ANSWER: Both taking and giving in marriage are permissible; thus did the
Lord decree when He ascended the throne of bounteousness and grace.
85. QUESTION: Concerning the Prayer for the Dead: should it precede or
follow the interment? And is facing the Qiblih required?
ANSWER: Recital of this prayer should precede interment; and as regards
the Qiblih: "Whichever way ye turn, there is the face of God."(18)
86. QUESTION: At noon, which is the time for two of the Obligatory
Prayers--the short midday prayer, and the prayer to be offered in the
morning, noon, and evening--is it necessary in this case to perform two
ablutions or would one suffice?
ANSWER: The renewal of ablutions is unnecessary.
87. QUESTION: Concerning the dowry for village-dwellers which is to be of
silver: is it the bride or bridegroom who is intended or both of them? And
what is to be done if one is a city-dweller and the other a
village-dweller?
ANSWER: The dowry is determined by the dwelling-place of the bridegroom;
if he be a city-dweller, the dowry is of gold, and if he be a
village-dweller, it is of silver.
88. QUESTION: What is the criterion for determining if one is a
city-dweller or a village-dweller? If a city-dweller taketh up residence
in a village, or a village-dweller in a city, intending to settle
permanently, what ruling is applicable? Is the place of birth the deciding
factor?
ANSWER: The criterion is permanent residence and, depending on where this
is, the injunction in the Book must be observed accordingly.
89. QUESTION: In the holy Tablets it hath been revealed that when someone
acquireth the equivalent of nineteen mit{~COMBINING MACRON BELOW~}h{~COMBINING MACRON BELOW~}qals of gold, he should pay the
Right of God on that sum. Might it be explained how much of this nineteen
should be paid?
ANSWER: Nineteen out of one hundred is established by the ordinance of
God. Computation should be made on this basis. It may then be ascertained
what amount is due on nineteen.
90. QUESTION: When one's wealth exceeds nineteen, is it necessary for it
to increase by a further nineteen before Huquq is due again, or would it
be due on any increase?
ANSWER: Any amount added to nineteen is exempt from Huquq until it
reacheth a further nineteen.
91. QUESTION: Concerning pure water, and the point at which it is
considered used.
ANSWER: Small quantities of water, such as one cupful, or even two or
three, must be considered used after a single washing of the face and
hands. But a kurr(19) or more of water remaineth unchanged after one or
two washings of the face, and there is no objection to its use unless it
is altered in one of the three ways,(20) for example its colour is
changed, in which case it should be looked upon as used.
92. QUESTION: In a treatise in Persian on various questions, the age of
maturity hath been set at fifteen; is marriage likewise conditional upon
the reaching of maturity, or is it permissible before that time?
ANSWER: Since the consent of both parties is required in the Book of God,
and since, before maturity, their consent or lack of it cannot be
ascertained, marriage is therefore conditional upon reaching the age of
maturity, and is not permissible before that time.