33 بابُ فِي ذِكرِ ما كَتَبَ بِهِ الرِّضا عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ...
33 بابُ فِي ذِكرِ ما كَتَبَ بِهِ الرِّضا عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ إِلى مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سَنانٍ فِي (جَوابِ مسائله فِي العِلَلِ) 1 - حَدَّثَنا مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ ماجِيلوَيْه - رَحْمَةُ اللَّه - عَنْ عَمِّهِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ أَبي القاسِم عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَلِى الكُوفِي عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سَنان وَحَدَّثَنا عَلِىِّ بْنِ أَحْمَدِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِمْران الدَّقَّاق وَمُحَمَّدِ بْنِ أَحْمَدِ السنانِي وَعَلِىِّ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّه الوَرَّاقُ وَالحُسَيْنِ بْنِ إِبْراهيمِ بْنِ أَحْمَدِ بْنِ هِشامِ المكتب - رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ - قالُوا: حَدَّثَنا مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ أَبي عَبْدِ اللَّه الكُوفِي Ali al-Kufi quoted on the authority of Muhammad ibn Isma’il, on the authority of Ali ibn Al-Abbas, on the authority of Al-Qasim ibn Al-Rabi’a As-Sah’haf, on the authority of Muhammad ibn San’an, and also Ali ibn Ahmad ibn Abdullah Al-Barqi, Ali ibn Isa - the neighbor to the Kufa Mosque, and Abu Ja’far Muhammad ibn Musa - may God have Mercy upon them - narrated that Muhammad ibn Ali Majilawayh, quoted on the authority of Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Khalid, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Muhammad ibn San’an that Abal Hassan Ali ibn Musa Ar-Ridha’ (a.s.) wrote the following reasons (behind the decrees) in response to Muhammad ibn San’an’s questions: And the reason behind the obligatory ritual ablution (ghusl) for the major ritual impurity is to cleanse and purify man’s self from what has impurified him.
And another reason is to purify the rest of the body from impurities as impurities have come out from all over the body. That is why it is obligatory to clean the whole body. And the reason behind the lesser decree about urination and defecation is the frequency of these acts compared to that of the major ritual impurity, the hardships involved, and the fact that there is no will in doing these acts and there is no lust involved in doing them.
However, there is lust in major ritual impurity and it is the result of an intentional act. And the reasons behind the ritual ablution on the two major festivals[^1] and on Fridays, and other cases is to express a servant’s honoring of his Lord, prepare himself for Him - the Glorious the Magnificent to ask Him to forgive his sins. Another reason is that they are the holidays which are known to be for congregations in remembrance of the Sublime God.