jurisprudents did not establish it as a condition to be met by the religious authority to be emulated.
Q: What is the opinion of the revered Sayyed Fadlullah (ra) on the condition of knowledgeability in the religious authority to be emulated?
A: His Eminence, the Religious Authority, Sayyed Muhammad Hussein Fadlullah (ra), did not establish knowledgeability as a prerequisite, and considered that absolute knowledgeability does not exist in reality.
Q: Is it permissible for the emulators of the late Sayyed Fadlullah (ra) to continue to emulate His Eminence after his death? How is that possible?
A: It is permissible for those who used to emulate His Eminence, the Sayyed (ra), before his death to continue to emulate him after his death by following one of the two ways:
a- Resorting to the Fatwa of a living religious authority who deems it permissible to continue to emulate a dead religious authority.
b- Resorting to the unanimous jurisprudential opinion of the living religious authorities to continue to emulate a dead religious authority, even if by not returning to the opinion of one of them in particular.
Q: Is it permissible for he who has never emulated the late Sayyed Fadlullah (ra) before his death to start to emulate him after his death?
A: It is permissible for he who has not emulated His Eminence, Sayyed Fadlullah (ra), before his death to start to emulate him after his death by going back to the opinion of the living religious authority who meets all the required conditions [for emulation] and deems it permissible to start to emulate a religious authority after his death; and such a religious authority does exist.
Q: Is it obligatory for the emulators of His Eminence, Sayyed Fadlullah (ra), to remain on his emulation?
A: If the Mukallaf establishes that the Sayyed is the most knowledgeable, and in accordance with the opinion of a number of jurisprudents, he should remain on the emulation of His Eminence (ra).
Q: What is the ruling on the new upcoming issues?
A: New upcoming issues ought to be referred to a living religious authority.
Q: Does His Eminence, Sayyed Fadlullah (ra), have opinions on modern issues?
A: The jurisprudential opinions of His Eminence, Sayyed Fadlullah (ra) comprehensively cover different modern issues, in a way that the Mukallaf might not need to refer to a living religious authority on the short term.
Q: Is the establishment of the beginnings of the lunar months considered among the new upcoming issues that necessitate referring them to a living religious authority?
A: The establishment of the beginnings of the lunar months, such as the beginning of the month of Ramadan and the first day of Eid Al-Fitr, is not considered part of the new upcoming issues, and the emulators of His Eminence, Sayyed Fadlullah (ra) ought to follow his ruling on this issue.
The juristic office of the institution
of His Eminence, the Religious Authority,
Sayyed Muhammad Hussein Fadlullah (ra) |