The Kitab-i-Aqdas Part 8

Questions And Answers

1. QUESTION: Concerning the Most Great Festival.

ANSWER: The Most Great Festival commenceth late in the afternoon of the thirteenth day of the second month of the year according to the Bayan. On the first, ninth and twelfth days of this Festival, work is forbidden.

2. QUESTION: Concerning the Festival of the Twin Birthdays.

ANSWER: The Birth of the Abha Beauty(12) was at the hour of dawn on the second day of the month of Muharram,(13) the first day of which marketh the Birth of His Herald. These two days are accounted as one in the sight of G.o.d.

3. QUESTION: Concerning the Marriage Verses.(14)

ANSWER: For men: "We will all, verily, abide by the Will of G.o.d." For women: "We will all, verily, abide by the Will of G.o.d."

4. QUESTION: Should a man go on a journey without specifying a time for his return-without indicating, in other words, the expected period of his absence-and should no word be heard of him thereafter, and all trace of him be lost, what course should be followed by his wife?

ANSWER: Should he have omitted to fix a time for his return despite being aware of the stipulation of the Kitab-i-Aqdas in this regard, his wife should wait for one full year, after which she shall be free either to adopt the course that is praiseworthy, or to choose for herself another husband. If, however, he be unaware of this stipulation, she should abide in patience until such time as G.o.d shall please to disclose to her his fate. By the course that is praiseworthy in this connection is meant the exercise of patience.

5. QUESTION: Concerning the holy verse: "When We heard the clamour of the children as yet unborn, We doubled their share and decreased those of the rest."

ANSWER: According to the Book of G.o.d, the estate of the deceased is divided into 2,520 shares, which number is the lowest common multiple of all integers up to nine, and these shares are then distributed into seven portions, each of which is allocated, as mentioned in the Book, to a particular category of heirs. The children, for example, are allotted nine blocks of 60 shares, comprising 540 shares in all. The meaning of the statement "We doubled their share" is thus that the children receive a further nine blocks of 60 shares, ent.i.tling them to a total of 18 blocks all told. The extra shares that they receive are deducted from the portions of the other categories of heirs, so that, although it is revealed, for instance, that the spouse is ent.i.tled to "eight parts comprising four hundred and eighty shares", which is the equivalent of eight blocks of 60 shares, now, by virtue of this rearrangement, one and a half blocks of shares, comprising 90 shares in all, have been subtracted from the spouse's portion and reallocated to the children, and similarly in the case of the others. The result is that the total amount subtracted is equivalent to the nine extra blocks of shares allotted to the children.

6. QUESTION: Is it necessary that the brother, in order to qualify for his portion of the inheritance, be descended from both the father and the mother of the deceased, or is it sufficient merely that there be one parent in common?

ANSWER: If the brother be descended from the father he shall receive his share of the inheritance in the prescribed measure recorded in the Book; but if he be descended from the mother, he shall receive only two thirds of his ent.i.tlement, the remaining third reverting to the House of Justice.

This ruling is also applicable to the sister.

7. QUESTION: Amongst the provisions concerning inheritance it hath been laid down that, should the deceased leave no offspring, their share of the estate is to revert to the House of Justice. In the event of other categories of heirs, such as the father, mother, brother, sister and teacher being similarly absent, do their shares of the inheritance also revert to the House of Justice, or are they dealt with in some other fashion?

ANSWER: The sacred verse sufficeth. He saith, exalted be His Word: "Should the deceased leave no offspring, their share shall revert to the House of Justice" etc. and "Should the deceased leave offspring, but none of the other categories of heirs that have been specified in the Book, they shall receive two thirds of the inheritance and the remaining third shall revert to the House of Justice" etc. In other words, where there are no offspring, their allotted portion of the inheritance reverteth to the House of Justice; and where there are offspring but the other categories of heirs are lacking, two thirds of the inheritance pa.s.s to the offspring, the remaining third reverting to the House of Justice. This ruling hath both general and specific application, which is to say that whenever any category of this latter cla.s.s of heirs is absent, two thirds of their inheritance pa.s.s to the offspring and the remaining third to the House of Justice.

8. QUESTION: Concerning the basic sum on which ?uququ'llah is payable.

ANSWER: The basic sum on which ?uququ'llah is payable is nineteen mit_h_qals of gold. In other words, when money to the value of this sum hath been acquired, a payment of ?uquq falleth due. Likewise ?uquq is payable when the value, not the number, of other forms of property reacheth the prescribed amount. ?uququ'llah is payable no more than once.

A person, for instance, who acquireth a thousand mit_h_qals of gold, and payeth the ?uquq, is not liable to make a further such payment on this sum, but only on what accrueth to it through commerce, business and the like. When this increase, namely the profit realized, reacheth the prescribed sum, one must carry out what G.o.d hath decreed. Only when the princ.i.p.al changeth hands is it once more subject to payment of ?uquq, as it was the first time. The Primal Point hath directed that ?uququ'llah must be paid on the value of whatsoever one possesseth; yet, in this Most Mighty Dispensation, We have exempted the household furnishings, that is such furnishings as are needed, and the residence itself.

9. QUESTION: Which is to take precedence: the ?uququ'llah, the debts of the deceased or the cost of the funeral and burial?

ANSWER: The funeral and burial take precedence, then settlement of debts, then payment of ?uququ'llah. Should the property of the deceased prove insufficient to cover his debts, the remainder of his estate should be distributed among these debts in proportion to their size.

10. QUESTION: Shaving the head hath been forbidden in the Kitab-i-Aqdas but enjoined in the Suriy-i-Hajj.

ANSWER: All are charged with obedience to the Kitab-i-Aqdas; whatsoever is revealed therein is the Law of G.o.d amid His servants. The injunction on pilgrims to the sacred House to shave the head hath been lifted.

11. QUESTION: If intercourse take place between a couple during their year of patience, and they become estranged again thereafter, must they recommence their year of patience, or may the days preceding the intercourse be included in the reckoning of the year? And once divorce hath taken place, is it necessary that a further period of waiting be observed?

ANSWER: Should affection be renewed between the couple during their year of patience, the marriage tie is valid, and what is commanded in the Book of G.o.d must be observed; but once the year of patience hath been completed and that which is decreed by G.o.d taketh place, a further period of waiting is not required. s.e.xual intercourse between husband and wife is forbidden during their year of patience, and whoso committeth this act must seek G.o.d's forgiveness, and, as a punishment, render to the House of Justice a fine of nineteen mit_h_qals of gold.

12. QUESTION: Should antipathy develop between a couple after the Marriage Verses have been read and the dowry paid, may divorce take place without observance of the year of patience?

ANSWER: Divorce may legitimately be sought after the reading of the Marriage Verses and payment of the dowry, but before the consummation of the marriage. In such circ.u.mstances there is no need for observance of a year of patience, but recovery of the dowry payment is not permissible.

13. QUESTION: Is the consent of the parents on both sides prerequisite to marriage, or is that of the parents on one side sufficient? Is this law applicable only to virgins or to others as well?

ANSWER: Marriage is conditional upon the consent of the parents of both parties to the marriage, and in this respect it maketh no difference whether the bride be a virgin or otherwise.

14. QUESTION: The believers have been enjoined to face in the direction of the Qiblih when reciting their Obligatory Prayers; in what direction should they turn when offering other prayers and devotions?

ANSWER: Facing in the direction of the Qiblih is a fixed requirement for the recitation of obligatory prayer, but for other prayers and devotions one may follow what the merciful Lord hath revealed in the Qur'an: "Whichever way ye turn, there is the face of G.o.d."

15. QUESTION: Concerning the remembrance of G.o.d in the Mas_h_riqu'l-Ad_h_kar "at the hour of dawn".

ANSWER: Although the words "at the hour of dawn" are used in the Book of G.o.d, it is acceptable to G.o.d at the earliest dawn of day, between dawn and sunrise, or even up to two hours after sunrise.

16. QUESTION: Is the ordinance that the body of the deceased should be carried no greater distance than one hour's journey applicable to transport by both land and sea?

ANSWER: This command applieth to distances by sea as well as by land, whether it is an hour by steamship or by rail; the intention is the hour's time, whatever the means of transport. The sooner the burial taketh place, however, the more fitting and acceptable will it be.

17. QUESTION: What procedure should be followed on the discovery of lost property?

ANSWER: If such property be found in the town, its discovery is to be announced once by the town crier. If the owner of the property is then found, it should be delivered up to him. Otherwise, the finder of the property should wait one year, and if, during this period, the owner cometh to light, the finder should receive from him the crier's fee and restore to him his property; only if the year should pa.s.s without the owner's being identified may the finder take possession of the property himself. If the value of the property is less than or equal to the crier's fee, the finder should wait a single day from the time of its discovery, at the end of which, if the owner hath not come to light, he may himself appropriate it; and in the case of property discovered in an uninhabited area, the finder should observe a three days' wait, on the pa.s.sing of which period, if the ident.i.ty of the owner remain unknown, he is free to take possession of his find.

18. QUESTION: With reference to the ablutions: if, for example, a person hath just bathed his entire body, must he still perform his ablutions?

ANSWER: The commandment regarding ablutions must, in any case, be observed.

19. QUESTION: Should a person plan to migrate from his country, and his wife be opposed and the disagreement culminate in divorce, and should his preparations for the journey extend until a year hath pa.s.sed, may this period be counted as the year of patience, or should the day the couple part be regarded as the starting-point of that year?

ANSWER: The starting-point for computation is the day the couple part, and if, therefore, they have separated a year before the husband's departure, and if the fragrance of affection hath not been renewed between the couple, divorce may take place. Otherwise the year must be counted from the day of his departure, and the conditions set forth in the Kitab-i-Aqdas observed.

20. QUESTION: Concerning the age of maturity with respect to religious duties.

ANSWER: The age of maturity is fifteen for both men and women.

21. QUESTION: Concerning the holy verse: "When travelling, if ye should stop and rest in some safe spot, perform ye ... a single prostration in place of each unsaid Obligatory Prayer..."

ANSWER: This prostration is to compensate for obligatory prayer omitted in the course of travel, and by reason of insecure circ.u.mstances. If, at the time of prayer, the traveller should find himself at rest in a secure place, he should perform that prayer. This provision regarding the compensating prostration applieth both at home and on a journey.

22. QUESTION: Concerning the definition of a journey.(15)

ANSWER: The definition of a journey is nine hours by the clock. Should the traveller stop in a place, antic.i.p.ating that he will stay there for no less than one month by the Bayan reckoning, it is inc.u.mbent on him to keep the Fast; but if for less than one month, he is exempt from fasting. If he arriveth during the Fast at a place where he is to stay one month according to the Bayan, he should not observe the Fast till three days have elapsed, thereafter keeping it throughout the remainder of its course; but if he come to his home, where he hath heretofore been permanently resident, he must commence his fast upon the first day after his arrival.

23. QUESTION: Concerning the punishment of the adulterer and adulteress.

Nine Mit_h_qals are payable for the first offence, eighteen for the second, thirty-six for the third, and so on, each succeeding fine being double the preceding. The weight of one mit_h_qal is equivalent to nineteen nak_h_uds in accordance with the specification of the Bayan.

24. QUESTION: Concerning hunting.

ANSWER: He saith, exalted be He: "If ye should hunt with beasts or birds of prey" and so forth. Other means, such as bows and arrows, guns, and similar equipment employed in hunting, are also included. If, however, traps or snares are used, and the game dieth before it can be reached, it is unlawful for consumption.