The Epistle on Legal Theory

Chapter on the First Kind of Legislative Statement

١٩ 19 Chapter on the First Kind of Legislative Statement Thus did He inform them of His decree: «Does Man think he will be left without guidance?»39 “Without guidance” means to be neither commanded to do something nor prohibited from doing something. This all indicates that no one other than God’s Emissary may pronounce on the law except by means of inference, as I have just described, or on what makes someone just such that they may be appointed a witness, or on the legal equivalent of game wrongly killed. Neither may anyone express opinions based on subjective interpretation, since to do so is to pronounce according to mere preference, something that is simply invented and not based on a prior example. Included in the foregoing category are rulings in regard to which God (blessed and exalted) indicated for His creatures the way to determine a correct result based on appearances only. Thus, He made them face in the direction of the Sacred Mosque for prayer, and set out signs that they could use to guide themselves in facing toward it. He also commanded them to appoint two just persons as witnesses. A just person is one who practices obedience to God. They had ways to know when a person was just and when not.40 This has all been discussed in its proper place, and I have only mentioned it here in a general way, hopeful that it will indicate the underlying point for this and similar issues. Chapter on the First Kind of Legislative Statement God (blessed and exalted) said, concerning one who makes both pilgrimages at the same time: «Whoever combines the Minor Pilgrimage with the Major Pilgrimage shall give whatever offerings are convenient. Those who do not find any—a fast of three days during the Major Pilgrimage and seven when you have returned; that is ten complete days in all. That is for those whose families are not present at the Sacred Mosque.»41 It is clear to those addressed by this verse that the fast is the three days during the Pilgrimage 26 27 28 29 ٢٠ 20 d±   DE #k l m n o  Ž
´ µ    pžŸ - .DEY“” Ž # 
I
UV ü k l m n o  ™  $&g˜ bV  ZỒ  aDE ² i  01 $&–œ  â I  
îQº8 ŽÍ Î Ï Ðý   .{L S1 L W L T * C ~c R  L $&L I Š : C ; G I  3ufL     x y £ $& F g¬ FŽLC F
½K C M R  L I
L  ß   L d±  L  W C X F #  ü
 x y L  P%Q L  R  LŽ G I  Ԕ L R1L WX F W C  L àË} d±  I
Ö  DE£ S1 L
žŸ L#  C L  01 é
™ L  $& L I J  L    £ L½K L  [   L¡¢f L›œ C DE L#  â /I  Ԕ
bV L W L +, LŽ L  Ò 2ª  L 01L DE F  C I¼ï F _” L
× Cšuf L  Ì   L C½ L àþ R  F Só F¡‡ OˆL ã1 L $& L I L àË   L 0| L¡   L Ž/ G I
Ö   C W F K C M R L DE  
 23 4g˜ b    
žŸ 01¿ÀHI J¬$&–œ!@˜    DE !@˜     IUV #    
žŸ  - ê  ë - .DEY“” b  ¿À÷˜
ךuf›œ  j a
QI  Ö     Ì   .{L W L  1 2 F #   
I

Ä8 ü k l m n o 
  ¡  
  k l m n o P%Q  Ü   $&I J¬
  ¡  
  k l m n o P%Q  
ZÄ8Í Î Ï Ðý   . 
  ÉǜDE  â I J 
DE  
žŸ23 4žŸ ŽDE‡ Oˆ
¸$&I
Ö  DE ."$&g    ? ufƒ(¤¥   
I
Ä8
™"
žŸ  ! èuf–
¯    
I

Ä8 ü k l m n o 
  ¡   Ž Ò 2ª DE  ɦ§   DE  
žŸ23 4–7  
  ¡  DE  p23 4–7  DE 5  ‰³  
ô  õ s  "$&g   
èufƒ(¤¥  
I
 îQ
º8
™"
žŸ   !DEq1 #k l m n o  ´ ³ # DE DE  
¿ Å   ufƒ(© 2ªIœ ufƒ(¤¥DE  
"$&g     
  $&g¬ ŽDE  q   ½ 
† DE  
¿ Å  ¿À÷˜  bV #k l m n o  
I
 îQ
–7  
  ¡  
™"
žŸ  ! ŽDE‡ Oˆ
¸ Ž #  . ŽI  Ԕ R1!!@˜   ŽDE  q   ½ 
† ٣٠ ٣١ ٣٢ ٢١ 21 Chapter on the First Kind of Legislative Statement and the seven during the return, making ten complete days. God said: “That is ten complete days in all.” This phrase could be an additional clarification, or it could be that He informed them that three, when added to seven, makes ten complete days in all. God also said: «And when We made an appointment of thirty nights for Moses and rounded them off with ten more; and the full period of his Lord was forty nights.»42 It is quite clear to those addressed by this verse that thirty and ten makes forty nights. His saying “forty nights” could have either of the meanings that the preceding verse had: that if thirty are added to ten they make forty...