Nahda Online

The Fiqh of Purification

 

Fiqh (فقه)

n  Fiqh = Jurisprudence (Rules/Laws)

n  Legal rules derived from Islamic sources (Qur’an & Sunnah)

n  Those rules by which a Muslim lives his life

n  Includes rules of purification, salat, sawm, hajj, zakat, contractual relations, marriage, divorce, inheritance, ruling, economics, foreign policy etc.

 

Study of Fiqh (فقه)

n  The study of fiqh requires focused attention and effort

n  Legal rules can be quite detailed because they need to cover a wide variety of possible situations

n  In our presentations we will keep the fiqh as brief and concise as possible.

n  We will we presenting the rulings in accordance with the Hanafi madhhab.

n  We recommend strongly that you learn fiqh, as well as other Islamic sciences, in more detail from places where such learning is possible.

n  Islam encourages the attainment of knowledge

n  As a Muslim our entire lives should be a learning curve where we continuously attain more knowledge, in order to serve Allah better and gain His pleasure.

 

Rulings in Fiqh

n  Five main rulings:

1. Fard/Wajib – Obligatory/Compulsory
2. Mandub (Sunna, Nafl, Adab) – Recommended
3. Mubah – Permitted
4. Makruh – Disliked

1. Haram – Prohibited

 

Purification (طهارة)

n  Water

n  Istinja’

n  Wudu’

          - Masah ala al-Khufayn

n  Ghusl

n  Tayammum

 

 

Water

n  Is the primary means of attaining purification

n  Seven types of water with which cleanliness can be achieved:

          - rain water

          - sea water

          - river water

          - well water

          - water from melted snow

          - water from melted hail

          - spring water

 

Istinja’ (استنجاء)

 

n  It is compulsory that one ensures that the drops of urine have ceased, and that one’s heart is content

n  Hukm of istinja’ – depends on size and place of najasa. For us, it suffices to note that every time we go to the toilet we must wash with water, tissue, or both.

 

n  Adab of relieving oneself:

 

  - One should enter the toilet leading with the LEFT foot;

  - Before entering seek refuge in Allah from the Satan: Allahumma inni a’udhu bika min al-khubuthi wal khaba’ith [O Allah I take refuge in You from demons, male and female];

  - one should sit leaning upon the left foot;

  - and not speak, except out of necessity.

  -One should leave the lavatory with one’s RIGHT foot then recite: Ghufaranak, alhamdulillahi lathi ath-haba `annil atha-wa- `afani ([O Lord] Your forgiveness. Praise be to Allah who rid me of the filth and gave me health.)

 

n  Makruh (Disliked) acts in Wudu’

 

          - to have one’s face or back towards the Qibla, even though one is in a building;

          - to urinate or defecate:

                   - in water;

                   - under some shade; in a hole; on the path;

                   - under a fruit tree;

          - or urinate standing without an excuse.

          - to enter the toilet wearing anything with the name of Allah.

 

Wudu’ (وضوء)

 

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ إِذَا قُمْتُمْ إِلَى الصَّلاةِ فاغْسِلُواْ وُجُوهَكُمْ وَأَيْدِيَكُمْ إِلَى الْمَرَافِقِ وَامْسَحُواْ بِرُؤُوسِكُمْ وَأَرْجُلَكُمْ إِلَى الْكَعْبَينِ

 

 

“O ye who believe! when you prepare for prayer, wash your faces, and your hands (and arms) to the elbows; Rub your heads (with water); and (wash) your feet to the ankles..” [Surah Al-Ma’ida 5:6]

 

n  Wudu’ consists of four fard (compulsory) acts:

 

  (1) To wash the face (from the point where the hairline begins to the bottom of the chin in length, and in breadth the portion between the two earlobes.

  (2) washing the arms up to and including the elbows;

  (3) to wash the feet up to and including the ankle bones;

  (4) and to wipe with a moist hand (masah) over a quarter of the head.

 

n  Conditions for the validity of Wudu’:

 

  - pure water reaches the skin of those parts which are required to be washed;

  - removal of that which prevents the water from reaching the skin, such as wax and fat and the like.

  - wash the visible part of a thick beard (through which the skin is not visible). As for a sparse beard it is incumbent that the water reaches the skin.

 

n  Sunan of Wudu’

 

    - Washing the hands including the wrists;

    - the recitation of the basmalah;

    - to use the miswak when commencing the wudu’, or to use one’s finger in the absence of the miswak. 

    - to rinse the mouth three times;

    - to rinse the nose with three handfuls of water;

    - to pass the wet fingers of one hand into the gaps between the fingers of the other hand;

    - to wash each limb three times;

    - to do the masah of the entire head once;

    - to do the masah of the ears;

  - to rub the limbs;

  - to make an intention (Niyyah);

  - to observe the order ordained by Allah in the Qur’an;

  - to start from the right;

  - to commence the washing from the tips of the fingers and the performance of the masah of the head from the front;

  - to wipe the nape (back of neck) and not the throat;

 

n  Adab of Wudu’

 

  - To sit upon an elevated place;

  - to face the Qibla;

  - to take no assistance;

  - not to speak of mundane affairs;

  - to combine between the intention of the heart and a verbal formula;

  - to recite the bismillah whilst washing or doing masah of each limb;

  - to use the right hand in inserting the water into the mouth and nose, and to use the left hand to clean the nose;

  - to recite the two declarations of faith after completing the wudu’;

         

Ashhadu alla illaha ilallahu wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan abdhu wa ar-rasulluhu

 

          - upon finishing to recite, Allahum maj’alni minat tawwabina wa j’alni minal mutat ahhirin

          “O Allah make me from the repenters and make me from those who attain purity.”

 

n  Makruh (disliked) acts in Wudu’

 

          - Wasting water;

          - being miserly (tight/cheap) with it;

          - to splash one’s face with water;

          - to speak of mundane (wordly) affairs;

          - to seek the assistance of others without an excuse;

          - and to do masah of the head thrice with new water.

 

n  Things that nullify wudu’

 

         - Anything which exits from the front and back passage of the private parts;

         - the flowing of impurity from anywhere else, such as blood and puss.

         - Vomiting a mouthful of food, water, blood clots or bile. ‘A mouthful’ is when one is unable to close one’s mouth except through difficulty.

         - to sleep in such a way that one’s buttocks are not firmly established upon the earth/ground;

         - losing consciousness, or one’s sanity and upon becoming drunk;

         - loud (audible) laughter in prayer.

 

n  Things that do not nullify wudu’

 

          - Blood which has not flowed from its wound;

          - the loss of a piece of flesh without any blood flowing;

          - the exiting of a worm from one’s wound, ear or nose;

          - touching one’s penis;

 

Ghusl (غسل) – Full Shower

 

n  Things that necessitate ghusl

 

  - The emission of sperm which has departed from its origin whilst one is in a state of sexual arousal (including ‘wet dreams’)

  - when recovering from intoxication or upon regaining consciousness one finds some wetness which one believes to be sperm;

 

n  Things that do not necessitate ghusl

 

  - The emission of madhi [a thin, sticky, white fluid] or wadi [a thick white cloudy liquid, which has no smell. It generally exits after one urinates and occasionally before];

  - upon witnessing an erotic dream but awaking to find no wetness;

 

n  The Fara’id (Compulsory Elements) of Ghusl

 

          - To rinse the mouth and nose and wash the entire body;

          - to wash the inner part of the navel;

          - to ensure that water reaches to the skin under the beard, moustache, eyebrows;

 

n  The Sunan of Ghusl

 

          - To begin with the basmalah;

          - to make an intention;

          - to wash the hands up to and including the wrists;

          - to wash away the najasa even though it be on separate places;

          - to wash the sexual organs;

          - to perform wudu’ as one does for salah, to wash3 times, do masah of the head;

          - to pour water over the entire body three times (or something of equal status);

          - water over one’s head, then the right shoulder thereafter the left;

          - to rub the body;

 

 

n  The Adab of Ghusl

         

    The adab are the same as that of wudu’, except that one should not face the Qibla, because generally one is in a naked state.

 

n  The Makruh (disliked) things in Ghusl

         

          That which is makruh in wudu’ is makruh in ghusl.

 

n  Occasions when Ghusl is Sunna

         

          (i) jumu’a, (ii) `id prayers, (iii) for wearing the ihram, (iv) and after the zenith (zawal) at the `Arafa.

 

n  Occasions when Ghusl is Mustahab (Preferred/Recommended)

 

          - for one embracing Islam while free from major ritual impurity;

          - one who has become mature through age;

          - after bathing a dead body;

          - for the night of immunity (laylat al-bara);

          - for the one who observes the night of decree (laylat al-qadr);

          - for entering into Madina, the city of the Prophet;

          - for the eclipse of the sun, of the moon and seeking rain prayers;

 

Tayammum (تيمم)

 

n  Conditions for its validity:

 

                (1) Making the intention (for tayammum in order to perform salat). The time for the intention is when one places his hands upon the substance with which one intends to do tayammum.

               

                (2) A legitimate reason to perform tayammum, such as:

                - being a mile from water, though in a city,

                - illness or severe cold or one who fears that performing wudu’ may result in the loss of a limb or illness.

                - fear of an enemy,

                - in the absence of a necessary instrument for obtaining the water

 

                (3) Tayammum should be performed with a pure earthly substance, such as soil, stone and sand and not upon wood, silver and gold.

 

          (4) That all the required area be covered [which is the face, hands and arms up to and including the elbows] with the wiping.

 

          (5) One should perform the wiping with the entire hand or the greater part of it; it shall not suffice to wipe with two fingers.

 

          (6) To gently strike one’s palms on the earth twice, though these strikes maybe in one place.

 

n  There are Two Integral Parts (arkan) of Tayammum:

 

          The wiping of the face and arms up to and including the elbows.

 

n  Sunan of Tayammum

          - The recitation of the basmalah before commencement;

          - the observance of the order;

          - to move the hands forwards and backwards when placed upon the soil;

          - to shake off the soil;

          - to keep the fingers wide open (whilst striking the soil).

 

n  It is mustahab to delay the tayammum for the one who anticipates that he will attain water before the expiry of the salah time.

n  It is permissible to perform any number of fara’id and nawafil prayers with a single tayammum.

n  It is not permitted to combine between washing and tayammum. If half or more of the body is wounded then one may perform tayammum. If, however, the greater part is free from wounds then one should wash the unwounded limbs and wipe over the wounded ones.

 

n  Tayammum is nullified by those things which nullify wudu’ and also with the availability of sufficient water to perform wudu’ with.

 

Masah ‘ala al-Khufayn (مسح على الخفين)

 

n  It is lawful for both men and women to do masah over the khufayn for wudu’.

 

n  Footwear:

 

                - jawrab: that which is made of wool or cotton

                - mujallad: that which has a leather sole and upper

                - mun’al: only the sole is made of leather.

                - khuf: that which is made entirely of leather.

 

n  To do masah is lawful upon all the aforementioned. However, if the jawrab has neither a leather sole or upper and is made of a thin substance then it is unlawful to do masah upon it.

 

n  Conditions for the Permissibility of Masah over the Khufayn:

         

          - That they be worn after washing the feet;

          - the khuf must cover the foot up to and including the ankle;

          - it should be possible to walk continuously in the khufayn (it is unlawful to do masah over khufayn made of glass, wood or metal);

          - each khuf must be free from any tear equivalent in size to the three smallest toes.

          - the khufayn should cling to the feet without being tied; and prevent water from reaching the skin;

 

n  Duration of Masah over the Khufayn

         

          - A resident, i.e. a non traveller, is permitted to do masah for a day and night [twenty four hours], while the duration for a traveller is three days and nights [seventy two hours].

          - The commencement of this period is from when one becomes ritually impure after wearing the khufayn.

          - If a resident performs masah and then decides to travel before the expiry of his period he may complete the duration allowed to a traveller.

          - If a traveller who has wiped over his khufayn becomes a resident after a day and night has lapsed, then he is obliged to remove his khufayn.

 

 

n  Procedure of Masah over the Khufayn:

 

          - It is fard to do masah upon a portion equivalent to the three smallest fingers of the hand over the top frontal part of each khuf.

          - the sunna is to start from the tips of the toes with spread fingers up until the shin.

 

n  Things that Nullify Masah over the Khufayn:

 

          - Everything that nullifies wudu’, nullifies the masah over the khufayn;

          - the removal of the khuf;

          - by water reaching into the greater portion of any one of the two feet that are in the khufayn;

          - the expiry of the prescribed time;

 

n  In the case of the latter three, it will suffice to just wash the feet without repeating the entire wudu’.

 

n  It is unlawful to do masah over a turban, hat, veil or gloves.

 

n  If one has had blood drawn, been wounded or having broken a limb has tied a bandage or fixed a splint upon the affected area, and due to the severity of the injury is unable to wash the affected limb or do masah upon it directly, then it is obligatory to do masah upon the greater part of the splint or bandage.

 

n  Masah similar to washing (but different to tayammum) has no time limit for its validity. It is not a condition that the bandage be tied in a state of purity. To do masah upon the bandaged foot whilst washing the other foot is permissible.

 

It is permissible to replace one bandage with another without it being necessary to repeat the masah, nevertheless, repetition is preferred.