Among the Shia the term is short for a risalah-yi'amaliyyah (Persian: رساله عملیه) or treatise on practical law.
These treatises are also known as collections of juridical edicts or clarifications of questions (Arabic: توضيح المسائل).
[2] These books contain the cleric's practical rulings on the application of Islam to daily life.
[3] They are arranged according to topics such as ritual purity, worship, social issues, business, and political affairs.
In considering each application they outline the principles and texts used to reach a specific ruling.