المعنى الاصطلاحي :

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A person’s ability to do something or leave it.

الشرح المختصر :

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"Istitaa‘ah" (ability) is a person's capacity and ability to do something or leave it. It differs from one person to another and from an action to another. "Istitaa‘ah" has several divisions according to its types, such as: 1. Financial/ physical "istitaa‘ah". 2. Self/ assisted "istitaa‘ah". Self "istitaa‘ah" is when a legally responsible person is able to observe his duties on his own, without help from others. Assisted "istitaa‘ah" occurs when a legally responsible person is able to observe his duties only through the help of others, and not on his own. 3. "Istitaa‘ah" before/ during the action. "Istitaa‘ah" before the action is the ability to observe the obligations while having sound faculties. It is also called "istitaa‘ah shar‘iyyah" (legal ability or ability under the Shariah). This is the type of "istitaa‘ah" meant in the terminology of the scholars of Principles of Islamic Jurisprudence (Usool-ul-Fiqh). The commands and prohibitions of the Shariah are applicable only when the condition of "istitaa‘ah" is met. "Istitaa‘ah" during the action is what accompanies and brings about the action. It is termed "istitaa‘ah kawniyyah" (general ability).

التعريف اللغوي المختصر :

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"Istitaa‘ah": the ability to do something. Opposite: "‘ajz" (inability). It is derived from "taw‘", which means submission, responding. Other meanings: endurance, likelihood, capability, power.

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