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; Walter ...

word for treatise, but among the

Shia Shīʿa Islam or Shīʿīsm is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that the Islamic prophet Muhammad designated ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib as his successor (''khalīfa'') and the Imam (spiritual and political leader) after him, mos ...

, 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 Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God (or '' Allah'') as it was revealed to Muhammad, the ...

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 The theology of Twelver Shi'ism contains the five principles of Shia Islam known as ''Uṣūl ad-Dīn'' ( ar, أصول الدين عند الشيعة). Usul al-dín is an Arabic Islamic term which literally translates as 'principles of the faith ...

(''Usul al-dín'').

Notes and references

Shia Islam {{shia-stub

See also

Notes and references