PURITY IN ISLAM

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1. Purity & Cleanliness in Islam:

Types of purity in Islam:

a) Taharah Haqiqiyyah (Physical purity):

- al-Sunan al-Fithriyyah (Natural ways of physical purity: shaving the pubic hair, circumcision, plucking the armpit hairs, and cutting the nails)

- Purification from Najis:

- 3 methods of physical purification:

* The methods of purification from Mughallazhah (Heavy types of najis)

* The methods of purification from Mutawassithah (Middle types of najis)

* The methods of purification from Mukhaffafah (Light types of najis)

b) Taharah Hukmiyyah (Metaphysical purity):

- Wudhu’ (Ablution)

Definition

When ablution is recommended

The obligatory elements

The Sunan elements

- Obligatory baths

Definition

When obligatory bath is recommended

The obligatory elements

The Sunan elements

Q: What do purity and cleanliness mean in Islam?

A: Purity and cleanliness in Islam have a very comprehensive meaning that is to cleanse the human body, soul and mind.

“O Allâh! Forgive our sins, purify our hearts, and guard our chastity.” (Imam Ahmad).

Q: What do the Qur’an and the Sunnah say about purity?

A: According to the Qur’an and the Sunnah, only those people who try to cleanse themselves during the life of this world shall qualify for the everlasting bliss in the hereafter.

“Truly, Allah loves those who turn unto Him in repentance and He loves those who purify themselves” (2: 222).

“Purification is half of faith” (Muslim).

Q: How many types of purity in Islam?

A: There are two types of purity in Islam: Taharah Haqiqiyyah (Physical purity) and Taharah Hukmiyyah (Metaphysical purity) as the ultimate objective of all Islamic teachings is to cleanse the human body, soul, and mind.

Q: What does it mean by Taharah Haqiqiyyah (Physical purity)?

A: Taharah Haqiqiyyah (Physical purity) means the external purification by removing the filth using pure water from the garment, body, and place.

This also includes the natural ways of physical purity that is called al-Sunan al-Fithriyyah. The Prophet (pbuh) said: “The fitrah consists of five things: circumcision, trimming the moustache, cutting the nails, plucking the armpit hairs and shaving the pubic hairs” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim).

Q: Why are these five things being called al-Sunan al-Fithriyyah?

A: This is because, these five things are considered as the normal human natures in order to maintain personal health and hygiene.

Q: What does it mean by circumcision?

A: In the case of a man, circumcision means: cutting the skin on the tip of the penis until the entire glan becomes visible. In the case of a woman, it means: removing the prepuce of the clitoris (not the clitoris itself as some mistakenly assert).

Q: What is the legal ruling for circumcision? Is it obligatory?

A: Actually, Muslim countries differ over the issue of female circumcision; some countries sanction it, whereas others do not. Anyhow, it is not obligatory, whoever finds it serving the interest of his daughters should do it, and many Muslim scholars support this under the current circumstances in the modern world. But whoever chooses not to do, it is not considered to have committed a sin for it is mainly meant to dignify women as held by scholars. The Prophet (pbuh) said: “Do it (circumcision) mildly without extreme, for it is healthy for both man and woman”. This hadith maintains that circumcision is meant only to make woman be able

As for male circumcision, it is one of the obligatory practices in Islam. Scholars even hold that whoever finds that some Muslims have stopped practicing male circumcision should force them to revert to this Sunnah that characterizes the Muslim nation.

There are several scientific benefits of circumcision. For one thing, because the foreskin adds a larger surface area to the penis, the rate of infection can increase drastically, causing serious complications for people of all ages. Having it removed, however, drastically decreases the rate of infection. Moreover, during sexual intercourse, the foreskin and prepuce, which is the retractable piece of skin that covers the genitals, are prone to trauma, making it easier for harmful bacteria – such as the HIV virus, for instance – to enter the blood stream. Of course, as we all know, the HIV disease generally leads to AIDS which, at this point, is virtually incurable. Other proven medical benefits of circumcision include protection of the female partner against cancer of the cervix, protection against cancer of the penis and prevention of urinary tract infections.

Q: What are the Islamic legal rulings on cutting the nails, plucking the armpit hairs, and shaving the pubic hairs?

According to the Sunnah of the Prophet (pbuh) every adult Muslim, as a part of keeping his/her body clean, should cut the nails, remove the hair on her pubic area, and that which grows under his armpits. The nails and the hair may be removed through any method that one feels comfortable with. A person should not let the nails and the pubic and armpit hair grow for more than (around) forty days, as has been reported in a number of narratives ascribed to the Prophet (pbuh). The nails and the pubic and armpit hairs are the body parts which they are the most important to be removed, because they grow long and dirt gets trapped in the long nails and hairs.

           

Q: Other than the natural ways of purification, is there any other types of physical purification?

A: Yes, there are three types of physical purification from Najis (filth/impurity).

3 types of physical purification:

* The purification from Mughallazhah (Heavy types of najis): Dog and pig.

* The purification from Mutawassithah (Middle types of najis): Shit, blood, urine, vomit, alcoholic drinks, dead animal that cannot be eaten, discharges of vagina, etc.

* The purification from Mukhaffafah (Light types of najis): Urine of a baby boy who is two years old and below that do not eat except his mother’s breast milk.

Q: What are the methods to purify these 3 types of najis (filth)?

3 methods of physical purification:

* The methods of purification from Mughallazhah (Heavy types of najis)

1. Remove the najis from the place.

2. Wash the place with a mixture of soil and water, 1 time.

3. Wash some more with pure water, 6 times.

The place has been purified when the colour, smell, and taste of the najis has gone.

* The methods of purification from Mutawassithah (Middle types of najis)

1. Remove the najis from the place.

2. Wash the place with pure water until the colour, smell, and taste of the najis has gone.

The place has been purified when the colour, smell, and taste of the najis has gone.

* The methods of purification from Mukhaffafah (Light types of najis)

1. Remove the urine from the place using a cloth.

2. Sprinkle the place with pure water.

The place has been purified just by this sprinkle.

Q: It has been said that there are two types of purity in Islam: Taharah Haqiqiyyah (Physical purity) and Taharah Hukmiyyah (Metaphysical purity). Physical purity means to purify ourselves from the seen and physical filth. What about the metaphysical purity?

A: Metaphysical purity is a type of purity that has been ordered by Allah the Almighty. When we do metaphysical purity, it means we purify ourselves from the unseen filfth. As long as we do not do the metaphysical purity, we will have no purity to do certain acts of worship such as shalah (praying). There are two types of metaphysical purification that has been ordered by Allah the Almighty:

a) Wudhu’ (Ablution).

b) Obligatory bath.

If there is no water to perform ablution and obligatory bath, Allah the Almighty with His mercy has taught us tayammum to replace the ablution and obligatory bath.

Q: What does it mean by Wudhu’ (Ablution)?

 A: Ablution means to wash one’s face, hands until the elbow, lightly wipe the head, and wash the legs up to the ankles; as stated in the Qur’an: (al-Ma’idah: 6).

Q: What are the virtues of ablution?

A: Among the virtues of ablution are:

1. The ablution can remove the small sins (Malik, an-Nasa’I, Ibn Majah, and al-Hakim).

2. The ablution gives extra rewards (Abu Ya’la, al-Bazzar, and at-Thabrani).

3. The ablution raises the degree and place of a person (Muslim).

4. The ablution gives light and by that special light the believers are recognized in the Day of Judgment (Muslim).  

Q: What are the obligatory elements of ablution?

A: There are six obligatory elements:

1. Intention

2. Wash the face

3. Wash the hands until the arms

4. Lightly rub the head

5. Wash the feet up to the ankle

6. Follow the sequence (Hanafite’s school of mazhab does not make this obligatory)

Q: What are the Sunan elements of ablution?

A: 1. Mention the name of Allah at the beginning “Bismillaah” 2. Dental hygiene 3. Wash hands 3 times at the beginning 4. Rinse the mouth 3 times 5. Sniff and blow out the water 3 times 6. Repeat each washing 3 times 7. Begin with the right 8. Wipe the ears 9. Rub the parts while washing 10. Recite doa while washing and after the ablution.

Q: What are the times when ablution is being recommended?

A: 1. For every prayers (obligatory) 2. Thawaf the Kaabah (obligatory) 3. Touch the Qur’an (obligatory in the opinion of the majority but it is not obligatory if it is a book of Qur’anic translation) 4. Sleep (sunnah) 5. To remove a sexual impurity: if someone one to eat, drink, or have intercourse again (sunnah) 6. Renew the ablution in a state of purity (sunnah).

2. Obligatory baths

Q: What are the factors that make a person to have to perform an obligatory bath?

A: The factors for a person to perform an obligatory bath:

• Bath for sexual intercourse (it is known in Arabic as Janabah)

“When the two circumcised organs meet, then Ghusl (bath) is obligatory” (Muslim)

• Bath for discharge/ejaculation of mani (semen), accompanied by sexual pleasure whether asleep or awake  (it is known in Arabic as Janabah)

“If you are sexually defiled, purify (bath) yourselves” (5: 6)

• Bath for Haidh, Wiladah and  Nifas (for women only)

“Therefore, keep away from women during menses and go not unto them till they are purified (from menses and have taken an obligatory bath), and when they have purified themselves, then go in unto them as Allah has ordained for you” (2: 222)

• Bath for the dead body of any Muslim

It becomes obligatory to wash his body, since the Prophet (pbuh) ordered to do that (Two Shahihs)

• Bath for the new Muslim

The one who accepts Islam must perform bath, because when Thumamah al-Hanafi accepted Islam, the Prophet (pbuh) commanded him to perform an obligatory bath (Abdur Razzaq, and its basis is in the Two Shahihs).

Q: What are the obligatory elements of an obligatory bath?

A: The obligatory elements are:

1. Intention

2. Wash the entire body

3. Make sure that the water reaches all parts of the body

Q: What are the sunan elements of an obligatory bath?

A: The sunan elements are:

1. Mention the name of Allah at the beginning: “Bismillaah”

2. Dental hygiene

3. Take ablution before washing the entire body