The Amount of the Sa' and the Farsakh According to Modern Measures
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The question: Also, he says, or this is a letter from the sender Salah Hamid al-Lahibi, who says: Sulayman al-Shabana, may Allah reward you with good. I hope you will present my letter to the Shaykh: 'Abd al-'Aziz ibn Baz. In this letter, he asks: How much is the sa' in current measures? And how much is the farsakh in current measures as well? May Allah guide you.
The answer: As for the sa' in current measures, it is close to three kilograms. The Prophetic sa' is close to three kilograms, except for a little. So, if one gives three kilograms as the sa' for zakat al-fitr, he has given a sufficient amount.
As for the farsakh: I do not know its amount in relation to current scales right now; I do not remember it now. However, it is easy for one who reflects on it; because the burd is four farsakhs, and the burd is half a day, so four farsakhs are approximately twelve hours; because the distance for shortening the prayer, according to a group of scholars, is four burds, which is sixteen farsakhs, and the burd is four farsakhs, which is half a day, which can be equivalent to six hours, so each farsakh is approximately one and a half hours. So, the result is that it becomes clear to one who reflects on it, if Allah wills, because the farsakh is known. Yes.
The presenter: He also asks: What is sujud al-sahw? When is it obligatory? How is it performed? Is it before the taslim or after it? And how do I act if I do not know whether I prostrated two times or one, or whether I recited the tashahhud before the salutation upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) or not? And most of these situations are based on suspicion?
The Shaykh: We return to the first inquiry. The farsakh can be estimated approximately; because the two days of travel are four burds, and the burd is four farsakhs, and the four burds are sixteen farsakhs, which is a day and a night, meaning twenty-four hours. Twenty-four hours means that the burd is six hours and the farsakh is one and a half hours. So, the burd can be approximated to twenty kilometers, and the farsakh is close to five kilometers approximately; because four farsakhs are twenty kilometers... sixteen farsakhs are eighty kilometers approximately, and this is the approximate distance for shortening the prayer according to the majority. Those who approximate it to seventy kilometers... eighty kilometers is the distance for shortening according to most of them, meaning: if a person travels it, he shortens the prayer in it, and what is close to it. And by this, the amount of the farsakh in kilograms is known, yes, approximately five kilometers.
The answer: As for the sa' in current measures, it is close to three kilograms. The Prophetic sa' is close to three kilograms, except for a little. So, if one gives three kilograms as the sa' for zakat al-fitr, he has given a sufficient amount.
As for the farsakh: I do not know its amount in relation to current scales right now; I do not remember it now. However, it is easy for one who reflects on it; because the burd is four farsakhs, and the burd is half a day, so four farsakhs are approximately twelve hours; because the distance for shortening the prayer, according to a group of scholars, is four burds, which is sixteen farsakhs, and the burd is four farsakhs, which is half a day, which can be equivalent to six hours, so each farsakh is approximately one and a half hours. So, the result is that it becomes clear to one who reflects on it, if Allah wills, because the farsakh is known. Yes.
The presenter: He also asks: What is sujud al-sahw? When is it obligatory? How is it performed? Is it before the taslim or after it? And how do I act if I do not know whether I prostrated two times or one, or whether I recited the tashahhud before the salutation upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) or not? And most of these situations are based on suspicion?
The Shaykh: We return to the first inquiry. The farsakh can be estimated approximately; because the two days of travel are four burds, and the burd is four farsakhs, and the four burds are sixteen farsakhs, which is a day and a night, meaning twenty-four hours. Twenty-four hours means that the burd is six hours and the farsakh is one and a half hours. So, the burd can be approximated to twenty kilometers, and the farsakh is close to five kilometers approximately; because four farsakhs are twenty kilometers... sixteen farsakhs are eighty kilometers approximately, and this is the approximate distance for shortening the prayer according to the majority. Those who approximate it to seventy kilometers... eighty kilometers is the distance for shortening according to most of them, meaning: if a person travels it, he shortens the prayer in it, and what is close to it. And by this, the amount of the farsakh in kilograms is known, yes, approximately five kilometers.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.