Grand Ayatollah Shirazi Discusses Distinction Between Ruling and Subject During Daily Scholarly Meeting

In a recent scholarly session, Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Sadiq al-Hosseini al-Shirazi addressed attendees, continuing his tradition of responding to various jurisprudential questions.

During the meeting, Grand Ayatollah Shirazi elaborated on the distinction between “ruling” and “subject.” He explained that a ruling consists of the legal obligations set by the Divine Legislator for the obligated individuals (Mukallafin), which include categories such as obligatory, forbidden, recommended, discouraged, and permissible. In contrast, the subject refers to the entity to which the legal ruling applies; it signifies what the legal ruling is imposed upon.

His Eminence further clarified that the ruling pertains to the judgment issued regarding an action, while the subject pertains to the action itself. For instance, if the subject is prayer, the ruling is that it is obligatory.

Additionally, the Supreme Marja emphasized that the apparent meanings of words are also Hujjat (Proof). Sometimes, a term may indicate a ruling, while at other times, it may indicate a subject.