Fundamentals of Purity and Prayer

1. Fundamentals of Purity and Prayer Lecture 3 February 9, 2014

2. Introduction to Purification • “Allah loves the repenters and the purified.” (Qur’an 2:222) • Taharah (purification) is a basic condition for worship • Taharah: the purification of objects from either physical or ritual impurity • Water is primary means of purification • Difference between “clean” and “pure”

3. Impurity • Impurity can be divided into 2 types: • Physical impurity (najasah) • Visible substances that are established as impure by the shari’ah • Ritual impurity (hadath) • A non-visible state that results from particular acts that the shari’ah establishes as causing the body to become impure

4. Categories of Water • Three categories: • Tahur – water which is both pure and purifying • Can remove both physical and ritual impurity • Tahir – water which is pure, but not purifying • Cannot remove physical nor ritual impurity, but can be used to clean something • Najas – water which is impure and therefore cannot be used for any type of purification

5. Tahur Water • All natural sources of water which maintain their original color, taste and smell are both pure and purifying (tahur) • Rainwater • Well water • Spring water • River water (includes lakes and ponds) • Sea Water • Water from melted ice/snow or hail • Tap water

6. Mixing Water and Pure Substances • If a pure substance is mixed with water • The water remains pure • Remains purifying only if the substance does not overtake and change the essential characteristics of water • If substance does overtake and change essential characteristics of water, the mixture may not be purifying • Water is considered “overtaken” when 2 out of its 3 essential characteristics change: color, taste, or smell

7. Mixing Water and Pure Substances • Water mixed with a substance to increase its ability to cleanse (i.e. detergent) does not restrict it from physically purifying • Even if all 3 characteristics of water are altered • Is not considered ritually purifying (i.e. for wudu, ghusl) • Water which has been used for wudu or ghusl (musta’mal) is no longer tahur, but tahir • Viscosity/Fluidity

8. Mixing Water and Impure Substances • If an impure substance is mixed with water • Ruling depends on the volume of water in which it is mixed • A single drop of impurity makes a limited (qalil) amount of water impure • Regardless if any essential characteristics of water are altered • An abundant (kathir) amount of water is considered impure when at least 1 essential characteristic of water is changed • Abundant is considered 10 cubits x 10 cubits (about 15 ft. x 15 ft.) and deep enough that removal of a handful does not reveal its floor • I.e. pond, swimming pool • Flowing water is considered abundant

9. Mixing Water and Impure Substances • If impurity falls into abundant water and no characteristics change, water remains pure • If no characteristics change but impurity can be seen, only affected area considered impure

10. Obligatory Acts of Wudu

11. Obligation of Wudu in Qur’an • “O you who believe, when you stand for prayer, wash your faces, (wash) you arms to the elbows, wipe your heads, and (wash) your feet to the ankles.” (Qur’an 5:6)

12. 4 Fard of Wudu • Washing the face (once) • Washing both arms, up to and including the elbows (once) • Wiping one-fourth of the head (once) • Washing both feet, up to and including the ankles (once) • If any of the fard acts are left out, the wudu is invalid

13. Washing vs Wiping • Washing means to wet a body part such that no area remains dry and at least 3 drops of water fall from it • Wiping means to pass a wet hand over the area

14. Sunnah of Wudu • Intention for wudu • Beginning with name of Allah • Beginning with right whenever possible • Washing both hands up to wrists thrice • Rubbing limbs when washing • Rinsing mouth to throat thrice • Miswak • Taking water into nostrils to soft bone thrice • Washing each part thrice

15. Sunnah of Wudu • Masah (wipe) entire head once • Including ears and back of neck • Khilal (passing wet fingers through): • Fingers when washing hands • Beard when washing face • Toes when washing feet • Observing the order mentioned in the Qur’an • Washing each limb in succession • Such that previous limb does not dry

16. Mustahabb of Wudu • Perform wudu before start of prayer time • Face the Qiblah • Sit in an elevated place • Perform dhikr/du’a during wudu • Mentioning name of Allah when washing each limb • Sunnahdu’as • Avoid splashes of used water • Use right hand to take water into mouth and nose • And left hand to clean nose • Drink remaining water of wudu • Beginning from tips of fingers and toes when washing arms/feet • Beginning from front of head when wiping

17. Mustahabb of Wudu • Recite two declarations of faith after completing wudu • Recite the du’a after wudu • “Oh Allah make me of those who repent and of those maintain purity.” (Tirmidhi)

18. Questions?