The Press Release on the Tragedy at the Entrance of the Holy Shrine

The Press Release on the Tragedy at the Entrance of the Holy Shrine
2019/09/14

Indeed we are of Allah and to Him we shall return

It is with great sadness and pain that the news of the tragedy at the entrance of the holy shrine of Imam Hussain (peace be upon him) has reached us, which led to the loss of tens of lives, as they repeated the chant “Ya Husayn”, their hearts filled with the love and grief for the Ahlulbait (peace be upon them), during their participation of the Tuwairich Run on the afternoon of Ashura.
We, therefore, pay condolences to the Imam of our Time (may Allah hasten his reappearance) as well as to their grieving families, and to all the believers and lovers of the Ahlulbait (peace be upon them).
We call upon those responsible in the Iraqi government and the Custodianship of the Holy Shrines to establish sound plans and to take precautionary measures to ensure that such a tragedy does not occur again.
Similarly, we call upon all the respected visitors to the holy shrines – may Allah honour them – to act in coordination with the brothers who have been tasked with managing the millions of visitors in order to enable the illumination of godly teachings and guidance, and the expression of love and sorrow for the Ahlulbait (peace be upon them). Indeed, such service during this season is amongst the greatest of deeds in the eyes of Allah Almighty, and He is the greatest supporter and the Guardian of the believers.
In conclusion, we supplicate to Allah Almighty to bless those pure souls and to raise them in the highest ranks with the Master of Martyrs and his noble companions, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon them all. We pray that He inspires their loved ones who they leave behind with patience and solace, and that He blesses the injured with a quick recovery, for He is the Most Merciful.

11 Muharram 1441

Day Questions

What is the verdict concerning a man that told his fiancée (i.e. a woman who he is courting) that, "If I marry you, it is tantamount to marrying my mother". In this regard, is the woman lawful for the man to marry? Or what is the penalty?

This does not affect the permissibility to marry her, but we encourage the avoidance of such things.

What is the ruling on a man who was non-Muslim, but converts to Islam because he wants to marry a Muslim woman?

If he declares the two testimonies without the acknowledgment of its meanings and without commitment to them in such a way that he does not see himself, because of this, as a Muslim, then he is not considered as one and the marriage to him is invalid. If his testimony was with the acknowledgment of its meanings and commitment to them in such a way that he considers himself to be a Muslim, then he is one and the marriage with him is valid.

Since it is obligatory to follow the most knowledgeable Mujtahid, the most capable in deriving the religious laws from the appropriate sources. I am unable to find Ahlul-khibra to refer to them in order to determine him. However I have found multiple Mujtahid who have all the necessary qualification to be followed in Taqleed. I want to be certain that a particular person is the most knowledgeable jurist of his time. Is it permissible to do Istikhara for such situation and would my Taqleed be correct?

It is not permissible to depend of Istikhara to choose the right Mujtahid to follow. If they were equal in knowledge or you were not able to determine the most knowledgeable amongst them and when observing precaution - to guarantee that the religious obligations are fulfilled - is not a choice, one must choose the most God fearing amongst the most knowledgeable Mujtahids. If this was not possible, any one of them can be chosen to be followed.

What is the age of religiously recognized adulthood (bulugh)?

Religious adulthood is recognized for the male by any of the following three signs, whichever happen first: 1. The presence of hard hair on his face or in the pubic area. 2. The release of semen, whether it was during a wet dream or when awake. 3. The completion of fifteen lunar years. The female reaches adulthood when she completes the age of nine lunar years.

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