ISLAMIC LAWS ACCORDING TO THE FATAWA OF AYATULLAH AL UZAMA
SAYYID ALI AL-HUSAINI SEESTANI DAMA DHILLUHU

1069. It is necessary that there should be nothing between the forehead of the person offering prayers, & the thing on which he offers Sajdah. If the mohr (sajdagah) is so dirty that the forehead does not reach the mohr itself, the Sajdah is void. But if only the colour of mohr has changed, there is no harm.

1476. The follower should not say Takbiratul ehram before the Imam. As an obligatory precaution, he should not say the takbir until the takbir of the Imam is completed.

1478. If a follower recites other parts of prayers other than Takbiratul ehram before the Imam, there is no objection. But, if he hears them being recited by the Imam, or if he knows when Imam is going to recite them, the recommended precaution is that he should not recite them before the Imam.

1479. It is necessary for the follower that, besides that which is recited in the prayers, he should perform all acts like Ruku & Sajdah with the Imam or a little after him, & if he performs them before the Imam, or after a considerable delay, intentionally, his congregational prayers becomes void. However, if he converts to Furada, his prayers will be in order.

Paper # 27
ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS ASKED OBTAINED FROM ISLAMIC LAWS BOOK OF AYATULLAH AL-UZAMA
SAYYID ALI AL-HUSAINI AL-SEESTANI DAMA DHILLUHU (unless otherwise indicated)

Sulayman-ibn-Mahran said that he visited Imam Sadiq [a] while some of the followers (Shi'ah) were attending him [a]
& he heard that the Imam [a], addressing them, said: "(Behave) to be as ornaments for us & not to be against us
as shame. Tell people of goodness, & protect your tongues & hold it from excessive talk &
offensive speech."  (Al-Amali, by Saduq, p. 142)

a] Turbatul Husayn (a.s.) is the best thing for performing Sajdah. After it, there are earth, stone & grass, in order of priority
b] Sajdah can be performed on things which grow from the earth, & serve as fodder for animals (e.g. grass, hay, etc.).
c] Sajdah can be performed on flowers which are not edible & also on medical herbs which grows from the earth. But Sajdah on raw fruits is not permissible.
d] Sajdah can be performed on limestone & gypsum, but the recommended precaution is that Sajdah should not be optionally performed on baked gypsum, lime, brick & baked earthenware, etc.
e] It is permissible to perform Sajdah on cement (Contemporary Legal Rulings in Shi’I Law – Ayatullah Seestani)

Paper # 28
ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS ASKED OBTAINED FROM ISLAMIC LAWS BOOK OF AYATULLAH AL-UZAMA
SAYYID ALI AL-HUSAINI AL-SEESTANI DAMA DHILLUHU (unless otherwise indicated)

Imam Sadiq [a] said: "There are three things which are the honor of a believer & his ornament both in this world &
the next. They are: prayers in the last part of night (night prayers), not coveting what people possess in their
 hands, & the love (& leadership) of an Imam from the progeny of Muhammad [s]."
(Bihar-ul-Anwar, vol. 75, p. 107) (to be continued next week)

f] Sajdah can be performed on paper, if it is manufactured from allowed sources like wood or grass, & also if it is made from cotton or flax.
g] If a person does not possess anything on which it is allowed to perform Sajdah, or, even if he possesses such a thing, he cannot perform Sajdah on it due to severe heat or cold, he should perform Sajdah on asphalt or tar, & if that is not possible, on his dress or the back of his hand, or on any thing on which it is not permissible to perform Sajdah optionally. However, in such a situation, the recommended precaution is that as long as it is possible to perform Sajdah on his dress he should not do Sajdah on any other thing.
h] The Sajdah performed on mud, & on soft clay on which one’s forehead cannot rest steadily, is void.
i] If the Mohr sticks to the forehead in the first Sajdah, it should be removed from the forehead for the second Sajdah.