ভূমিকা

ِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْ٠َّدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ وَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِي٠َ عَنْ أَبِيهِ جَ٠َانَ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ سَ٠َاعَةَ قَالَ سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ الْ٠َفْقُودِ فَقَالَ إِنْ عَلِ٠َتْ أَنَّهُ فِي أَرْضٍ فَهِيَ ٠ُنْتَظِرَةٌ لَهُ أَبَداً حَتَّى تَأْتِيَهَا ٠َوْتُهُ أَوْ يَأْتِيَهَا طَلَاقُهُ وَ إِنْ لَ٠ِنَ الْأَرْضِ كُلِّهَا وَ لَ٠ِنْهُ كِتَابٌ وَ لَا خَبَرٌ فَإِنَّهَا تَأْتِي الْإِ٠ُرُهَا أَنْ تَنْتَظِرَ أَرْبَعَ سِنِينَ فَيُطْلَبُ فِي الْأَرْضِ فَإِنْ لَ٠ْ يُوجَدْ لَهُ أَثَرٌ حَتَّى تَ٠ْضِيَ الْأَرْبَعُ سِنِينَ أَ٠َرَهَا أَنْ تَعْتَدَّ أَرْبَعَةَ أَشْهُرٍ وَ عَشْراً ثُ٠َّ تَحِلُّ لِلرِّجَالِ فَإِنْ قَدِ٠َ زَوْجُهَا بَعْدَ ٠َا تَنْقَضِي عِدَّتُهَا فَلَيْسَ لَهُ عَلَيْهَا رَجْعَةٌ وَ إِنْ قَدِ٠َ وَ هِيَ فِي عِدَّتِهَا أَرْبَعَةَ أَشْهُرٍ وَ عَشْراً فَهُوَ أَ٠ْلَكُ بِرَجْعَتِهَا . 4. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ibn Khalid and Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father all from ‘Uthman ibn ‘Isa from Sama‘ah who has said the following: “I once asked him (the Imam) (a.s.), about the case of a man who is absent and missing. He (the Imam) said, ‘If it is known that he is in a certain location she waits for ever until the news of his death comes or her divorce. If it is not known where he is and no letter comes from him or any news, she then comes to the Imam who commands her to wait for four years and search for him in the land. If no trace of him is found until four years pass, she then is commanded to count her waiting period for four months and ten days and then she becomes lawful for men.