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Chapter
04:
Purification (Hadith -- The
Traditions):
(Note:
The superscript-numbers [e.g., intention2]
that
appear in the text [in
pink]
refer to the numbers of the explanatory footnotes that
appear at the end of each Hadith
[Tradition].)
1
Abu Malik said,
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be on
him, said:
""Purification is half the
faith."1
(M-Msh. 3.)
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1
A pure mind in a pure body is the watchword of
Islam. Here cleanliness is not next to
godliness but it is half of godliness or
faith.
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2
Jabir said,
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be on
him, said:
"The key to paradise is
prayer and the key to prayer is purification."
(Ah-Msh. 3.)
3
Ibn 'Umar said,
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be on
him, said:
"Prayer is not accepted
without purification, nor (is) charity (accepted) out of
what is acquired by unlawful means." 2
(M-Msh. 3 : 1.)
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2
This hadith and the previous one lay down in
general terms that purification is a necessary
condition of prayer, which in fact means that a man
should always keep himself free from impurities,
since prayer is said five times a day. The habit of
outward purification is thus developed through an
institution which is meant to purify the soul, and
a Muslim is required to keep his body, his clothes,
in fact the whole of his environment, clean.
Charity like prayer purifies the mind, and as what
is acquired by unlawful means is impure, the pure
and the impure cannot go together.
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4
Anas said,
When the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be on him,
went to privy, he used to say:
"O Allah! I seek refuge in
Thee from impure deeds and evil habits."
3
(B. 4 : 9.)
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3
Khubuth is the plural of
khabith (an evil person) and
khaba'ith is the plural of
khaba'ith (an evil person of
feminine gender), and the words are generally
understood as meaning the devils, but according to
the Nihayah, the first word may also be read
as khubth which means impure deeds
and the second word may also mean evil habits. Thus
from outward defilement attention is directed to
inward impurities.
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5
Anas reported,
When the Prophet, peace and
blessings of Allah be on him, went out for natural
evacuation, I and a boy used to go and with us there used
to be a bucket of water.4
(B. 4 : 15.)
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4
Other hadith speak of stones for cleaning
purposes, but water was used when available even
after cleaning with earth or stones. These may
appear to be minor details, but the minutest
details are necessary to develop habits of
cleanliness. Water or earth was also used after
urinating.
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6
`Abd Allah said,
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be on
him, said:
The Prophet, peace and
blessings of Allah be on him, went to ease himself and he
asked me to bring him three pebbles. 5
(B. 4 : 21.)
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5
This hadith and the one following speak of
pebbles or balls of dry earth for cleaning
purposes. Toilet paper would serve the same
purpose.
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7
`A'ishah said,
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be on
him, said:
"When one of you goes to ease
himself, let him take with him three pebbles with which
to clean himself, for these will suffice him."
(AD-Msh. 3 : 2.)
8
Jabir said,
When the Prophet, peace and
blessings of Allah be on him, wanted to ease himself he
went (to a distant place) until no one could see him.
6
(AD-Msh. 3 : 2.)
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6
For evacuating himself a man must not, therefore,
sit in a place where he can be seen by others;
i.e., when he goes out into fields. Latrines must
be made on the same principle.
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9Abu
Musa reported,
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be on him,
said:
"When one of you wishes to
pass urine, let him seek the proper place for urinating."
7
(AD-Msh. 3 : 2.)
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7
So there must be either urinals or a man must
retire to some other proper place of
retirement.
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10
`A'ishah said,
The right hand of the
Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be on
him, was for his ablution and his food, and his left hand
for cleaning after easing himself and for removing
noxious things. (AD-Msh. 3 : 2.)
11
Mu`adh said,
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be on
him, said:
"Abstain from three objects
of curse, easing near springs of water and on roads and
under (a tree where men sit for) shade."
8
(AD-Msh. 3 : 2.)
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8
This shows a high
degree of care for public convenience and the
protection of public places and water-sources from
contamination.
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12
Hudhaifah said,
I saw myself and the Prophet,
peace and blessings of Allah be on him, going together
and he came to a heap of sweepings of a people behind a
wall and he was standing as one of you stands, then he
passed the urine.9
(B. 4 : 61.)
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9
To urinate in a standing posture is therefore not
prohibited.
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13
Abu Hurairah said,
When the Prophet, peace and
blessings of Allah be on him, went to the privy, I
brought to him water in a small vessel or in a leather
bag and he used water for cleaning, then rubbed his hand
on the ground,10
then I brought to him another vessel of water and he made
ablution. (AD-Msh. 3 : 2.)
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10
This was done to remove any vestige of uncleanness
which might remain on the hand after the simple
flow of water. Soap may be used for the same
purpose.
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14
`A'ishah said,
When the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be on him,
came out of the privy, he used to say:
"I seek Thy protection."
(Tr-Msh. 3 : 2.)
15
Anas said,
When the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be on him,
came out of the privy, he used to say:
"Praise be to Allah Who has
removed from me noxiousness and given me health."
(IM-Msh. 3 : 2.)
16
Anas said,
The Prophet, peace and
blessings of Allah be on him, spat in a cloth of
his.11
(B. 4 : 70.)
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11
Evidently it was a public place where other people
were present and by spitting in his handkerchief he
showed that it was not proper to spit on the ground
in public places. Besides being indecent, it is
insanitary.
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17
Anas reported that,
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be on him, saw
phlegm on the front (wall of the mosque) and it was painful
to him to such a degree that (signs of) it could be seen in
his face. . .
Then he took hold of a corner of his
sheet and spat in it then turned one part of it over the
other and said:
"Rather let one do like
this." 12
(B. 8 : 33.)
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12
The spittle should be taken in a handkerchief if
one is overcome in prayer.
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SECTION
2.-- THE TOOTH-BRUSH
18`A'ishah
said on the authority of the Prophet, peace and blessings of
Allah be on him:
"The tooth-brush purifies the
mouth and is a means of seeking the pleasure of the
Lord."13
(B. 30 : 27.)
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13
The Holy Prophet thus taught that outward cleanness
was also a means of pleasing the Lord and that
uncleanness was therefore hateful to
God.
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19
Abu Hurairah said, on the authority of the Prophet, peace
and blessings of Allah be on him:
"Were it not that I would
place too heavy a burden on my community, I would have
commanded them to use the tooth-brush at every ablution."
(B. 30 : 27.)
20
Anas said,
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be on
him, said:
"I have spoken to you about
the tooth-brush too often." (B. 11 : 8.)
21
Hudhaifah said,
When the Prophet, peace and
blessings of Allah be on him, got up during the night
(for tahajjud), he used to clean his mouth with the
tooth-brush. (B. 4 : 73.)
22
`A'ishah said,
When the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be on him,
came out of the privy, he used to say:
Never did the Prophet, peace
and blessings of Allah be on him, wake up after sleeping
at night or in the day, but he used the tooth-brush
before he performed ablution." 14(AD-Msh.
3 : 3.)
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14
The use of the tooth-brush after sleep is essential
because there is no access to light or air into the
mouth during sleep, and the dirt that has there
accumulated must be cleaned at once.
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23
Shuraih ibn Hani
said,
I asked `A'ishah, What
was the first thing the Messenger of Allah, peace and
blessings of Allah be on him, did when he entered his
house?
She said, Tooth-brushing. (
M-Msh. 3 : 3.)
SECTION
3. -- ABLUTION OR WUDZU'
24
Sa`id ibn Zaid said,
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be on
him, said:
"That man has not performed
ablution who does not remember Allah in doing it."
15(Tr-Msh.
3 : 4.)
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15
Ablution, which means washing of certain parts of
the body that are generally exposed and where dust
or dirt is likely to settle, is a preparation for
going into Divine presence. The object is
undoubtedly twofold, that a man should be clean and
that he should feel that he stands in need of the
purification of the should as he stands in need of
the cleaning of the body. The remembrance of Allah
is needed to direct attention to this. The
beginning should be made with Bismillah as
in the case of all important affairs, while h. 42.
speaks of the prayer when the ablution
ends.
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25
Yahya al-Mazini reported that,
A man said to `Abd Allah ibn
Zaid, Canst thou show me how the Messenger of Allah,
peace and blessings of Allah be on him, performed
ablution? `Abd Allah ibn Zaid said, Yes. So he sent for
water and poured it over his hands and washed his hands
twice, then he rinsed his mouth and sniffed water into
his nose thrice, then he washed his face thrice, then he
washed his hands up to the elbow twice, then he wiped his
head with both his hands so that he carried them from the
front and brought them back-- he began with his forehead
until he carried them to his neck, then he brought them
back to the place from which he had started-- then he
washed his two feet. (B. 4 : 38.)
26
Ibn `Abbas said,
The Prophet, peace and
blessings of Allah be on him, performed ablution (washing
each part) once only. (B. 4 : 22.)
27
`Abd Allah ibn Zaid reported that,
The Prophet, peace and
blessings of Allah be on him, performed ablution (washing
each part) twice. (B. 4 : 23.)
28
It is reported about `Uthman that,
He performed ablution at
Maqa`id, and said, May I not show you the ablution of the
Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be on
him,? Then he performed ablution (washing each part)
thrice. 16(M-Msh.
3 : 4.)
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16
The various reports show that there was great
latitude in these matter. The cleaning might be
effected in some cases by washing once only while
in others it might require repetition.
Maqa`id, according to Ibn Hajar, is the name
of a place in Madinah. According to others, it
means a place where people sit together.
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29
`A'ishah said,
The Prophet, peace and
blessings of Allah be on him, was fond of beginning on
the right side, in putting on his shoes and in combing
his hair and in performing ablution, (in fact) in all
actions. (B. 4 : 31.)
30
Abu Hurairah said,
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be on
him, said:
"When you put on clothes and
when you perform ablution, begin with the right side."
17(AD-Msh.
3 : 4.)
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17
In performing ablution the right hand should be
washed first and then the left. The same rule is to
be followed in washing the feet.
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31
Ibn `Abbas reported that,
The Prophet, peace and
blessings of Allah be on him, wiped his head and also his
two ears, the internal parts of them with his two
forefingers and the back parts of them with his two
thumbs. 18(Ns-Msh.
3 : 4.)
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18
The complete Mash (wiping) of the head thus
includes the ears, their inner side as well as the
outer.
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32
`Amr ibn Umayyah said,
I saw the Prophet, peace and
blessings of Allah be on him, passing his hands over his
turban and his boots. (B. 4 : 48.)
33
Mughirah said,
I was with the Prophet, peace
and blessings of Allah be on him, in a journey, and I
bent down to take off his boots but he said, "Leave them
alone, for I put them on a state of
cleanness;"19
then he passed his hands over them both. (B. 4 :
49.)
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19
The word tahiratain (both being clean) in
the hadith refers to the two feet, but the
meaning is generally taken to be that the boots
were put on after performing ablution. The next
hadith shows that socks are treated
similarly, i.e., it is sufficient to pass wet hands
over them when they are worn after performing
ablution. This may be done for one day and night.
i.e., the socks or boots must be taken off and the
feet washed once in every twenty-four hours, but in
the case of one who is journeying the time-limit is
three days and nights. See h. 35.
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34
Mughirah said,
The Prophet, peace and
blessings of Allah be on him, performed ablution and
passed his hands over the socks and the shoes.
(AD-Msh. 3: 9.)
35
Abu Bakrah reported on the authority of the Prophet, peace
and blessings of Allah be on him, that,
He allowed one who is
journeying three days and nights and one who is not on a
journey one day and night to wipe his boots (instead of
washing his feet) when he had put them on in a state of
cleanness. (DQ-Msh. 3 : 9.)
36
Abu Hurairah said,
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be on
him, said:
"Prayer is not accepted of a
man who voids himself20
until he performs ablution." (B. 4 : 2.)
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20
The Arabic word is ahdatha which
means originally he caused or occasioned a thing,
and is technically applied to the voiding of
ordure. When Abu Hurairah was asked, what
hadath was, he simply said, breaking
wind but it includes the passing of urine, stools
and wind. To this must be added sound sleep as
stated in h. 39 and vomiting (h. 40.), though there
is a difference of opinion in the latter case. The
reason for a fresh ablution after sound sleep seems
to be that one does not know if one has passed wind
in that condition. Bukhari makes it clear
that ablution is only necessary when something
passes out through the makhrajain,
the two ways of natural evacuation. The flowing of
blood from wounds or the spitting of blood does not
necessitate ablution. If a man performs ablution by
wiping his boots or socks, and then takes them off,
fresh ablution is not necessary (hh. 32, 34).
Taking food or milk does not call for fresh
ablution, but the mouth should be rinsed in both
cases. (B. 4 : 50, 51, 52.)
There are certain
hadith speaking of the necessity of ablution
in certain other cases. For instance, there is a
hadith which says that ablution should be
performed if one has kissed one's wife, but this is
contradicted by other hadith. The clear rule
laid down by Bukhari that ablution is
necessitated only by what passes out of the two
outlets of natural evacuation is the safest rule.
Sound sleep and vomiting are the only
exceptions.
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37
Anas said,
The Prophet, peace and
blessings of Allah be on him, used to perform ablution at
every prayer. I (his disciple) said, How did you act? He
said, Ablution sufficed one of us until he voided
himself. (B. 4 : 54.)
38Anas
said,
The companions of the
Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be on him, used to
wait for the night (`Isha') prayer until their heads
nodded (in drowsiness), then they said their prayers and
did not perform ablution. (AD-Msh. 3 : 1.)
39
Ibn `Abbas said,
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be on
him, said:
"Ablution is necessary for
him who sleeps reclining, for when he reclines his joints
are relaxed." (Tr-Msh. 3 : 1.)
40
Abu-l-Darda' reported that,
The Messenger of Allah, peace
and blessings of Allah be on him, vomited, then performed
ablution. (Tr. 1 : 63.)
41
It is related about Ibn `Umar that,
He washed his feet after the
water, with which he had washed (other parts), had dried
up. 21(B.
5 : 10.)
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21
There is no harm if there is a little interval in
washing the different parts so long as ablution is
a continuous act.
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42
`Umar said,
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be on
him, said:
"Anyone who performs ablution
and does it thoroughly, then says: `I bear witness that
there is no god but Allah, He is One, there is no
associate with Him, and that Muhammad is His servant and
His Messenger; O Allah! make me of those who turn to Thee
again and again and make me of those who purify
themselves' -- the eight doors of paradise are opened to
him; he enters it by whichever of them he pleases." (Tr.
1 : 41.)
SECTION
4. -- BATH
43
`Abd Allah ibn `Umar reported that,
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessing of Allah be on
him, said:
"When one of you comes to the
Friday gathering, he should take a bath." (B. 11 :
2.)
44
`Amr ibn Sulaim said,
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be on
him, said:
"Taking a bath on Friday is
incumbent on every one who has attained to puberty and he
should use the tooth-brush and use scent if he can find
it." (B. 11 : 3.)
45
Abu Hurairah said,
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be on
him, said:
"It is incumbent upon every
Muslim that he should take a bath (at least) once in
every seven days and wash his head and his whole
body."22
(B. & M.-Msh. 3 : 11.)
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22
Taking a bath once a week, on Fridays, is made
incumbent irrespective of other needs. It does not
mean that a Muslim should take a bath only once a
week; it is the minimum requirement, and the whole
body as well as the head must be washed by both men
and women, rich and poor, at least once a week. To
keep oneself clean has already been stated to be
half the faith, and in the hot and even temperate
seasons nothing less than a daily bath can serve
that purpose, but in the cold season and in the
case of generality of people who cannot afford a
daily bath, the washing of the whole body once a
week is an absolute necessity.
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46
Abu Hurairah said,
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be on
him, said:
"The person who washes a dead
body should take a bath." (IM-Msh. 3 : 11.)
47
Qais ibn `Asim reported that,
He was initiated into Islam,
and the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be on him,
commanded him to take a bath with water and (leaves of)
the lot tree. 23
(Tr. Msh. 3 :
11.)
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23
This was a kind of disinfectant; soap would serve
the same purpose. A man who is initiated into Islam
must clean himself outwardly also by having a bath,
and this was further meant to serve as a hint that
he should henceforward aim at both purity of body
and purity of mind.
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48
`A'ishah reported that,
The Prophet, peace and
blessings of Allah be on him, commanded the taking of a
bath on four occasions: on account of
janabah,24
and on Friday, and in case of cupping, and after washing
a dead body. (AD-Msh. 3 : 11.)
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24
Janabah (from janb meaning a
side) is literally the putting of a thing
aside or making a person avoid a thing.
In the religious terminology of Islam, the state of
janabah arises from nocturnal pollution
(ihtilam) and coitus (sexual intercourse)
for both men and women. There are contradictory
hadith as to whether bath is necessary in
case of sexual intercourse when there is no
emission, and Bukhari favours the view that
wudzu' or ablution is sufficient in such a
case, but that bath is better. The person who is in
a state of janabah is called junub. Such a
man must take a bath before he can say his
prayers.
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49
`A'ishah reported that,
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be on
him, said:
A woman asked the Prophet,
peace and blessings of Allah be on him, as to her bathing
after menstruation; so he told (her) how to take a bath.
25
(B. 6 : 13.)
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25A
bath is necessary for women after menses
(haidz) and puerpurium
(nifas), i.e., the flow of blood after
childbirth. During the period of menses and
puerpurium a woman is exempted from prayer.
Menstruation generally lasts from three to ten
days, and bath is needed when the flow stops, after
a minimum period of three days. Bath must
necessarily be taken after the maximum period of
ten days, and if the flow continues after that, it
is called istihadzah, and the rules
relating to menses do not apply to this
state.
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50
(It is related) on the authority of Abu Hurairah that,
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be on him, met him
on a certain road of Madinah when he (Abu Hurairah) was
junub. Considering myself unclean I left him, then I
went and took a bath. Then he (Abu Hurairah) came, and (the
Prophet) said, "Where wast thou, O Abu Hurairah?" He said, I
was junub, so I did not like that I should sit with thee
while I was in a state of impurity. He said:
"Allah be glorified, the
believer does not get impure." 26
(B. 5 : 23.)
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26
This hadith shows that the state of
janabah is not a state of defilement. The
junub can do everything; he is simply
required to take a bath before saying his
prayers.
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51
Anas said,
When a woman among the Jews had her menses, they would not
eat with her and would not be with her in the same room; so
the companions of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah
be on him, asked the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah
be on him, and Allah revealed to him, "They ask thee about
the menses." (2 : 222.)
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be on
him, said:
"Do everything except the
sexual intercourse." 27
(M-Msh. 3 : 12.)
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27
This hadith removes another great
misconception. The woman, who has her menses on, is
not impure. There is a large number of
hadith showing that her social relation with
her husband or others members of society remain
unchanged.
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52
Ibn `Abbas said,
Maimunah said,
I placed water for the
Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be on him, to bathe
with, and he washed his hand twice or thrice, then he
poured water on his left hand, then he washed his private
parts, then he rubbed his hand on earth, then he rinsed
his mouth and sniffed water into his nose and washed his
face and his two hands (up to the elbow), then he poured
water on his body, then he changed his place and washed
his two feet. (B. 5 : 5.)
53
`A'ishah said,
The Prophet, peace and
blessings of Allah be on him, did not perform ablution
after taking bath. (Tr.-Msh. 3 : 5.)
54
Ya`la said,
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be on
him, saw a man bathing (naked) in an open place; so he
ascended the pulpit and praised and glorified Allah, then
said:
"Surely Allah is the
Possessor of modesty, Concealer of faults--He loves
modesty and concealing of that in which there is shame;
so when one of you takes a bath, let him screen himself
from being seen." 28
(AD-Msh. 3 : 5.)
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28
That is to say, he should either be in a closed
bath-room where he cannot be seen by others, or if
he is in an open place, he should cover himself
from waist to knees.
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SECTION
5. -- TAYAMMUM
55
Abu Dharr said,
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be on
him, said:
"Pure earth serves the
purpose of a Muslim's ablution, though he may not find
water for ten years. When he finds water, he should wash
with it his body, for that is better."
29
(AD-Msh. 3 : 10)
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29
Tayammum from amma (he
repaired to a thing) means resorting to earth
when one is unable to find water in sufficient
quantity for ablution or bath, or when one is
unable to use it on account of illness or for fear
of contracting disease. If water is available in
such quantity as can barely suffice for drinking or
preparing food, it is permissible to resort to
tayammum instead of ablution or
bath.
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56
`Ammar said,
The Messenger of Allah, peace
and blessings of Allah be on him, sent me on some
business, and (while journeying) I became a junub
and did not find water, so I rolled about on earth as an
animal rolls, and I mentioned this to the Prophet, peace
and blessings of Allah be on him. He said, "It was
sufficient for thee that thou shouldst have done thus;"
and he struck his hand on earth once, then he shook off
its dust and wiped with it the back of the (right) and
with the left or the back of the left with the (right)
hand, then wiped his face with both (hands).
30
(B. 7 : 8.)
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30
This hadith shows that tayammum takes
the place not only of ablution but also of bath. It
also shows the manner in which tayammum is
performed. The hands should be struck on clean
earth, then the dust should be shaken, or blown
off, then the back of each hand should be wiped
with the other and then the face should be wiped
with both hands. There are other hadith
which give a slightly different process, but as the
object is simply to remind a man that he is going
to a Higher Presence, this simple process serves
the purpose well enough. Bukhari relates
that Yahya ibn Sa`id said that there was no harm in
performing tayammum on sabkhah, i.e.,
on ground on the surface of which salt had appeared
(B. 7 : 6.). And generally anything would do, on
the surface of which dust might have
settled.
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57
It is related that `Amr ibn
al-`As became a junub on a cold night, so he
resorted to tayammum and recited the verse, "Do
not kill yourselves, for Allah is Merciful to you" (4 :
29). This was mentioned to the Prophet, peace and
blessings of Allah be on him, and he did not censure
(him). 31
(B. 7 : 7.)
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31
It is related in one hadith that the night
was severely cold, and the Holy Prophet considered
the excuse to be valid. In this case `Amr led the
prayers.
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58
Jabir said,
We went out on a journey, and a stone struck a man from
among us and wounded his head, and he had nocturnal
pollution ........ (The Prophet) said::
".........It was sufficient
for him to perform tayammum and to have a bandage
on the wounded part, then to wipe it and wash the rest of
his body." 32
(AD-Msh. 3 : 10.)
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32
This hadith shows that when it is harmful to
apply water to a particular part of the body, it is
sufficient to wipe that part. In this case the
wounded man had a bath on the advice of his
friends, and the wound got septic and he died. The
Prophet upbraided his companions for giving an
advice which was not based on knowledge.
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Hadith
Section
> A
Manual of Hadith
> Chapter 04: Purification (Hadith -- The Traditions)
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