Wudhu and Gushul and Its Related Matters by Shaykh Fawzan

8/8/2019 Wudhu and Gushul and Its Related Matters by Shaykh Fawzan

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CHAPTER

Ablution

Anah, Exalted be He, says:

"0)"'' ' who haw Iulieved, when you rise'" {pert".m ) wash your factJ and your jonarnu 10 Ihe dbows and wipe over

)'(IlIr /lead$ and wash ,..,UT feM III the ankles ..

AI·M;l'idah: 6)

This states that performing ablution whenever rising to prayer

is obligatory, and tells us which Dcgan. should b<' washe<! and those which

should wiped during ablution, and spN:ifies what part of them should he

washed or wiped. Then, the Prophet (P BUH), through his sayings (nadir"s)

and has dearly the way ablution is to be performed.

Every Muslim should know that ablution has ar ta in conditions, obligatory

acts, and practices of the S"mmh to be observed while performing it. Both

conditions and obligatory acts must be fulfilled as much as possible in order to



I: PURIFICATION

enSure the validity of ablution. As for the acts of the Sunnah related to ablution,

they are considered y that guarantee the of

ablution. Observing these acts of the SIInna/, during ablution in creasel ones

reward, yet abandoning them does not affect the validity ofablution.

The Conditions of Ablution

There are eight condition, of ablution:

I-Being a Mu i li m

2- Being men tally sound

3- Having discrltion

4- Hav ing the intention of pcr(onni ng ablutionAccording to aforementioncd four conditions, ab lution is invalid if

performed by a di,beli""cT an a young child who not diltinguish right ""d wrong), Or one who not havethe intention of .blutin" (upon performing it), such as Jl"rforming it as

a way of refreshment in a hot weather, or as a means of .:leaning on . ,

body organs or certain impurities or the

5- Using pure water: Water used for performing ablution must hi" pure,

SO impure water is inadequate for performing ablu1ion.

6- Using legally-obtained water: If the waler used for ablution i.unlawfully acquired, Or taken by ablution will not be valid.

7- Being preceded by istinjll 'or istijlll<lr(when necessary as previouslymentioned).

8- Removing what m ay prevent wa te r from reaching skin of th e

ablution organs: That i." the one performing ablution ha, to remove

anything covering the organ. of ablulion, such as mud, dough, wax,accumulated dirt , thick paint, ete ., in ordu to .lIow water to reach theskin of the organ without hindrance.

The Obligatory Acts of AblutionThere are six obligatory acb, rdated to the organs ofablution:

I-Washing the whole face: Washing the whole fae e involves rinsing

the mouth and the nose with water. Accordingly, one's ablution is void

i fone w.she$ One·, face without rinsing 'both' the mouth and the nose



"wi th Thi s is because th e mouth and tileclons to the face,

and Allah. Exalt..:! be He. say. (regarding

• . .Wa.h

Jam;, •" AI ·Ma' id ah: 6) Thus, Al lah commands washing the

fac e du ri ng ab lution. '" who.:ver dis regards wa,hing any pan

of the face is considered 10 be disobedient to th e Command of Allah.

Exalted bc He. lhe l'ropht1 (PB UH) used to ismoulh

and nose "';Ih water "'hile ablution.

2-Washing Ihe foru rms including the d bows: Allah, Exahed

be He, says • .... .A"d Y<'ur '0 Iht cllo ........ (Q ur 'iln: Al -

Ml'idah: 6). i,e. washing then' including the d bows, a5 the Prophtl

(PBUH) used 10 do according 10 alIaditlt narrated in this regard ', 11

i. also Slated in another b.adlrh that the Prophet (PBUH) ", .. wa,hedhis haMds (during "bl", II'M) "",il hr reach rd "pprr arms· ' This

indicates that the elbows are includcd when wa shing the arms

during ablution.

3-Wiping o\'cr th e whole head : Wiping owr tl>c head incl ud es the

en s. for Allah. Exalted be He. says. ... .. And wipe owr your /read. ..(Quran: 6) Moreo-....,-. the Prophet (PBUH) said. "The tan

art ''''<lIed <IS par' ,,/rhe (Related by Ibn Mljah, Ad -Di raqulnl.

and other compil ers ofJ;imJirh) ' Therefore, it is in , orre,t to abandon

wiping over the cars, for il is insumcient to wi pe ovcr OM part o f the

head and another during ablution.

4-Wuhing the (eel induding the ankles: During ablution. the fn t

must be washed includ ing the ankles. (o r Allah, Exalt ed be He. says.

• .. ....nd IWlSh your /nl 'o ,h , ..nkl ..... (Qu.. n : 6) Here.

the preposition 'to' means 'w ith' according to the b/ld;"" pointing out

how ablution is performed, and through whi.:h it is Slated that the

whole feet mu st I>ewashed 'including' the ankles.

S-Sequence: The decrCi:d sequence has to be observed while pt'rforming

ablution. To d ari fy. onc with washing the face. fo llowed by th e

hands.. then wipes over the head. and fina lly washes Ihe (n l. as dearlyshown in the verse; Allah. Euhed be He. says:

"0 you who h""", bd lewd, .../ren}'Ou riH f" {perform/ ..... sh your f..us ..Md rour forearms fo fhe elbo,.,. ..nd wipe o,'er

your 1,£lUis and ", . h yourfu f 10 fh t "nklts ...

6)



t I 'Ul(lf lCAnON

The Prophet (PBUH) used to follow Ihat order while performing

ablution, saying:"This is an ablution without which Allah does not accept any pmyrr··

This is as rdated by AM! Dow(ld and other compilers of Jjadith.

6-Succession: This means to wash the organs successively without any

interval between washing Iwo organs. the organs must be washed

successively wilhout pau,e. as much as possible.

Theseare the obligatoryacts ofablulion that mustulfilled a,commanded

by Allah in His Ever-Glorious Rook, the Qur'an.

Scholars di"'gree concerning the ruling on lasmirah' upon starting

ablution; they differ whether it is an act of the Sunnah or an obligatory practice

of .blution. At any rate, according to a!! Muslim scholars, it is permissible to

start ablution with lasmiyah and it should not bandoned.

The reason - Allah knows best - behind specifying those four organs for

ablution (i.e. the face. hands, head, and the feet) may they are the

commonest bodily parts related to sins, ro their physical purification may be

an indication of spiritual purification (from the sin. committed by them).

The Prophet (PRUH) has stated that whenever a Muslim wash..-s one of these

organs (during ablution), the committed through it are remitted,

and that such fall and vanish with the now of the water used forwashing th.t organ, until the last drop of it. In addition, the Prophet (PBUH)

enjoined "'ring the Two Testifications of Faith following washing these organs

(i.e. following ablution) as a sign of combining both physical and spiritual

purity. The physical purity is achieved through washing those organs in the

way preS\:rit>ed i;.y Allah in His Ever·Glorious Book, the As for the

spiritual purity, it is achieved by the Two Testifications of Faith that

purify one from polytheism and disbetief.

In the last pan of the aforesaid verse related to ablution. Allah. Exalted be

He, says:

" . . Allah don not intend 10 mau difficulty f" r you, I .. He

intmdJ to purify you and romp/de Hisfavor upon y"" that you

may mt.,ful.H (Qur'ln : AI-MA'idah: 6)

Thu,. gentle reader, every Muslim has to know that Allah has dec...,ed

ablution in ordu to purify them from sins, and 10 complete His favor upon



o,'pt<r 6:Ablmion

them. Likewise, ifyou contemplate the opening of the Same verse, «0 you who

haYe belie ved • ." you will find that it is a generous, gentle call through whichAllah, Glorified be He, addresses those who have faith, as they are the ones

who will listen 10 , obey, ab ide byand benefit from what Allah says and enjoins_

That was .....hy the Prophet (PBUH) said:

"No On" /reeps being in" s/ate ofexcept ti,e believer ...

The Acts of the Sunnah to Be O b se rve d during Ablution

Whatever acts done in addition to the above· mentioned obligatory acts of

ablution an deemed desirable; he who observes them will be rewarded and

there will be no blame upon him who refrains from observing them. Hence,s<:holars call such acts as the acts of the S"",,,rlah to be observed during ablution,

or the desirabk practices of ablution.

Those acts are.s follows:

1- Using siwdk (t ooth·stick) during ablution: The virtues and the

way of using siwJk have been previously clarified. In particular, siwdk

is to be used while rinsing the mouth with water during ab lution,

in order 10 ensure the cleanness of the mouth and to be ready for

worshipping Allah. reciting His Ever·Glorious Book. Qur'an. and

invoking Him, Almighty and Ever·Majestic be He.

2· Startin g ablution with washing th e hands three times, before

washing the face, as enjoined in various lJadiths. This is also because

the hands are the meanS Ihrough which One dips out water and washes

the other organs, so washing the hands is regarded as insurance and a

prerequisite for the purity of all the other parts of ablution.

3- Start ing with rinsing the mouth a nd the nose before washing

the face. as stated in various /:1adiths. When one 1.\ not in a state

of fasting, one should rinse them inside and out (making water

spread all through the mouth, and sniffing water when rinsi ngthe

nose).4- Inserting one's wet fingers into one's (thick) beard . ensuring

that water reaches all its parts, and washing one's fingers and well,

especially between them.

S· Starting with the right organs before the left (as in washing the

hands and the feet).



I, PUR IFICATION

6- Washing the fact , hands an d feel up to three times Instead of once.

Thus. we have tackled the conditions, the ob ligatory acts, and the acts of

the Sunnnh to be observed d uring ablution. $0, you, gent le reader, should learn

thom. and keop observing them whenever you perform ablution to ensure the

legal ptrfection and va lidity of your ablution as well as the ",ware! for it.

We ask Allah to gran t us all more beneficial knowledge and gu ide uS to the

righteous deeds.

Endnotes

I Ad .Dlo raqulnt (268 ) ! /86] and AI .Bayh_q l (256) !1/93].2 Mus lim (246).

) Abii DlwUd (134) [I /n l . AI·T irmidhi (37) [1/531. Ibn MA_b (444) 111262j.nd Ad-

D1raquln l (53) 1111081.4 H" Moj.ah (419) [1/250 j.Abii Y. 'Lt (5598) and Ad .Do raqulnl (257) 11/831.

5 r",mi)'<lh; S.ying "Bj'mm,u," (i •. In Ih . N.m< of Allah ).

6 Ah"",d (22429) 15/355J and Ibn Mljah (278) [1/t781 .



CHAPTER

Way of Performing Ablution

Since you are now acquainted with the conditions, the obligatory acts,

and the acts of the S"",11l1r 10 be observro during ablution. then you ;rn,

aWflrt of the way ablution is performed. which is an application of

the loovc-menlioned ruli ngs. PUI differently, the perfect way of performing

ablution is achieved by observing obl galary acts, and of which arc derived from the texts of Sharl'oh (Islamic Law).

So, every Muslim ha s to spare no effort in observing them once he kn ew

them, Allah willing.

The Way of Performing Ablution1·lnten tion, To intend perfonning ablution for tne aets of wt:>!'Ship for

which ablution is such as prayer and the like

l -Tasmiyah: To uy "8i$mill<lh" (Le. In the Name of All;lh)

3-To wash the hand. th r« timet



I, PURIFICATION

4-To rinse th e mouth three times and th en to rin se the nose three

times (by sniffing water and then blowing it out using the left hand)

5-To wash the face three times, from the upper part of the forehead

(the beginning of the normal hairline) to the lower parts of the

jaws lengthwise, and from one ear to the other widthwise (without

washing the ears, as they are treated as part of the head, not the face, as

previously mentioned). The beard. as well, must be washed; ifthe hair

of the beard is not thick, one has to wash it internally and externally.

But if it is thick. it has to be washed from the outside, and it is desirable

to insert We-! fingers washing it internally, as mentioned above.

6-Towash the hands up totheelbows three times; each band isto be

washed from the parts of the fingers and nails to th e beginningof the upper arm. Moreover. one has to remon whatever sticks to the

hands or the fingernails (such as dough, mud or thick paint) before

washing them, so as to allow water to reach such parts.

7-To wipe over the whole head only once, including the ears, with

wet hands (provided the water used for wiping over them is fresh one,

unlike that remaining from waihing hands). The proper way of wiping

over the head is to be by putting one's wet hands on the upper part of

the forehead and let them pass backwards till they reach ones nape,

then ,..,turn them forwards to the starting point. After that, one is to

iniert ones two wet forefingers in the holes of th e ea .. whil e wipingover their outer parts with one·s two thumbs.

8-To wash the feet three times including the ankles. As for one

whose hand or foot is amputated. such one is to wash what i. left of the

arm or the feet. To clarify, if the arm i, amputated from the joint of the

elbow, one is to wash. the front part uflhe upper arm, and if the foot is

amputated from ankles, one i, to wash the tip of th e (amputated) leg:

Allah, Exalted be He,

"So feo.r Allo.h as much 0.. Jlou o.re o.hl<' •• .(Qur'an; At -TaghAbun; 16)

Similarly, the Prophet (PB UH) ,aid:

"If I command you 10 do something. thm do (of) it as much as you ca"." '

Accordingly, if a per,on wa,hes what i, left of an amputated limb. it

will be sufficient as onc tbus does what one can.



Ch.pter 7: w'Y of P" rforming Ablu,;oll

9- After finishing performing ablution, in with the

above stated form, one may raise one', sight towards the heaven and

invoke Allah with some of the invocations of the Prophet (PIlUH) in

this regard, such as saying:

"/ tesrify that rilere is no deiry bur AloIIC, with no partner, alld

I testify Mub.ammad is Hi$ &rvanl and His Messenger. 0 me ammlg those wlro Me conwmtly and me

among those who purify themselves:'

Or Saying:

"Exalted are You, 0 If praise !J., to YOlj . IINtify rhallhert is nO

deiry but You . I ask You for forgivelless alld turn to You in repelltallce:'

reason behind mentioning dhikr ' and invocation following

ablution is to rombine both physical and spiritual purity. for ablution

is a means of physical purity. whereas dl,ikrand invocatinn (implying

monotheism and are signs of spiritual purity. In this

way, one becomes in the most perfect state of purity (combining

both physical and spiritu.l purity), and becomes pure enough to be

admitted to stand before Allah (in prayer), imploring Him humbly

and submissively.

By the ...<ly, it is all right to dry ones organs with a towel or the like after

ablution.

Every Muslim ha.! to know that ab lution should be performed perfectly,

ensuring that water reaches all parts of the organ' washed during "blution,

without negligence. To illustrate, when the Prophet (PRUH) saw" man who

had left a spot on his foot, as small a.! a fingernail, unwashed (after ablution),

he (PBUH) said to him. "Go back and pe:rfonH Morrover, some

of the Pmphefs Companions reported that whell the Prophet (PBUH) aman offer;ng prayer while there was on the back of his foot a small part equal

to the spac. of a dirham (an Arab coin) which was not washed, i.e. water did

not reach it, he (PRUH) commanded him to both ablution andprayer'. In addition. the Prophet (PRUH) said:

·Woe to tile h.e/5 (if 1I0t ",aliled during nblrJtion) from rhe Fire! ·r

This is because one might be so re ltIC!ant concerning washing them thatone washe, them carelessly and water can hardly reach one·s ankles during

ablution and SOme spots remain un ...<lshed. which cames them to be tortu red

in the He llfire. Furthermore. in the badilh related by AbO DlW{)d and other

compilers of Hndith, the Prophet (PRUH) said:



1: PURIFICATION

"The prayerofanyofyou is nOI camplele u"til he performs ablution

perfectly, as AI/ah, E;o:alted be He, has ordered him, He should wash

J.i$faCt and hands up to the dlm",s, wipe over his head and (wash)

hisfeel up 10 lire aIrkles . '

How ever, Muslims should know that the perfection of ablution is nO! to

a lot of but it means to let water reach all parts of organ b"ing

washed. In foct, mere over-use ofwatu is regarded as prohibitw wastefulness

of water. Also, one may pour water wastefully during ablution without

performing it perfectly; the perfection of ablution with little water is exactly

what is legally enjoined. 11 is stated in the Two that the Prophet (PBUH)

used to perform ablution wilh one "'udd' and 10 tnke a bath with one 1<1 up

to five mudds ".

The Prophet (PBUH) also forbad e wastefulness of water; once he (PBUH)

passed by Sa'd while the latter was performing ablution and said to him:

"Whyareyou wasting all tl!is water?" Sa 'dSijid, "Ts tllere wastefulness

even in performing ablulio,,?" The Prophet (PBUH) replied, "Ye.<,

even ifyou were performing it from a river ofrun"ing

1nisb.adill! wa s relatw by Ahmad .n d lbn MAjah, and supported by other

narrations". The Prophet (PBUH) also slated that there would b" .ome people

of the Muslim nation who would the limi lS in purification, i. e. whowould purify them.dve. exc"Ssiveiy, wastefully ond having unsubstantiated

doubt ".He (PBUH) also said:

"There is I! demon of IIblution mlled AI· Wa/Mn, so be on your

gUllrd ag!!i",! insinuation i" "blution:"

Excessiveness in pouring water, which is considered wastefulness , leads to

other illegal, detestabl e consequence" such as:

Incomplete pu rifica tion:One may depend On using water in abundance

during ablution and so does not mah sure that water reacbes all parts

of the organs. Consequently. some spots may remain unwash ed whil.

one is unawue. Hence, one's ablution b,,:come. incomplete and thus

one perform' prayer without purification.

Excessiveness in wo rsbip : Ablution is an act of wOrllhip. and if any act

ofwOrllhip is excessively performed, it become. void.



] , W.y of Performing Ablmion

In sinuation in purification: One may get insinuation and b<: doubtful

purification

to excessiveness in using water

perfonning ablution.

In fact, the best way to the .foresaid is to follow in the

Prophet. footstep. and abide by hi. SUMMah, for the most evil of (religious)

matters are those newly innovated. May Allah guide us all to thO! which He

likes and to what pleases Him.

To sum up, you have, genlle reader. 10 b<: keen to ensure that your

ab lution and all the other "cts of worship are legally and perfectly observed,

with neither nOr negligence. for both extremes are dispraised,

and is the best of all matters. Negligence in of wor,hip makesthem imperfect, and excessiveness makes them subject to religious innovations;

following the example of the Prophet (PBUH) and abiding by his Sunnah is the

optimum way to perfo rm acts ofworship with due perfection. 0 Allah, make

uS know what is right and guide uS to fo!low it, make uS know what is wrong

and guide us to avoid it, and do not make things obscure for us, lest we may

go astray,

Endnotes

1 AI · BLlkhirl (7288) 11313081 and Mu.>Jim (6066) 18Ij ()8).

2 At ·Tirmidhl (55) I t 177 1. Mu,;im (552) 1211121. Aoo Dliwild (t 69) !1I89j, An_Na,I.'1

(J48) IJllOOjood Ibn Mlj.h (470) 1(1273).

3 Set Ibnu. · Suno\", '/trnal AI· .. n "",'·IAy/oh, p.ll.

4 Dhi'r. Invocations irnplyin!\ ",rn<rnbr,m« of.oo rntntioning Albh.

S Mu,lim (575) 12/1261·

6 Abii D1"i1d (175) !1/921.

7 AI · BukMrl (165) {113>Oj, (60) .nd Mu , lim (572) 1211 25 1. (>69) 121123 1.

8 AbLi D;\wild (85-8) I 1/3761. ( 11 JS) IIIS741. Ibn Ml jah (460) r /268 1: 1",At·T im, idhl (302) {2/l0l].

9 Mudd: A standard m" • • ur< , h.t .quals 543 gram ..

10 Sol', A ".ndard m" '

ur< th.t <qu.t, 2 72 gram•.11 (201)) t lJ98j.nJ Mu,;im (735) 1212331.

12 Ahm . d (7062) )21291] and Ihn Mlj. h (425) )112 54)

13 Abmad (16778) 14/1231 aod Aba (96) 111591.

14 At ·Tirmidhl (57) 11184) an d Ibn Mljah (421) r 1252 1.



,

H.



CHAPTER

Wiping over the Khuffs'

Islam is a religion of easiness and simplicity, not difficulty and strictness;

it decrees suitable rulings for each case, which ensure fulfilling legal purposes

and duties with no difficulty.

This aFplies to the rulings on abll.ltion decreed by Allah. To illustrate,

somrlimes there is something covering the organs washed during ablution

which is hard 10 remove and maybe needed as a means of protectiOll, e ither

for th e feet (such as khufft and the like), or for the head (such as turbans and

the liko). or for protecting wounds or th e l ih (such as splints, bandages, etc. It

is permissible for the one performing ablution to just wipe over such

covorings instead of removing them and washing what is underneath. Thisis the easiness made by Allah , G lorified and Exalted He, for His rdkving them from difficulty and strictness,

As for the perm issibility of wiping over the khuff t (and their likes. such as

socks) during ablution, instead of removing them and wa.\hing underneath, it



I, PURIFICATION

is in many mutawJtir,' ,ahih' badith. Ihat Ihe Prophet (PBUH) used 10

wipt: over them whether al home Or on a journey; he (PBUH) enjoined doing

the same,A, regards the legal proofs of the pennissibility of wip ing over the khliffi;,

AI-Hasan said, "/ was told by sevenly of Ihe o,mpanions of AI/ahs Messe'lger

(PBUH) that he "sed /0 over his kllUffs (with his wel Ilonds during ablution)." '

Moreover, An-Nawilwl said, "J1,e pcrmis.<ibility of wiping over the khufft was

reporled by innumerable Companions." lmam Ahmad also said,"There is not

a shadow of doubt in my mind concern ing 1110 legality of wiping over Ihe khuffs,

as there are forty harlil/'S of 1/,. Prophet (PBUH) i"dicaring its permis.<ibiJ ity." '

In addition, Ibnul -Mubarak and others slated that there WaS among the Companions concerning the permissibility of wip ing ov. . the

khuffs during ablution', Likewise, Ihnul-Mundhir and others reported thescholars' COnSensus on the pt:rmis.<ibility of such an act during ablution ' , In

addition, the Adherents of the Sunnah and Mus lim Community unanimously

agree on its permissibility, unlike those innovators in religion who do not

deem it pt:nnissibk

Wiping over the Khuffs during Ablution

This act is permitted and observing it is beller than taking offthe khuffs and

washing the feet, as the former is a sign of making use of the lega l permission

made by Allah, Almighly Ever·Majestic be He, following th e example

of the Prophet (PBUH), and contradicting the religious innovators. Wipingover the khuffs is a spiritual removal of the impurities undnneath, Also, the

Prophet (PBUH) never changed the condition ofhis feet to pt:rform ablution;

ifhe (PBUH) was wearing two klouffs,he used to wipe over them, and if not, he

used to wash his feet. Therefore, it is impermissible to put on klwffs just before

ablution in order to wipe over them while performing ablution.

The Duration of the Validity of Wiping over

the Khuffs without Taking Them off

It is permissible for a resident (i. •. not a trawler) 10 keep wearing khuffs

and wipe OVeT them during ablution for a period of one day and night. As

for a tTav.ler whose journey legally allow, shorTening prayer (i,e. when the

destination is far enough), Ihe period of permissibility is three days and night"

according to the bad/th related by lmlm Muslim, whkh states that the Prophet

(PBUH) specified three days (during which one can wipe over his khuffs) for



a tnlvdtr and one day and n igh t fo.- a resident'. For both (the resident and

the tn"eler), th e period of permis,sibility (of wiping OVeT the khlllfs) starts

from the time of being in a state of ritual impurity (causcd by pas,sing urine,

stool or wind) after wearing the /chuffs, as ritual impurity necessitates ablution

(for pn) 'ef). Still, some scholars that Ihe du n 1ion begins from tne first

ablution afur be ing in a state of ritual iml'tlrity.

The Conditions of Wiping O\'e!' the Khuffs, the Socks, and the Like

I · To n I of ritual purity (i .e. a state of ab lution) upon wearing

them, fo r it is Slated in th e Two Sall/hs' and other books ofJiadilh that

the Prophet (PRUH) said to the o nc who ""'nted to help him (ie . the

Prop""t) in taking his khuffs off to perform abl ut ion:

"Ledw Ihem liS I hUll pl4llhem after for/arming ablulio" . ..

It is also narntrd that ,safw ;!.n lbn . As.s;\1 aid:

"We arr cOlH mandM (by Ihe Prophet) to wipt over Ihe k/uifft if .... putthem on while being in a Slale of ritlla/ purity (j.e. after abllltion).""

Thus, it is quite obvioo$ that the ruling is dependent On being in a

state of ritual purity when putting th e khuffs on, so if one is in a state

of rilual impurity when putting them on, it is in'perm i.ssible for onc

10 wipe over them.

2· The khu ffs must be lawfully acquirrd, gottcn, and made. To clarify, if

they arr taun by f01"(( . or made of silk (for men), it is imIXrmissible

to wipe OYff them du ring ablution. In a word,a legal s not

to what is illegal.

3· The khuffi and their mwt completely cO\'er the feet up to the

ankles. One cannot wipe over nlfSS they are thick enoogh and

covering the pamofthe fut which a", to be wuhed. Thus. are

too short to cover the fett up to th e ankles. or arr not thick enough to

conceal underneath, it is imperm issible to wipe O'o·e, them.

Since it is permissible 10 wipe oVff lhe khufJi it is IX rmissible 10 wipe over

any fOOl covering.!. such as socks made of wool or s\"hlike materi.l. which

a", thick enough to cover underneath. Th nt '" due to the fact thal th e Prophet

(PBUH ) wipedUs ro.:ks and hi. shoes while performing ablution, as



I: PU RIFICATION

lute<! in the badHh by Ahmad and other complleu of Hlldllh. and

i/lh.ib (autMntk) by At·Tirm ldhl" . Wip ing 0V f f such things du ring

ablution is va lid uMil the legal period of pnmission ends rq;ardJcss of the

frequency oftaking tMm off and puUing them on.

As regards the it is p"rmissibl e to wip" over it on two conditions.

The first is that the turban must be covering the area of the head which is

traditionally ec:ond condition is that the turban must be wnpped

round the aw up to the head. onc or mo", than onc turn, (I f 10 be with

a Mc k lait.lt is slMro in many blldil/ts by more than Imlmithat the Prophet (PBUH) wiped over his turban during ablutio n. To illustrate.

·Urn a. Ibnul· Khanlb (may Allah be pleased with him) said:

"Ht who is no/ pur/jird by wiping om- IM lurb/ln (i.e. does nOIdum il sufficient for wiping uvrr Ihe helld). lhtn may Allah nOI

purify It Is worth mentioning that it is permissible to wipe on r the khujJs and

turbans only in caKofpurification from the 51ateo(minor ritual impurity. but

not ma jor ritual impurity (e.g.j<fndbah); onc has to take off 00<"5 khuffi and

turban and wa sh undcmeath in the laller case.

A s fo r splints. bandages. and the like, il is p" rmissible 10 wipe over them

during ablution (without ",mov ing them). Moreover.one is perm itted 10 wipe

plut(f$ that rovtr WOl,Lnds; all such coverings are permillcO to be wipedprovided they cover only the injured area or the necCSSMy p;arts which

nuclto be covered for tre.tmen!. However. if the splint, the bandage, or the

like, COVtrll than the injured .ru the unneccs ... Y pariS

must be removed. In addition. it is p('rmis$ ib!e to wip(' over splints in both

Mala of ritual impurity (minor and major ritual impl,Lrity), and Ihere is no

fiIrd period for tn. of wiping over them, In other words. il is

permlulbleto wifN' ovcrthe Spli nt until it is removed or tM broken !im bllcals.

In a nutshell, the permi ssibilily of wiping o,'e r the splint dl,Lring pl,Lrificalion is

drpendtnt on the necessity of the The proo f of the perm iss ibility ofwiping over the splint is the following

h.adfth nar"lIed by Jibir (may Allah M pleased with him); he "'J'Orted:

"O Ilel , we WTe on a jo urney and one of UJ was /njurr:d in hi:!

htlld by a stont. Then man had <l wet dream, so he asked hil

companion:! saying. '1:1 it permiuiblt/or me to {!tT/arm layammutI!



Oupl<f 8: Wiplng KJn.jfo

(dry abltj/io" Willl dea" earth)?' ntty amwtred him sayi"g. 'We

d() nol 1« any Irgtll pum is$i()n for )'I'U <IS) ' I 'U a"., able /0

mleT:So. the man had a ritual bolh ilfltT which he died , When we came

10 AI/aM PHUHJ, 11 " l<JId Il im aooul Ihi s. He (PBUH)

said, 'n/ey killed him; may Allah kill/hem! Why did Il l ly m./ ask

...htn bl ing ignurant,f()r inquiry is Ihe tu". ,for igrummcr? It omu ld

havt bun sufficient fo r /,im to per/onn tay<lmmum (im lnul of

ablution) and 10 his wound ...ilh a piea ofclolh owr IInd

thn 10 we. it (tile piece ofcloth).'·

(Related by Abtl DAw o.d and lbn Mlja h, and aiJliJ (authen-

tic) by lbnus-Sakan)"

The Areas to Be Wiped over

"

Wiping is to be appli..:! to the upper part of th e kl,ujft or the socks. As for

the turban, most of it should be wiped over, tSp« ially its folds. Hown'er, the

$plint has 10 be wholly ver.The Way Wiping over the Khuffs is Performed

Wiping over the khu/Js (during ablution) Is to be by passing one's we, finge rs

from one's toes towards on e's leg. The right fOOl is to be wiped over with Ih .

right hand, and via Also. one loould open OIleS fingers during wiping.

and soould nOl uptat wip ing. May Allah guide us all to righlrous

Endnotes

I /Or.ujfs; Loath .. tods o.-.h . , . . or thtidik

! Mura"'<ll;r « ""lln uOOloly _" rrom) ha.!i/h i , • hmi/I/' by a 1. t'g<" 0(n.,.,.,ton wh . . . "8re<:"'011 t upoo telling . lie I, In.:onuh .ble (lhi. <on(\i ,lon mu" ""

m<1 in I " " . d>O.in from I"" btginning 10 tl'" 00><1).

3 S<>hih {o"I""nl;,;) /lDdilh i• • J<I,lirh "'' ' ' ' ' ' ' <Nlnof I .nsmiss;oo ha. b« n I. . nsmin«lby lruly pious penon • ...no«n !mown for the;. upright""" lII<I aactit.. .k,

.uch .Il->dilh is f ... from and bI.mltll.

4 Se. Ibnul·/>funJhl,' .-1./· , 1 _1 11/430. -Illl. ..yIa· r. MI.I" A"IY)"h 1111621 . • H!

A/· I"IJ", &!""""'id .Uno.!"r 11/6151.

SStt .-I./-nl'" lIr!o"'<lm •U",d.:Il .-I./• -I../!k.!m 11/61 SI .

6 S« AI·A""", 1114).1)_



I, PURIFlCA:n O N

7 1bid

8 M..,.,Jim (6J7) [21 1671.

9 1he Two :;.,bih"wo Au'hentx: IlouU <>f Al·lll1kh l rl . nd Mudim.

10 AI·Buf.h.lrl (2()6) i1141}4] .nd Mur.lim (630) 11 11 I1 Ab.maJ (l1lO1!) [4/HO].

n Ahmad (18167) I4/.WlJ. Ab<! I)lwild (1 ,9) IIIAS], At·Tirmidhl (9\1) 1111 67] and loo

Mijah (5)9) (1 /)41J.Il AbQ DMId (l16)1 11I711; . . . also AbO'! w...:.d (ID) Il lm ) onc! [bot MJph (S7l) [W11 J.



CHAPTER

Things Nullifying Ablution

ha t you ha"" become 1"10"' aware ofhow ablution is what

;15conditions are, and what its obligatory practices and acts nfthe Su"nah :oK,

you n.ud now 10 know what causes ablution to be null ified. In this way,)"Ou

will avoid performing an act of worship (such as pr.!)'ffJ while your ablution

is null, and so will be tht3C1 ofwor5hip performed in that stale. Every Muslimshould know that are things that nullify ablution and that it becomescompletely null if any of them is done; in this case, one has to re-perform

ablution to do any act of worship n«e .. tating ablution.

TM thIngs nullifyinll ablution tany of whi.:h makes it invalid) are cerlain

malte" idm tified by the lawgi""r' to be affecting Ihe validityor ablution.

The Things Nullifying Ablution are ofTwo Types

1- Dirert nulliliers: They are the mallers that cause th e nullification of

ablution direclly. such as urine. stool, 3nd whatever comes OUI of Ih e

anus Ihe sexual orpn,



I: PUR IFICAT ION

2- Indirect nulli fiers: a", the matters that nullifotalion

of ablution indi",ctly. or makes validity of ablution suspicious.Such mallers include unconsciousness or similar slates like sl""ping,

fainling. insanity. etc. The reason i< that i fone is in a state of un con·

sciousness, one h«omes unable to fed what COmeS out of onll body

or what one does. ThUs, doubt in such s as an adUll

nullifying (actor.

For more clarification, we can classify the things nullifying

ablution as follows:

I)Whatever

comes out of the s\ool and urine exits, such as stool. wind.urine. sptrrn. fluid. and unusual menstrual blood. Stool

and urine are among the dirl'<:t things nullifying ablution, according

to the "'ligiou! tnts .nd jurislic consensus. as w!u,n Allah. Exalted be'

He, revealed thecastS that obligate ablution He .said:

":.. Or olle ofyou rom lite ploce of ti/lllelf. ..(Qur'in: 6)

As for <ptrrn and p""scminal flu id. they nllllify ablution according 10

the (authentic) in this regard. and the juristic

consenSU5 "'ported by Ibnul·Mundhir and others'.

As "'@:ardls ;sti/JII/llllt, ' it nullifies ablution according to the /yuIilh

by El.limah Hill t Abii liubaysh mentioning that she was

affiicted wilh ;sli/JlluIlIt, and when she asked the I>rophet (PBUH)

about ils ruling. he ( PH UH) said to her:

-Perform IIb[ulioll IIJ(n (rou ellll) offer pmJ"r.for il is (dut only

10)<1 Thi. iladilir wu by Abil mwild and Ad . D1roqu!nJ,' who said

that all the t .. Ilsmiltcrs of lhat ruslwor1hy.

Liktwise. wind nullifies abl ut ion according to lIlwIJ(authentic) b.tu/illts nanated in thiJ regard . , well as the juristic

collsensu' . Fm example, Prophet (P IIUm said:

will "OII1C£'pl Ihe proye' of anyone of ro" if he pasus u,ine,

sloul or breaks wi",/ u"lillie perfom" ab/ldiQII:



"AiSQ, (PBUH) u id rtgarding 0""" ,,,,ce rtainly one had

brokn wind or no t:

"One ,hould not proyer (to re·perform unless onehears

round (ofbreaki ,rg wind) or sm ells wmething." '

AJ for what COnK$ OUt of one's body other than urine. slool, and the

aforesaid secretions, such as blood, vomit, nrunlttd and the 11".

scholars disagr« whdheT such things nullify ablution or no l. Yet, the

prq><mw,rant opin ion i$ that it does not nulli fy ablution. However, if

ont ablution in ' his case 10 avo id such a ;uri"ic disagrtt·

menl. it will be. better.

2)Among the things nullifying ablut ion is mental unconsciousness eitherdue 10 insanity or due to sleeping, fainting and th e l ih. Thus, the

ablution of one in SlIth. Slate i. d...,mnI lIull. a.s tllere is suspicion in

this case that something hucome oul of one's body (such as a drop of

urine, wind, or the l iu) whik s Unaw;ll"C. Still, dOling is rrgardrd

as an exuptional case (Le. it does nOl null ify ablution) as the Prophefs

Compilflion.s (may Allah bf pkMcl with thtm) used 10 whik

waiting for II the mO$<jue . In a word , onlyd«p sleeping Causes

the nullification of ablut ion acco rding to the ample legal proofs.

J} Eating meat of camels, liUle or much, is al,o Oneof the things nullifying

ablution, according to the up/i( it (authentic) had/rh of Allah'sMrsscnger (PBUH) in th is regard ' . Im'm Ahma-d (may Allah mercy on him) said thattherc arc fWOtab.ih (au thentic) hadilhs o.scribed

to Allah', PBU H) in this connection. Still, eating any lawful

mut other than that ofnme4don no l nuse ablution to be null.

The,.., aT< some other issueson wh ich s.cholars dis,agree wh ether they nulli fy

ablution or not, such as touch ing one's penis, touching a woman lustfully,

washing the body of a deceased person, and apostasy. Some s.cholars view thatuch of the above-menlion<Cd matters nuSfi the nul lifICa tion of ablution. wh ileother, ma intain that it does not. The ;$.Sue is sti ll controversial and subj e<:tto

analogical deduClion, ablution in such ca$eS SO as to avo id

that juristic disagre<:menl will be helter.

There is <till an important i'fue in th is regard should be cla rified,

namely the case when onc is certain about the validity of one's ablution, then

onc suspects that any of the things nullifying ablution has taken place; what



I; PURIFICATION

should one do in Ihis case? It is slated thal the Prophel (PBUH), in Ihe l1adith

related by [mam Muslim on the :!ulhority of Abii Hurayrah {may Allah bepleased with him),.aid,

• faMy Oneof ou feds any 1mulenee (while being in astate ofablut;o n)

and;s doubtful whether anytlting (like wind) has jSjuedfrom him or

not, he should notleavt the mosque (to re-perform ablution) unless

he hears a sound (of breaking wind) or pe"cives a smell:'

This honorabie hadith, as well as similar ones that state the same

meaning, indicates that if one who is certain about one', purity then

doubts it, one should deem one,df pure (despite one's suspicion) and act

accordingly. ThL, is because Ihe original ruling is Ihal one is slili in a Slale

of purity, as purity is cerlain in I his case, and the null ification of ablUlion

here is based on mere suspicion. Thus, certainty i, nOI to be: eliminaled

because of suspicion. This is. in faCI, a greal generic ruling 10 be applied in

all cases; namdy, Ihe original rul ing is to remain applicable until otherwise

is verified. By comrast. if one is certain about the nullification of one',

ablution and suspects its validity, one has to re.perform ablution, . . the

original cose here is one's minor ritual impurity. which is not abrogated

due to mere suspicion.

OMuslim reader, you should keep yourself pure and verify your ablution

whenever you stand for prayer. and Care for the validity of your ablution asmuch as you can, for prayer without valid ablution is invalid. You should

also beware of i ,, inuation and Satan's whispers thal cause you to doubt th e

validily of your ablution, making you in a state of doubt and confusion.

Therefore, you should seek refuge with Allah from the ev ils and pay his

insinuations no al1entinn. Moreover, you should ask Ihe people of ju rist j ,

knowledge about whatever confuses you of the issues of purification and

purity, in order to art . in about your purity_ You shoutd .. Iso care for

the purity of your clothes So as to verify the validity of your prayer and

the perfection of the acts of worship you perform, fo r Allah, Glorified and

Exa lted be He , say"

";., Indeed, Allah love. Iho.e who con.tantly 'opentant and

IOW'J thou who purify (Qur'an: AI -Baqarah: 222)

May Allah guide us all 10 useful knowledge and righleous deeds.



Ch.ap«r 9: Thin!,;' Nullifying Abl"tion

Endnotes

I lhe Lawg . . . of (hlamk Law) i. Allah, F... IM be He: In. torm u n .1", «fe,

to In. Propbel (PBUH) •• h. n., .r ordained but what was ,.,..,.IM 10 him by Allah,

2S« 1.1,,1."""1 [11134 [,

3 hlillJdah: Vogin . 1bluJing oth.r Iban ,,,en.,ru.tion.

Abir D1wild (186) [111431, An·N.d' l (J.60) [11203 ] and Ad·m. .qujn; (778) [11213] .

s AI- l\ukMrl (137) [11312 ] and Mu,lim (W2) [21272].

6 Mudim (833) [2/2%]

7 MUllim (SOO) [lI27Ij; l", Ahm.d (18495) [-11190[, AM Dolwild (184) [11961, AI-

Tirmidh! (81) 111122] .nd Ibn M1 jah (494) [112831 ·

8 Mu,lim (803) 12/2721.





CHAPTER

Ritual Bathing

You b«n introdU«d 10 the rulings on ablution. whkh is a

means of purification from mioor ritual impurity (OIUKt! by passing wind,

acnmenl a r urind, and tile things Ilullifying it. So, the focus is now givr"

10 highlighting the rulings on purification from major ritual impurity, be it

menstruation. ()r postnatal bluding. This kind of purification is

ca lled ritual bathing, during which one wash es onc:' whole body in a specific

way on which we will elaborate on below. The legal proof that ritual bathing is

obliptory in such cases is that Allah. wl!ed be He. Py':

w ••And

ifyou ,n" ;11 .. ""Ie D jan tJbah, Ih,,, purifyyourwlvn ..

Al ·M:I.'idah: 6)

It is said that ritua l bialh ing from jQnAbllh was pract ice<! by the

disbelieve rs during the ldhiliyy<lh (Prc-Islamic Period of Ign orance).and it was among the remaining leachings or lhe religion revealed 10

PrOphel rbr;\hlm (Abraham) (P6UH).



I:

Thell' all' six in which perfonning I rifual balh is for

• Muslim:

Ejaculation by a man or a woman, being awak/.: or asl"",p, provi<lNl

Ih•• it is as.rocialNl with sexual pkaSUIl' in case of wakefulness. If no ••

owing to an illness Or inab ilily 10 conlrol il, Ihen a rilual balhing i. not

obligatory. However. it is absolulely obligatory (or one to take a rilual

bath if one ejaculates while being asleep. which is t;;Ilkd wc:! dmaming.

as one in Ihis case is unconsdous and may not feel any pkasure. On

the other hand. if one wakes up and flnds the: traces of ejacul. tion. it i,

obligatory for one to take a ritual bath then, but i(Ihe..., is no Irace of

ejaculation. ritual balhing is not obligatory.

Inserting a man's penis into a woman's vulva, even if without ejac ·

ulation. as it is slated in a /JIldo"rl, related by Muslim Ihat Ih e:

Prophet (P8UH) says:

·Wilell allyotle sits amidst fOljr PMts (of the woman) and t/" circum·

(istd parts (of tht genilals) touch Mcli otiltr. a ritual btltil wcomes

obligatory (for !>oth).""'

Thus, sex ual intercourse. cven if without cjaculation. obligates ritual

balhing for ooth the man .nod the woman according 10 the afores;;oid

hndilli as well as Ihe conSl:nsus of Muslim ""OOlal1.

Embracing Islam; whcn a di sbelicver embraces Islam. fo rthe Prophet

(PBUH) commanded !lOme oftht "",w convnts to Islam torc:rform ritual

bathing following drdaring Ihnf Islam'. H<>Wr\TI", many s<:holarJ view

lhat it i . dc:$inble. not obligatory. for a convert to take a ritual b.th

as the Prophd (I'BUH) has neW r been reporttd to have commanded

rwry new to do so. So, the ruling here is that it is regarded a.

de$irablr according to r«onciliation btlWfftI lhe: various legal proofs in

this and Allah knows b .. .

Dtat h is the fourlh casc: that l1« . . . itual ba thing (Le:. washing the:

body of the drceued) e>:cqlt for martY" (see rulings On funeral.).

Mcnstruation and postnata l bleeding a"" th e fl fth he: . i)[lh case,

in whkh ritual bathing is obligatory (for women), for lhe Propt.cl

(PBUH) said 10 a woman :



Oul"<r 10: Rimll B .hinS

""So. when )<I"r menstruation period bqfinJ, givt! up performing prayrr.

when it en<4. wnh off the blOQ<\ (Le. take a ritual bath) and then

pe rform prayer."'

MoreO"er, Allah commands men nOl IQ al)l'mach the ir wi,"es in

case Ihey are in a stale of menstruation until have p"rijiui

. . (Qu r"h : Al-Baqarah: 222), i.e. through rituallnlhing

following the menstrual period.

Th e Way a Complete Ritual Bath is Taken

• lIaving the 10 lau a ritual balh

• Beginning wilh la smiyah'

• Washing one's hands thri ce

• Washing one' . genilal

• Pufonn ing full ablution

• W.w.ing head; pouring water over the head thrice so Ihal it

thorough ly reaches onc's salp

• Pouring waler over one's whole body and rubbing it with onc's hands,

making sure that water reaches all parts of the body

The menstruating or the woman in a state of postnal .1 bleeding has 10

undo hu hair braids or plgtalll when tilling. rllllal ba lh. However, a womanin I Slale of jondb<lh not have to undo her hair braids 10 have a nlllal

balh, as il does not a(fecl the val idity of her rilUal bathing in th is case. This is

because jandlNlh is a frequenl state, and undoillg ha; r b",idsow and

then might cause her difficult)". SliII, it is obligatory for a woman in that stale

(o fjan"b<lh) to makt wa ler reach her scalp.

In general, it is obligatory (or Qlle pc:rformillg ritual bathing, a man or a

,",'Oman, to enSure that tho ro ughly reaches onc's sca lp. and to wash the

body parts well. soch as Ih e skin oflhe the skin of the armpits,

the navel, and the pan, of Ihe kf>ttS. Moreover. if one wears a ring,

a wrmwatch, or the like. oM ha, 10 move it 10 lel water

underneath.Thus, one has to perform rituallnthing so perfedly. w rifyi ng Ihal there is

not a single body pa rI bUI water has reached, for Ihe Prophet (PBUH) said in

a hlOdilh ITlat..d by Abil O.iwUd .nd AI -Tirmidhi:

-The", i. jIlndooll under every . ingle hair, $I) wash 'lit hair well and• •deanu th • •kin .



I: rURIFlO'I1QN

MOretlVC r, onc should by no use wa ter wastefully taking a rituallNth. Ra ther, 0"'" should use wata provided lNt hing is JX'rfonntdPl"OJX'rtr lnd JX'rf«t1y as prescrikd in Muslims should fOllow theexample of the Prophet (pIIUH) ,nd r.ltionalize their use of water during

purifica tiull, for he (PBUH) u..,d to perform ablu t ion with one mudd and totake a bath with one AI$<>. it is for a MUSlim to sc rt<'n himselfwhile taki nga b.ath for it is to take a bath naktd while king s«n

by propIe, as 5tated in the iIaJilh in wh k h the Prophd (pB UH ) $1)'$:

"Verily, AUalt is Mafia/and /ikt:S modtstyand !'tiling. 50 whell

I1l1y(m e ofyou fl1ktl a bath, he ,/10,,1<1 screell h;m,d j ($O a. "ot to

!>e su" by oth ers)."

•Related by Abtl O)wUd and An·NaHl).Takinga ritual b.ath to purify onesdffrom the Slale of major ritual im pu rity

is one of the trmt, klw('('n I servanl and his lord, 5( l one should k ktt'Tl on

fulfilling Ihis ob ligation properly and observ ing its rulings carefully, 5( l as 10

perform il legally an<! perfec tly. If on e is uocmain aboul any of the rulinp

0 0 rilual bathing. 011<" soould consult scholars; Shyn6S soould prevtnlone fromdoing:;o, fo r Allah Himstlf(:as stated in theQur'h) is not shyof lhe

truth. If Wlyness prevents a Muslim from aboul his religious affairs, it

is then regarded as acOlldem ned kind of shyness and cowardic e whispered by

Salan to ktcp him away from learning Ihe religious rulings nUfiSary for him

and fulfilli ng Ihe obligations of h is relig ion perfec tly.Pu rity; ' . iS$lIe, and brinll ""&i igelll regard ing il is a legal

mistake, for;1 is a condilioll of the co rre.:tness of p"yer whkh is m . r ofIslam. We ask Allah 10 bestow upon us, as well as all Muslims, insigh t Inlo Hisreligion, and to grant us sincer ity in ou r ....ords and deeds.

Endotes

1 /a>l<1b<1h: A .t . t . of major '; lUol iml"',ity ....t.ttd to . . .uatdi,.,horg< .

2 Mu$lilll (78)) [312651;I." Al· Bu khirl (291) IllS12J .nd Mldlim (781) 1212611

3 Ab6 DI....wI (l55) 1111801, AI ' Tlrmidhl (6001) I21S021 and An .Na$I' (1811) 1111 ISJ.• AJ·Bukhlr1 (228):and MIdI'm (333).5 T<Umi;IaIr: $oyins "liUmm.tlr" In tho: NOm( of AUohj.

6AbO Dlw.ld (243) III IUJ. A! ·1innidh t (1 0) 1111731 ond Ibn Mljah (S97) IIIl)li.7At · lIukhlrl (201).mI Mullim (325).

8 Ahmld (179)5) 141J.O<SI, Abol DJwM (40t 2) 1411%1and An·N . (404) 1112 t81.

-



CHAPTER

Tayammum'(Dry Ablution)

AUall. Glorified and Enlln1 lit: He. has purinClllion for pn)'t'T

from both of minor and major ritual impur it y by using pure WIltC'!".

wh ich He dOWIl from the sky_ PurifICa tion with watCT (when being in

either statn of ritual impurity) is obligatory fo r a Muslim as long as waler is

available. However. in some cases, eithn water is unavai lable or one is unable

\0 use it due 10 a legal excusc. for that Allah. oul of Hi s g,.a and mercy.

has kindly provid ed a substitute for it, namely tayam" lum with clean carth, tomal«. things easy for ",rvant 5 and 10 spare them difficulty.

Allah, &.oiled be He, in Hi s Glorious Book, the Qur'h. says:

"0 }'flU wh o '!lIve bdievtd, "'hen)'Du , i,e ' 0 1J ...Dsh ""U,QU, lInd your""ellrmJ 10 riot elbow. "lid wipt avrr

you. h,,,d. ,,,,d ...".h your ftet 10 tht Alld i fyou "re ill

"fj"mtbah. ,h,,, purify )'flur'tIVtl. HU l l f ,ou <IT!' il l or

" " 11 0 . . Ollt of y<lu e<lmtl from th e pillet of rt/itvillg



le PURif iCAT ION

" imulf Or ro" " OWl conllulw womu ond do IU1/ find wo /u,

Ihen .u i; dton r"rlh "nJ wipe OWlr your fact. ond hand. wilh

it. Allah dot . n OI inlend /0 mab difficult y fo r you, bUI Ht

In l,nd. I" pllrify J"'" "nd ro",pld . HI. f" vor upon Y"U '''0'

YO" may b. "roltful." (Qur'h: AI·M$·idah : 6)

Linguislically, Ihe word 'taYOlIIIOl""" in Ar;obic means intention, and (according 10 th e Warnic rui n) il rnr;1nS wiping ova Ihe fac:c and hmds

with clran eanh in a !p«Hic .....y. Tayammum is slaled in the Nwle Qur'!n,

prescribed in the SUllllah (Prophd ic T,adition), approvtd by consensu•.

la", ,,,,,,,,,,, is a privilege wh ich ou l of Hi sgrace and mercy. has Sp<'cified

for Ihe purity ()f lhc nalion ofProphtl Muhammad (PBUH) in ordcr to make

things easy for them. In the Two it is rdated that the Prophet (PBU H)said:

"f bWI gnmltJ (by Allah)fi"" (things) which _ Jt(JI gffmltd

10 on)'OlIe We me (and Imy"re) ( I) AII"h mude me ,,;Clod·

ous by 0" " , (by HIs "'y ,n,mi(s) for a diSlanct of ml e

journ'Y' (l ) Th. tMtiJ IUlS been for m. (and for my

followers) 0 mosjid (11 mosque or 11 dum pJlICt for prayer) Qnd 0

mell/IS ofpurification. 5{J an)'On. ofmy followers Can pray IInywlrertwhenever the time of 1 prayer is du, .. >

Tayammum is a substittllt for purification with watti' in cast one is legally

unable to usei!. Pu rification with /ayammum alsotnablesa Mu5lim toperform

a11the acts of worship rt<Juirt ablution with such as prayer. /awJ!

(circumambulating the Ka ' bah), rtciting the Noble tIC. Th is is because

'''yammum h;u: bttn <k<:r«'tI by Allah as a lcgalsubstitu le fo r pu rification with

W31ft.mphd (PBUH) also sa id;

". .And il$ dean earlh Iras been (by Allalr) Il5a purifying mt allS ..V' uJ. _

The Cases in which Tayammum Subslitutes

for Purification with Water1- Unavailability of wat er, ",hen one finds no wa lft. whether one is al

home or on a journey; Allah. Exalted be He, says;

K •• • ,4"d do no lfind ... ,tu, If,.n utI< du", . /Jrth ..••

(Qurln : 6)



a..p<e< 11: T..,...... Dry Ablu,ion) "2· Ava ilabilityof 1»1 1 nsuff n ; wllen Ihe available wa rer isenough

only for drin king. cooking. and such n«cnilies. and purifica lion wi thwa ter might ca use it to run oul when it is needed to quench the thirst

of o ne, one's family, people, an im als, etc.

3- ProNbility of harm; wllen purifi ca tion with water might callSC: harm

due 10 an illness, or cause the delay of ooc's r«overy. or the like, for

Allah. Exalted be Hc. AYS:

.... Bill ifYO" an ill... Iht'll ud: clean earth ...

(Qur'ln: 6)

4- Inabillly 10 use wa ter due 10 wh en onc is unable 10 use water

due to an illnes.s that one from moving 10 get wat er and

there is nobody to help him perform ablution, $ I) onc fea. . to miSiS

performing prayer at its due lime.

s- n..: fu r of cakhinseold; wllen o nc fears the harm 0( catching cold if

ooe pu rifieo OMSdf wi th wa ler. p rov ided onc is unable to hcat it, for

Allah. Exaltnl be.' He. saY':

••. . And do no/ kill yourselves {or one imOlhtr/ ....

(Qur'1t\, 29)

In any of the cases. onc can perform Myomm um (insteadof ablution with wat'"'") and offcr pra)'ff. In add it ion, if water i$ enough only

to wash .some of the organs of ablution, OIK Can use It and then perform

'ayommum forthe of the organs: An a h. Eltalted be He. 5;1)'1:

·So fu r Allah 4 f much II I you arc IIblt .. (Qur'ln: At -TagM bu n: 16)

Moreover, if there is a wound that hurts if it is was hed nr wiped over. one

can perform larammum for that wound. and COnlinue performing ord inary

ablution (with water) for the rnl of the organs, fo r Allah. Eltalled be &ays:

•... And do not kill ytlunclws for . .nolltn / ..•

(Qur1n: An-Nisi': 29)

However, if wipingovenhe bandage of the wound with water does no t hurl

or ca use any harm. it is sufficient for one to wipe hat bandage instead of

wiping over il wilh dean ea rth (i.e. laYl'm mum).



t, PURIfiCATION

It is permissible to layalllmum with dean earth, saliM earth,

sand, and suchlike pure earthy stuff, acc ording to the preponderant of the twojuristic opinions in this regard, for Allah, Exalte<\ be He, ,aY':

K .. . Then suk . • (Qur'an: AI-MA'idah: 6)

Wh en it was time for pr.yer. the Prophet (PBUH) and his Companions

uS<'d to laymnlllum whe",,,,,r they performed prayer (when water was

unavailable), using earth or anything of the kind: they never took clean earth

with them everywhere to use it (for tayammum) in case they did

not find water.

How to Perform Tayammum

When performing rayamm"m, one strikes the earth with one's hands

while parting one's fingers. Then one wipes over one's face with the palm of

one's and overthe hands with the palms ofone's hands, provided

both the face and the hands are wholly wiped over. It is permissibl e to mike

the earth twice, wiping over the face after the first strike and over the hands

after th e other. However. the fo nner of performing tayammum is the one

authentically narrated to have observed by the Prophet (PBUH)' .

Things Nullifying Tayammum

.:. Whatever minor ritual impurity nullifies ablution (such as stool,

urine, wind, etc.) nuUifie, layammum

• . Whatever major ritual impurity ne<;es.s itates ritual bathing (such as

jan<lbah, me nstruation, and postanal bleeding) nu ll ifies layalllmum.

The ruling hue is that the ,ub,titut. act (i .e. tayammum) takes the

same rulings on the original act (i.e. ablution and ritual bathing) .

.;. When water is found (in caSt layammum is performed of lack

of water)

.:. Wh en th ere is no longer" legal excuse such as illness and the like.Ifonefinds neither water nor earth. or is unable to uS<' either. it is permissible

for une then to perform prayer with neither ablution nor layammum. for Allah

"does not charge. soul ucept with that with in its capacity"; One alS() is not

legally requ;",d to re-perform such a prayer for one, by adopting easiness)

acts in accordance with Allah's Commands, as Allah, Exalted be He, says:



a...", .. 11: T"J" ........ (Dry "7

Allah ... .....rh as yo .. " .... ..

(Qur 'in: 16)

Fu rthermore, the Prophet (1'IlUH) said:

romlMM )'QII IQ do $(}fllet/,ing, then doofilm much lIS )'QII ( ,,". '"

ThUs. '" ' ha..., n plained to YOll, gentle reatkr, a summary of the rn lingo

on ,,,yomm .m, and if yw 3 1'( ' doubtful about any of them or any OI her ru ling>..

you ha..., urgently to consu lt men of religiO\lll kflQWlw ge : you should !leglec t any migious issues, np«ially those related to the pillar of

Islam, fo r the i$sue is really !erinus.

May Allah guide us .11 to felicity and rightwusneSf regMding our words

and deeds, making our righteous deed$ $incerdy done for His Sake, and in

devotion to His Honorablc Fa(ct May Allah grant our invocation, fo r He is

...,rily the Hearingand Responsivtt

EndnOles

1 Ta""" mum:dry .blut;"n witharth (.m.n . . . .. is u ......U.bk orone .. no( Uot it).

1 Al.!lukh l r! (335) !1/56Sj .nd Mu st im (t 163) [31613 Mu ol im (t t 65) 1317].

4 At·Bukhlr! (J.l8)ll /S74 j.nd MUllIm (818) [21284) .

5 Al·Bukhlrl (72&8) [1)/3081 and Mwlim (6066) [SJ t()8l .





CHAPTER

Removal of Impurity

Ai a Mu$lim is required 10 rmm minor and major ritual

impurities in order 10 perform prayer, he is also commanded to pu r ify his

body. doth es and remove any spot of impurity. Allah says:

-A"d ytJur d oth'''g p . (Qur';!.n: AJ·Muddaththir: 4)

The Prophet (PBUH) commandrd a woman to >nm the menstrual blood

from her g.1rment '. With this in mind, it is our duty to ,hed more light on thiS

i. .ue, namely the removal of impurity, illustrati ng the m05t important related

rulings. hopinglha\ it may benefit Muslims. Fllqfhs (may Allah have mercy onIMm) uKO! to 5p<'Cify a chapln in thoeir volu""" .."Iilll'd "" Chapter

On th . h moval orlmpuri ty" i.e, Ihe removal orlhe impurities that amk t pu re

•uch as clothes. utensils. sheets, floors. etc. Water is the basic meanS

used for the remov.l of in, purity. a. it i. th r origin.1 orpurification, as

described by Allah Who says:



J: ru RIFICATION

. . A"d " l f l daw" uPO" yo .. from ,h t sky, nil" by ...hl,h la

p"rify yo.... .. (Qur'an: AI·Anr.;l: 11)

Kinds of Impure Objects That Mu st be Removed

Impuri ty may be linktd to the ground, the floor, or what is connected to

them, such as wall., WlItl'1' rocks. etc. In such a case. jt i i sufficient to

uch impurity by washing it only once, i.e . to pour water once until it

he impuIT object. as IM Prophe l (PBUH) orderw 10 pour a buckel of

waler over the urine oflhe B«Iooin who had urinated in Ihe mosque'. Such an

Impurity is naturally ITmoved when coveml with nlinwaler or floods.. So long

as the impure object is ITmoved by pouring water, or by rainwater or floods,

it is sufficient to deem the are. concerned On the othe r h.nd. impuritymay not be relatw to the ground, the floor. or what isconnec ted to them. such

as Ihe impurity a ustd by dogs. swine, or what Is reilied to them. In Ih iscase,

the impuIT obj«1 mU$1 be washw limes. one of bem wilh earth. for Ihe

ProphCl (PBUH) J,l.id:

"Whm " dog liclq 0 ",nujj br/o"ging /0 ""yo"eof10", Id him wmh

jl $O't ' ' ' tht firsl oflllmt wilh to rlh.'"

(Relatw by Muslim and other «)mpilel'!; of Hmlilh)

Still. this rul ing is not restricted to ute",ils; it is a lso applicable to dothes.

sherts. and the like. If the impu,", object is rel.lw to nei th .... dogs nor .wine.such as urine . stool, blood , and Ihe like. it hl$ to be washed. rubbed. and

wrung oot until it is completely ITmoved, leaving neilher sign nor color.

In Ihings washed can "" divided inlo Ihrtt cattgorirs:

I. Squeeuble things such as clothes. so Ihey must be wrung ou l after

Wllshing.

2. Unsquenable things such as leather and the like, so they have to beoverlurned during washing.

3. Things that can neither be wTUngOU! nor overturned;such things haw

to be washed, scrubbed and tllen pressed wilh a heavy obj«1 untilmost of their water dries..

When the fil lhy aITa on ones body. dothn. a small place ofprayer, or Ihe

like.. cannot be located, Ihe whok ou.pecled aITa has to be washed until it is

c(rlain Ihal impurity has been Still, if the i"'puIT aru itself cannOt

be the whole object has to be washed.



"As 1Or" pun: rnalerialsoiJed will! urine of lI l in fan t, it is sufJkicnllo purify it

wilh sprinlding water, nOl washing it, as stated in adirh n arraled on the authorityorUmm Q II)' " Bint may Allah be pleased with her), She narrated,

"' brought my baby Wn (who had "", slarted eating ardill"ry foodrhen) la A I/",h 's MesMngv (PBUH) who look him and himsit in h . lap. The child urinolw on Ihe garmcnt of /Ju Prophd

(PBUH) , SO he (PBUH) tWwI for >I",ler and sprinkled i( ovrr 'he

SOl/M without WI1$hi"8 il,··

However, if the child iJ old enough to eat ordinary food, the ruling on

hislher urine is regarded as that of grown-ups. In such urine is 10 removed by washing a5 in th e cue of olher kinds "fimpurity.There are three kinds of impure objects:

• Major impu re object$. such as lIuKd by dogs and the loo,

• Minor impure objects, such as tM urine ,,£infants (who have notst.uted eating ord inary food)

• Moderate impure objects , ....hich other impo"" objects.

At this point, mu st istinction betwee n pu"" and impure urine

and manuu of animals. ThoK of lega lly edible animals, such as camels. cows.

shup and the like, a"" pure, according to a badith "" Ialed by AI.Bukhlr l andMu&lim stating that the Prophet (PBU H) gave permiss ion to the f

• Unaynah to take the uri ne and milk of In.: camels ofcharity as medicine' . This

I1adffh implies that the urine ofcamels is pu "". for it is to bke an

impo"" object as medicine. Some may argue that the Prophet permined taki ng

or drinking such urine l5 medici ne only in case ofnecess ity. To this. say that

the Prophet (pBUH) enjo ined wash ing the trace of th e urine of camels

performing prayer. wh ich shows that he did not deem it impu"". It is

.Iso stated in a (authentic) fJpdith that the Prophet (PBUHI. before the

Prophet's Mosque wa s built .....ould perform at shu pfolds· and would

command h ill Companions to J'C'rform in such folds,' though they had

b«n liurdy urinated in.

snaykhul ,Wlm Ibn T'IIymtyah (may Allah have mm:yon him) said:

·Purity i. the original ruling on kinlh of manure except jor those

which ore ruled Ollt .: '



n I: PURIFICAnON

The leftover of legally edible animals is pure and so is th e leftoyer of

cats. "ccording to the hadith narmted on the authority ofAbfi QatAdah. whoreported lhat the Prophet (PBUH) said about cats:

"/( (i.e. is not impure; it isone DJtllose or emale domestic

wMch go round among you:

(Related by At -Tirmidhi. who cl""ms it lallib. (authentic), and other

compilers ofHadirh)'

In the h.adith at hand, the Prophet (PBUH) resembled cats to who

go round among their masters waiting for their orders. Thus. deeming cats

pure as stated in the badith is a way of relieving Muslims from strictness and

difficulty. Some ",holo . maintain the same ruling on legally inedible animalssmaU . . than calS, such as birds and the like. They view that the leftover of

such small animals (or birds) is as pure as that of cats. On the other hand, the

manu"" urine, and the remaining food of any legally inedible animals other

than cats and their likes 3 " ' impure.

Thus. taking care of physical and moral pur ity is cen tral in a Muslim's

lik Moral purity requires mon<Jtheism and devotion to Allah, in both

words and deeds. As for physical purity, it includes purifying onesdffrom

tnajQr and minor ritual impurities, as well as purification from all kinds

of tangible impurities. This is because our rdigiQn, Islam, is the religion

of purity, cleanness. and purification from both physical and spiritual

filthiness . A Muslim must always observe purity and cleanness, for the

Prop het (PBUH) . . d:

'Purification is hnlfof nith: "

So, a Muslim mUlt concern himself with purity and avoid all kinds of

impurity: Allah's Messenger (PBUH) has stated that the commonest reaSOn

for the tortuTe in the grave is onc', soiled with uTin e without purifying

oneself ". Hence, if you are soi led with impurity, you must hasten to purify

yourself in order to hep yourself pure, espedaily when you want to p . orm

prayer. Always check your state of purity, and when you want 10 enter amosque, you should che<:k Ih e deanness of your shOf:s; if you find

something filthy, you have to remove it and dean your shoes, and do not ever

enter a mosque with filthy shoes. May Allah guide us all to whatever pleases

Him of words and de<!ds.



a..pco, 12: Rcmcwolollmpu, i,y

Endnotes

1 U27111l001.nd Mwlim (li7J) 1)11110).

1 AI · Bukhtrl (6025) (10/5521and Muslim (li57) IlI1811.) MUJiinl (6019) III 1751: ..., also AI·BukhJr l (171) 11/3591.4 Ai · Buklllr1 (223) 111425J In d Mu.lim (66)) J2JI8S).

5 AI ·Buklllrl (2))) 1114361 and Mu.>!im (019) 161154 ].

6 AI ·8ukhJrI II1U 41 .nd Mw.l im (l1 74) 1111 I .

7 Musl im (SOO) jlI171 ): >« . 1"" fani .-\I·Oadld4'.I!) Ind M ..silsll". Ad.-Da ' foh (29(12).

m 11Iymiyah' Mojmli '" I-fII I4!nl (20IJJ9), (21/40, 7(, 75, 534, S117, 613) and (25/239).SH .1$0 .-\I.IJJu(y.!"" M- "IIm,)')\lh p.4!.

9 Ab<I WWIld (751 (1149), A1-Ti,mioJ!,l (92) [111531. An -Nun (61!) (l1S81 and Ibn

Mljah (367) (1/2281.

10 M.wim (S31) 121951I 1 AI.l:illim (651) (112801and Ad,W'*I"lIl i (460) (11136).

Documents

Wudhu and Gushul and Its Related Matters by Shaykh Fawzan