Purification (Tahharah) - الطّھارۃ

اعوذ باللہ من الشیطٰن الرجیم
بسم اللہ الرحمٰن الرحیم

الحمد لله رب العالمين ، أرسل رسوله بالهدى و دين الحق ليظهره على الدين كله و كفي بالله شهيدا ، و أشهد ألا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له ؛ له الملك و له الحمد ، يحيى و يميت و هو على كل شئ قدير و إليه المرجع و المصير ..و أشهد أن محمدا عبده و رسوله ، و صفيه من خلقه و حبيبه.رب اشرح لي صدري و يسر لى أمري و احلل عقدة من لساني يفقهوا قولي ..

All praises to Allah SWT who is our creator, sustainer and the master of universe. I bear witness that Prophet Mohammad SAW is the last and the final messenger of Allah SWT, a guide sent to this mankind to deliver the message and to show the path of Allah SWT.

Dear Respected Brothers Sisters and Elders in Islam, Assalam o allaikum Wr Wb:

Few weeks ago we touched upon a subject, ‘Cleanliness of the heart’. We said that all our practices in Islam and Iman will not be complete unless we achieve Taharrah of the hearts, the cleanliness of our hearts. Apart from the purity of heart and the soul, a second meaning of Taharrah is the physical cleanliness of our bodies. We had mentioned before how it is important for us to purify our hearts from the sins and evils that surround us in our daily affairs and today we continue the topic towards the completeness of this Taharrah in the form of physical cleanliness.

The physical purity of our body is divided in two parts.
1) Fard Practice of Purity
2) Sunnah and Nafilah Practice of Purity

FARD OF TAHARRAH

For the “Fardh” practices, we have the “Wadu’a” or ablution and Ghusool (also Ghusl or Ightesal) or the full body wash accompanied with an intention. Without “wadu’a” a Muslim man or woman is not permitted to approach any prayer or “Salah” regardless if it is a required prayer or a “sunnah”. A Muslim also may not participate in any of the worship activities such as reading the Holy Quran, prayer, fasting, Hajj, and other practices, without first performing the “Ghusool”.

Ghusool becomes compulsory if the person is Junub. A person can be in the condition of Janaba during the following conditions:
- Man and Women having intercourse,
- If a person has experienced Wet dream
- If a woman is in Menstruation
- If a woman has recently given birth.



Allah SWT says in the Quran:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ لاَ تَقْرَبُواْ الصَّلاَةَ وَأَنتُمْ سُكَارَى حَتَّىَ تَعْلَمُواْ مَا تَقُولُونَ وَلاَ جُنُبًا إِلاَّ عَابِرِي سَبِيلٍ حَتَّىَ تَغْتَسِلُواْ وَإِن كُنتُم مَّرْضَى أَوْ عَلَى سَفَرٍ أَوْ جَاء أَحَدٌ مِّنكُم مِّن الْغَآئِطِ أَوْ لاَمَسْتُمُ النِّسَاء فَلَمْ تَجِدُواْ مَاء فَتَيَمَّمُواْ صَعِيدًا طَيِّبًا فَامْسَحُواْ بِوُجُوهِكُمْ وَأَيْدِيكُمْ إِنَّ اللّهَ كَانَ عَفُوًّا غَفُورًا

O you who believe! Approach not As­Salât (the prayer) when you are in a drunken state until you know (the meaning) of what you utter, nor when you are in a state of Janâba, (i.e. in a state of sexual impurity and have not yet taken a bath) except when travelling on the road (without enough water, or just passing through a mosque), till you wash your whole body. And if you are ill, or on a journey, or one of you comes after answering the call of nature, or you have been in contact with women (by sexual relations) and you find no water, perform Tayammum with clean earth and rub therewith your faces and hands (Tayammum)[]. Truly, Allâh is Ever Oft­Pardoning, Oft­Forgiving [4:43]

The benefit of making Wudu on our body and soul is mentioned time and again by the messenger of Allah SWT:

Abou Hurairah, RAA narrated that the messenger of Allah PBUH said:

“When the person performs the “wadu’a” and he washes his face then all of the sins and wrongs that he looked at, such as not lowering his gaze and such, will be washed away from his face with the water or with the last drop of water, and if he washes his feet then all the sins that his feet led him to will be washed away with the water or with the last drop of water until he is clean from all sins” [Muslim]

Among the noble “sunnah”, as mentioned in the text of “Fiqh” of Al-Imam Al-Shafe’ee, for the person is to say after the “wadu’a”:

" أشهد أن لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له و أشهد أن محمدا عبده و رسوله ، اللهم اجعلني من التوابين و اجعلني من المتطهرين ؛ سبحانك اللهم و بحمدك ، أشهد أن لا إله إلا أنت ، أستغفرك و أتوب إليك" ..

“I bear witness that there is no one true God but Allah, Who Has no partner nor an equal, and I bear witness that Muhammad PBUH is His servant and last messenger, O’ Allah, make me among those who are oft-repenting and make me among those who are seeking and having purity, Glory to only you O’ Allah, for you only are all praises, I declare no God other than you, I ask you for forgiveness and repent to you”.

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ إِذَا قُمْتُمْ إِلَى الصَّلاةِ فاغْسِلُواْ وُجُوهَكُمْ وَأَيْدِيَكُمْ إِلَى الْمَرَافِقِ وَامْسَحُواْ بِرُؤُوسِكُمْ وَأَرْجُلَكُمْ إِلَى الْكَعْبَينِ وَإِن كُنتُمْ جُنُبًا فَاطَّهَّرُواْ وَإِن كُنتُم مَّرْضَى أَوْ عَلَى سَفَرٍ أَوْ جَاء أَحَدٌ مَّنكُم مِّنَ الْغَائِطِ أَوْ لاَمَسْتُمُ النِّسَاء فَلَمْ تَجِدُواْ مَاء فَتَيَمَّمُواْ صَعِيدًا طَيِّبًا فَامْسَحُواْ بِوُجُوهِكُمْ وَأَيْدِيكُم مِّنْهُ مَا يُرِيدُ اللّهُ لِيَجْعَلَ عَلَيْكُم مِّنْ حَرَجٍ وَلَـكِن يُرِيدُ لِيُطَهَّرَكُمْ وَلِيُتِمَّ نِعْمَتَهُ عَلَيْكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ

O you who believe! When you intend to offer As-Salât (the prayer), wash your faces and your hands (forearms) up to the elbows, rub (by passing wet hands over) your heads, and (wash) your feet up to ankles[]. If you are in a state of Janâba (i.e. had a sexual discharge), purify yourself (bathe your whole body). But if you are ill or on a journey or any of you comes from answering the call of nature, or you have been in contact with women (i.e. sexual intercourse) and you find no water, then perform Tayammum with clean earth and rub therewith your faces and hands.[] Allâh does not want to place you in difficulty, but He wants to purify you, and to complete His Favour on you that you may be thankful.

We see from these ayahs, that Water is a pure substance that Allah SWT has created so that we may purify ourselves from it. Also, we see that Allah SWT has given us a permissibility of Tayammum if we are not able to find clean and pure water to make wudu or Ghusl. Allah SWT has a close relationship with us through the Salaat that we make. This worship is very dear to Allah SWT and it is for this reason, Allah SWT has given us the permission of Tayammum so that we do not break that relationship. In the situation, where there is scarcity of water, we are asked to make tayammum with the clean soil.

On the authority of Huzaifah Bin Yamman, Rasulallah SAW said:

“Allah has given us three favors or advantages over other people before us, He made our lines in the prayer like the that of angels perfectly straight, He made the whole earth a place of worship or Masjid for us, and He allowed us to use soil of the earth for purification if we can not find water” [Muslim]


SUNNAHS OF TAHARRAH:

Among the Sunnah moakkadah of the Taharrah is the use of the Siwak , that is brushing one’s teeth with Miswak. Using miswak refreshes the mouth of the beliver which is not only an ease for a fellow muslim but it is a habit most pleasing to Rasullalah SAW.

Imam Abu Hurairah RA is reported to have said that Rasullalah SAW said:

“If it wasn’t for the difficulty on my nation or “Ummah”, then I would have ordered them to use the “Miswak” before every prayer” [Bukhair & Muslim]

Other sunnahs of Taharrah can be understood from the hadeeth narrated by Aishah RA:
Rasulallah SAW said:

“10 (ten) things that are a part of the “Fitrah” or the built in human nature; clipping the mustache, letting the beard to grow, using the “Miswak” or brushing the teeth, making “Istinshaqu” by water or cleaning the nose by inhaling water, trimming the nails, washing the fingers all the way down to the knuckles, removing or plucking the underarm or armpit’s hair, shaving the pubic hair, and looking for water earnestly after a call of nature i.e. “Istinja’a”. The narrator said: I forgot the tenth but almost sure it was washing or rinsing the mouth” [Muslim]

This is cleanliness of the body is even more emphasised for the Salaatul Jumma. Rasulallah SAW is reported to have said on the authority of Salman Al Farsi:

“If a Muslim person performs “Ghusool” for Jumu’ah, and cleans himself as much as he can, then uses some oil on his hair (for beauty), or puts on some perfume then goes to perform Al-Jumu’ah prayer and he does not separate two people (meaning does not causes them to hate each other or doesn’t intrude between them), then does the “Sunnah”, then listens carefully and humbly to the Imam while giving the Khuttbah without speaking or paying attention to any thing else, then Allah SWT shall forgive his sins from that Jumu’ah to the next Jumu’ah” [Bukhari]

Also, one needs to bear in mind that along with the physical cleanliness, Islamic teachings encourage us to have a clean appearance. Rasulallah SAW encouraged people to wear clean clothes when coming to Jummua Salaat and it was his own noble practice to wear the best clothing when coming for the Salaat ul Jummah.

Our ibaadah depends on our cleanliness, both of our hearts and of are body.
May Allah SWT give us the ability to understand the commandments of Allah SWT and to implement them in our daily life.

Wa ma Taufiqi Illah Billah.

Special thanks to الشیخ احمد الزارع
Delivered at Fredericton Islamic Association, Masjid on June 1, 2007