A Jurisprudential Study of the Duty of Pilgrims Unable to Say Talbīyah Correctly

One of the obligations of iḥrām is talbīyah which must be said in Arabic and correctly. However, many non-Arabic pilgrims are unable to say talbīyah correctly, which causes their concern. Since different views are presented by the Imamiyyah jurists about the duty of these pilgrims, it seems absolutely necessary to understand jurists’ fatwas on this issue and examine their arguments to reach the truth. Different opinions of jurists are based on different narrations. Examining the authenticity of narrations and the validity of documents clarifies that the only flawless relevant narrations are two correct and authentic narrations, namely “masadah” and “zararah” which should be combined. The most traditional way of combining these two narrations is to combine their text and manifestation, which is also the most important innovation of this study. A “masadeh” narration clarifies the adequacy of the wrong saying of talbīyah by incapable pilgrims, and a “zararah” narration refers to the necessity of asking an agent to say talbīyah instead, which, according to the explicitness of the “masadah” narrations, we abandon this view and find it as a recommendation (istihab). Therefore, it is enough for incapable pilgrims to say talbīyah in any way they can; but they are advised to say talbīyah melodically (malḥūn), and at the same time, ask an agent to do it besides their own sayings, and it is more prudent to say the translation of talbīyah as well.