What it means
رساله (resâle) derives from the Arabic word risâla, meaning “message” or “treatise.” In classical Persian and Arabic literature the word refers to any short written work or epistle. In the context of Shia Islamic practice, رساله توضیح المسائل (resâle-ye towzih-ol-masâ’el), literally “treatise clarifying issues,” is the practical legal manual issued by a marja’. It covers obligatory acts, prohibitions, and recommended practices on topics from prayer and fasting to business transactions and family law. The word رساله is also used in academic settings to mean a thesis or dissertation.
How to use it
- رسالهی آیتالله خامنهای رو داری؟ (Resâle-ye Ayatollah Khamenei ro dâri?) “Do you have Ayatollah Khamenei’s jurisprudence guide?”
- جواب این سوال رو توی رساله پیدا کن. (Javâb-e in so’âl ro tu-ye resâle peydâ kon.) “Find the answer to this question in the resâle.”
- طبق رساله، این نماز باطله. (Tebq-e resâle, in namâz bâtele.) “According to the resâle, this prayer is invalid.”
- رسالهام گم شده، باید یه دونهی دیگه بگیرم. (Resâle-am gom shode, bâyad ye dune-ye dige begiram.) “My resâle is lost, I need to get another one.”
Cultural note
Every Shia Muslim who follows a marja’ is expected to own and consult that cleric’s resâle. These books are printed in large runs and distributed at mosques, religious bookshops, and increasingly as mobile apps and websites. The توضیح المسائل format was standardized in the twentieth century and now follows a fairly consistent structure across different marjas, making it easier for followers to look up rulings. A doctoral thesis at a university is also called a رساله in Persian, using the same Arabic root in its classical sense of a scholarly written work.