Trace, effect, report (athar)

In the lexicon, athar means the remainder of a thing or a report. One says athara fihi, meaning he left a trace in it. ¹

Jurists use athar for the remainder of a thing, such as the remainder of an impurity. They use it for a report, meaning a hadith that is attributed to the Prophet, to a Companion, or to a later figure, and some restrict it to a report stopping at a Companion. They also use it for what follows from a thing, which they call its ruling, as in the effect of a contract, of its dissolution or of a marriage. ¹

A sign comes before a thing and a trace comes after it: clouds and winds are signs of rain, and the trace of rain points to it without proving it. Al-ma'thur is used for saying and deed, while athar is used only for saying. Khabar usually means a report traced to the Prophet, and athar a report traced to the Companions. ¹

The ruling depends on the sense. As a remainder, if the trace of an impurity cannot be removed, it is excused. ¹ As an effect, the effect of a contract is what the contract was made to produce, such as the transfer of ownership in a sale or the lawfulness of enjoyment in a marriage. ¹