Selected Treatises (Montakhab Al-Masä’el)

The book of “Selected Treatise” is one of the Haj Äghä Hossein Tabatabai Borujerdi’s works. This book is a treatise about important things of religious subjects called “Manhaj Al-Reshäd”. In fact, about Man’s creation and also his creation is not vain and useless has been related subjects, and emphasize that, it is necessary for every adult try to reach his goals, in worshiping the God and in the meaning of worship show honor and humility. In this book (as its name shows its subjects is a selection from treatises) Hojato-Islam Tabatabai Borujerdi has explained the quality of attention by#### prophets, “trustees” (ôsiyä) and revealed Books on different Person, to his/her different states. However, before explaining all duties, when the boy got fifteen-year old or before it, got “Mohtalem” (having had a wet dream), and the girl got ten years old, it is necessary on the same day of maturity or in the first hour of maturity trying to do six tasks. These tasks have been related in the book of “Selected Treatises” and for each task, in its quality and quantity, are an explanation. If he/she did not do it will be added some other injunctions to it, which the details of each injunctions have been related in this book.

The author’s biography:
Ayatollah Haj Agha Hossein Tabatabai (Borujerdi), the shia “authority” (marja’) and famous scholar of 14 century was born in Borujerd in 1875A.D. (1292A.H.). His father “Haj Seyyed Ali was one of the Borujerd scholar and most of his ancestors and family were one of their times scientists and scholars. Haj Aghä Hossein went to school from the age of 7. He learned Quran, literature and logic very soon. At the age of 18 he went to Isfahan which that time was one of the important scientific centers. During 10 years, he studied in the presence of great scholars and reached to the high scientific stages which 3 person of his masters permitted him of Ejtehad. Synchronous with education, he started the teaching of “jurisprudence” (feqh) and “methodology” (osul) which many scholars participated in his classes. He went to the Holy Najaf about 1902A.D. (1320A.H.) and attended at the classes of Seyyed Mohammad Kazem Khuräsäni (Äkhund) and Seyyed Mohammad Käzem Yazdi Tabatabai. After many years dwelling in Najaf he returned to the Borujered in 1910A.D. (1328A.H.), which this returning and dwelling in Borujerd lasted 36 years. During this period, he had many scientific and social activities. From the early years, he had logical and serious fight against the stray sect of Baha’ism and eradicating them from that territory. With forming the classroom and gathering the scholar seminarians, he put the cornerstone of seminary which during many years had extremely valuable results.
Mr. Boroujerdi in addition of scientific and researching tasks, had the broad programs in Islam world and Muslims’ social positions. This great Divine man left behind himself many mementos and the virtuous deeds. We briefly mention some of them:
1- “Azam” (great) mosque in Qom next to Fatima Al-Masumeh shrine (p.b.u.h.),
2- the library of Azam mosque
3- theological school in Najaf next to the Imam Ali’s shrine
4- “Hussainia” (a place in which Muslims mourn the martyrdom of Imam Hossein) and bathroom in Samarra
5- Hamburg Mosque in Germany, reconstruction and repair of some schools, library, mosque in different cities and countries such as Feyzye and Khan school in Qom, Bogh’e school in Karbela, theological school in Kermanshah and Nekui hospital in Qom.
Finally this divine scholar died at the age of 88 in the Thursday morning of 4.30.1961A.D. (1360/1/4S.H., 1380/10/12A.H.).

The book structure:
The book of “Selected Treatises” including six books which each of these books including several chapters and parts:
1- on explaining the “principles of religion”: Some of its titles are as follows:
-on explaining the subjects relevant to the imitating (a mujtahid),
-on “purities” (motaharät),
-on impurities
-on obligations and prohibited acts about going to the bathroom or toilet
-on the things that the “wozu” (ritual ablution) is necessary
-on injunctions of “Jabä’er” [Jabä’er means: anything which we use as a treatment such as band-aid, plaster, bandage, etc and putting on the wound, fracture, burn, etc].
-on doubts
-on reason of “Ghusl” (ritual ablution),
-on explaining the reality of “Ghusl” (ritual ablution),
-on means of “Tayammom” (ablution with earth or sand instead of water),
-quality of “Tayammoum” (ablution with earth or sand instead of water),
-on menstruation
-on injunction of “Nafäs”(blood that comes out during childbirth),
-on “Estehäze” (excessive menstruation),
-on injunctions of dead people which including six chapters

2- The book of “prayer” (salat):
2-1- on daily prayer which including five parts
2-2- on prayer’s “subsidiary rules” (muqärinät),

3- The book of fasting: including three parts:
-first part: on explaining its conditions and addenda
-second part: on explaining the reality of fasting
-third part: on “zakat fitr” (alms given at the end of fasting month).

4- The book of Al-zakat: including three parts as follows:
-first part: on conditions of zakät and whatever belongs to it
-second part: on “Nesäb” of each one of the zakät’s goods and the amount which should be assign or separate for each one [Nesab means the definite limit for assigning the zakät],
-Third part: on usages of “zakät”, its conditions and its giving quality

5- The book of “kums” (one fifth of property):
-part one: on whatever “kums” belong to it and its conditions
-part two: on quality of using the “kums” (one fifth of property),

6- The book of marriage:
-chapter on will
-chapter on inheritance
-chapter on expropriation
-chapter on debut
-chapter on vow
-chapter on “religious endowment” (waqf),
-chapter on Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca), mortgage, confession, prohibition (hajr), “Hudd” (physical punishment), on fishing and slaughters
-chapter on miscellaneous subjects.