Ghazali - Book 3 Mysteries of Purity

8/7/2019 Ghazali - Book 3 Mysteries of Purity

1/45

AL-GHAZZALI

.ran sla tld by,NABIHAM/N FARIS


2/45

THEMYSTERIES OF PURITY

Being A Translation With Notesof

The Kitab Asrar al-Tabarabof

Al-Ghazzali's "Ihya' 'Ulum al-Din"By

NABIH AM IN FARISAMERICAN UNIVER SITY OF B EIRUT

SHe MUHAMMAD ASHRAFPUBliSHERS, BOOKSEQ,ERS &EXPORTERS

\7, AIBAK ROAD (New Anarkali)lAHORE-7 (PAK.)


3/45

Copyright: All rights reserved.

ISBN NO. 969-432-140-9

Reprinted 1991

Published by:SH. SHAHZAD RIAZFor SH. MUHAMMAD ASllRAF,Publishers & Booksellers,7-Aibak Road (New Anarkali)Lahore-7 (Pak).

Printed &Bound atNew World PrintersAibakRoadLahore

Aplirt from any fair dealing fOI the purpose of privatestudy, research; criticism or review, as pcrmiucd under theInternational Copyright Act, no portion may be reproduced by anyprocess, or translated in any language without the written pel-missionof the Publisher.

P R E F A C E

II'...

Though one of the most important workscoming down to us fromMedieval Islam, no singlepart of the Ihya' 'Ulum al-Diti appeared in English,or any European language at that, until Duncan B.Macdonald published in the Journal of the RoyalAsiatic Society (1901, pp. 195-252, 705-748, and1902,pp. 1-28)an English version of BookVIII ofthe second quarter of the Ihya', i.e., the Kitab Adabal-Sama' w-al-Wajd (On Audition and Grief). Thesecond complete part of the Ihya' was Edwin E.Calverley's translation of Book N of the firstquarter, i.e., the Kitab al-Salah. (Madras, 1925).Except for a few extracts and selections, nocomplete translation of any part of the Ihya'appeareed in English until 1962 when two booksfrom it were finally published: Book I of the firstquarter, namely, the Kitab al-Tlm. (The Book ofKnowledge),translated by the present writer andpublished byM.Ashraf, Lahore, and BookIII of thefourth quarter, namely, the Kitab al-Khawf ur-al-Raja (On Fear and Hope), translated by WilliamMcKane and published by Brill of Leiden. Thefollowingyear, 1963, saw also the publication, inEnglish, of two other books of the Ihya': BookX ofthe second quarter, on the Conduct of Life asExemplifiedby the Prophet (Adab al-Ma'ishah. wa-Akhlaq al-Nubuwah), translated byL. Zolondekand

IV


4/45

published also by Brill; and Book II of the firstquarter, i.e., the Kitab Qawa1id al-'Aqa'id (TheFoundations of the Articles of Faith), translated bythe present writer and published alsobyM.Ashraf.

The following pages present in English garbBook III ofthe first quarter, namely, the Kitab Asraral-Taharah (On the Mysteries of Purity). Thoughnot one of the more profound contributions of al-Ghazzali, it still remains an integral part of theIhya' and should not, therefore, be neglected. Thetranslation is based on three printed texts and onein manuscript form. The printed texts are : first,that Printed at Kafr al-Zaghari in A.H. 1352 fromthe older Cairo edition of AH. 12~m; second, thatcontained' in the text of the Ithaf al-Sadah al-Muttaqin bi-Sharh. Ihya' 'Ulum al-Din of al-Sayyidal-Murtada al-Zabidi (d.1791) ; third, thatreproduced in the margin of the same Ithaf al-Sadah; and fourth, the text preserved in a fourvolume manuscript in the Garrett .Collection ofArabic Manuscripts in the Princeton UniversityLibrary (No.1481). In the translation of Quranicverses, I have depended mainly on J. M.Rodwell'sversion.

It is my hope that by making still another Bo?kof the Ihya' available in English, non-Arabic-speaking scholarswill draw a benefit, 'evenfrom mymistakes.

NabihAminFarisBeirut,March 29, 1966

v

CONTENTSPreface ivIntroduction 1OnPurification from Impurities

That which is Removed : 12The VehicleofRemoval 14The Manner ofRemoval.. 21

Purification fromExcrements.TheEtiquette ofAnswering the CallofNature 23

The Manner ofAblution ~ 29The ExcellenceofAblution '" 38The Manner of the MajorAblution .40The Manner ofPurification with Sand .42

OnCleanlinessandCleansingDischarges , 45BodilyGrowths' 58

VI


5/45

B O O K I I I

On the Mysteries of Purity which is the Third Bookin the Quarter on the Acts of Worship.In the name ofGodthe Merciful,the.

Compassionate.Praise be to GodWhohas shownkindness unto

His servants and thus endued them withcleanliness; who for the purification of their inwardthoughts has made His light and grace to flow intotheir hearts; and.for.the washing of their bodies hasgiven them water smooth and soft. And may thepeace ofGodbe upon the Prophet Muhammad, whohas encompassed the entire world from one end toanother with the light of guidance, as well as uponhis noble and righteous family-a peace the blessingof which will be a salavation unto us or the day ofresurrection; and a bulwark unto us against everydanger or affliction.

The Prophet said, "Religion was founded oncleanliness."1 And again, "Purification is the key to1. Unidentified.

1


6/45

The Kitab Asrar al-Taharahprayer.P God said, 'Therein are men who aspire topurity, and Godloveth the purified."3The Prophetalso said, "Purificationis one half ofbelief.s Godalsosaid, "Goddesireth not to lay a burden uponyou,butHe desireth to purify you."5 Through theseexternals, those who possess insight a woke.to thefact that the most important thing is thepurification ofthe heart, because, it is veryunlikelythat the words of the Propeht, "Purification is onehalf of belief' .meant that men should polish andclean the bodywith a generous use of water and toneglect the heart and leave it stuffed withimpurities andfilth.

Purity has four stages: The first stage is thepurification of the body from excrements,impurities, and bodilygrowths and discharges", Thesecond stage is the purification of the bodilysensesfrom crimes and sins. The third stage is thepurification of the heart from blameworthy traitsand reprehensible vices. The fourth stage is thepurification ofth\einmost self (sirr) fromeverythingexcept God.This last stage is that of the Prophetsand saints.

2. Ahmad ibn-Hanbal, Taharah: 181; al-Darimi, Tahara; 21; al-Tirmidhi, Taharah:3.

3. Surah IX: 109.4. Muslim, Taharah: 1; a l-Darimi, Taharah:2.5. Surah v:9.6. Ar. fadalat, sing. fadlah, a term used for all bodily growths

and discharges which are usually removed by such operationsas manciuring, shaving th~ head and beard, and circumcision.

2

:rhe Mysteries ofPurity.In everyone of these stages purity is half the'

. activities it entails. For the supreme aim of theactivities of the inmost self is to have the majestyand greatness of God revealed unto it. But theknowledge of Godwill never actually descend intothe inmost selfunless everything other than Godisremoved therefrom. For this reason Godsaid, "Say:It is God: then leave them in their pastime ofcavilling"." It is evident therefore that [theknowledgeofGodand allegiance to another besidesHim] cannot inhabit the same heart and ck,d hasnot created forman twohearts within him.

As to the activities of the heart, their supremepurpose is to adorn it [113] with the praiseworthytraits and the doctrines established by the Law. Noone who has not cleansed his heart from theiropposite, namely the false doctrines and thereprehensible vices, has ever been described bythese traits. Hence the purification of the heart.comprises one half of its activities. This first half isa prerequisite for the second. Itis in this mannerthat purification is one half..of belief. Similarly'thepurification of the bodilysenses from the forbiddenthings is one half of the activities they entail and isthe prerequisite of the second half. Theirpurification is the first half and their adornmentwith goodworks is the second half. These then arethe different stages ofbelief and every stage has itsownrank. Noone will attain the higher stage unlesshe goes first through the lower one. He will not.reach' the purification of the inmost self from the

surah iv:91.


7/45

The Kitab Asrar al-Taharahblameworthy qualities and will not adorn it withthose which are praiseworthy unless heaccomplishes frrs.tthe purification of the heart fromthe blameworthy traits and adorns it with thepraiseworthy. Similarly no one will attain thepurification of the heart from the blameworthytraits or adorn it with the praiseworthy unless heaccomplishes first the' purification of the bodilysenses from the forbidden things and adorns themwith goodworks. The more precious and noble thedesired objectbecomes the more difficult is the wayof its attainment, the longer is the road which leadsto it, and the greater are the obstacles which blockits path. Do not think, therefore" that this can beattained through mere wishing or achieved throughno effort. For he whose insight fails to distinguishbetween these different stages will not perceive ofthem except the lowest which is equivalent to thelast and outermost husk of the desired fruit. He willtherefore concentrate upon it and will go to theextreme in the study of its rules, wasting all histime' in abstersion (istinja 't: washing clothes,cleaninghis body, and outdoinghimself in the use .o frunning water, thinking, as a result of a constantfear with whichhe isobsessedand ofa hallucinationwhich dwellsin his mind, that the desired and noblepurity comprises only such outward and externalcleanliness, and revealing thereby a completeignorance ofthe life ofthe early Muslims:how theyexpended all their energy and thought on thepurification of the heart and were very lenientconcerning the body, to the' extent that 'Umar, See al-Darimi, Salah; 10-13; ibn-Majah. Taharah:15-16 .

4

The Mysteries ofPuritydespite his high station, has once performed hisablution with water from a jar which belongedto aChristian woman.7 [In the same' spirit] it wascustomary for the early Muslims not to wash theirhands from the remains of fat and foodb~t insteadwipe their fingers off against the arches of theirfeet, regarding the use of alkali (ushnan) aninnovation. They used to pray, kneeling andprostrating themselves directly on the ground, andwalk the streets barefooted. Those who placednothing between themselves and the earth whenthey slept were of the greatest among them. Theyconfinedthemselves exclusively to the use of stonefor abstersion.

Abu-Hurayrah and others besides him of therefugees of the mosque-vestibule (ahlal-Suffah)said, 'We were wont to eat the roasted meat andwiping our fingers against the pebbles and rubbingthem with earth, proceed to prayer repeating themagnificat (takbir}.8 Said 'Umar, 'We had noknowledge of alkali at the time of the Apostle ofGod, and our towels were the hollows of our feet:whenever we ate anything we wiped our hands. against our feet."9

It is said that the first innovations to appearafter the death of the Apostle of God were four,namely the use of sieves [for flour], the use of alkali

7. Cf. al-Bukbari, Wudu:44.8. Cf. ibn-Majah, At'imah: 2!l,9. Ib,15.

5


8/45

The Kitab Asrar al-Taharah[for washing], the 'use of tables [for eating], andeating to satiety.

Thus the only concern of the early Muslims wasthe cleanliness of the heart. One of them even said,''To perform prayer with the shoes on is better thanperforming it without them because" when theApostle of God took his shoes off during prayer, asGabriel informed him that they were unclean, andthe people present took their shoes off as well, hetold them, 'Why have you taken off your shoes?'''] 10

Concerning those who take, their shoes off forprayer al-Nakha'it! said disappro~g the practice, "1wish that someone in need would pass by and takethese shoes away [never to return them]."

Such then was their lenience on these affairs. Infact they used to walk barefooted in muddy streets,sit on the mud, and kneel and prostrate themselvesin prayer directly on the floors of the mosques. Theywere wont to eat bread made of wheat and barley,both of which were trodden by the feet of animalsand polluted with their urine. They made no effort

, to avoid the sweat of camels and horses despite thefact that both animals were constantly wallowinginimpure things. Not a single question concerning theniceties .of impurities has come down to us fromthem. Such then was their lenience in these,matters.' But the situation has now come to such a

10. For a tradition of the same import, of, abu Dawud,Taharah:137.

11. Ibrahim ibn-Yazid,A IT 96-A.D.714-5. Se e ibn Qutaybahp.235; Tahdhib al-Asma, pp.135-36.

6

The Mysteries ofPuritypass where a certain group of people who considertheir makeup tru'unah) equivalent to cleanlinessand say that it is the foundation of religion. Theyspend the greater part of their time in beautifyingtheir bodies, just as the hairdresser does with thebride, but neglect their hearts and leave themdesol~te, stuffed with the foul impurities of pride,conceit, ignorance, hypocrisy, and deceit; andneither disapprove of them nor show anyamazement at them; Furthermore, if anyoneshould confme ~tmself to the use of stones forabstersion, or walk barefooted on the ground,' orpray on the floor or on the bare mats of the mosquewithout spreading a rug over either, or walk overthe rugs [of the mosque] without leather overshoes'or perform his ablution with water from a j~belongmg to an old woman or an irreligious man,they would clamour and raise a vociferous outcryover him, call him filthy, ostracise him from theirmidst, and disdain from eatiiig with him orassociating with him. On the other hand theyregard austerity in attire, which is a part of belief, 12filth; [114] while make-up and ornamentation theyconsider cleanliness. See then how the evil hasbecome good, and the good evil; how the form ofreligion has disappeared just as its truth andknowledge have disappeared.

If you will ask, 'Will you then say that thosepractices which the Sufis have started in connexionwith their outward appearance and matters ofcleanliness are forbidden and evil?" I shall say, "Far12. Cf. Ibn-Majah, Zuhd:4.

~7


9/45

The Kitab Asrar al-Taharah The Mysteries ofPurity

be it from me to generalize on this subject and nottreat every caseonits ownmerit." Nevertheless thisshall I say, 'This excessive cleaning and thesepainful undertakings, the preparation of specialvessels and paraphernalia, the use of overshoes,wearing veils for protection against the dust andother' 'similar devices, if they were examined bythemselves without reference to anything else, theywill be found' permissible. Certain situations andmotives may become attached to them and willrender them at one time good and at another evil.That in themselves they .are permissible is quiteevident since he who practises them does so on hisown account in his own body and clothes. He,therefore, may do whatever he wishes, so long asthere is .neither waste nor extravagance therein.They become evil when they are made afundamental part of religion and are consequentlyadvanced as the interpretation of the words of theProphet. "Religionwas founded on cleanliness."As aresult those who are not v~ry strict in theobservance of all these rules of cleanliness but, likethe early Muslims,are lenient therein, are subjectedto harsh strictures, Again they become evil whenthey are performed for the purpose of adorning thebody and beautifying it. This, in fact, is hypocrisy,which is forbidden. Bythese two considerations willthey becomeevil.

They are good practices when their purpose isutility rather than ornamentation; when he whofails to observe them is not censured; when prayeris not delayed on their account; and when they donot prevent the individual from doing something

better or hinder him from pursuing a superiorknowledge and the like. When none of these thingsis attached to them they are permissible and mayeven be considered meritorious through the goodmotive behind them. But these practices arepossible only to the idle, who if they do not spendtheir time in them will waste it in sleep or uselessconversation. Consequently to spend this [otherwisewasted] time of"theirs in' these practices becomesthe more worthy, because any time spent inpurification renews the remembrance of God andthat of the acts of worship. There is, therefore, noharm in them provided they do not become evil orextravagant.

As to the men of learning and action, theyshould not spend any oftheir time in these practicesexcept what is necessary. For to go to excess is eviljust as to waste one's life, which is the best andmost precious pearl, when it should be preservedand utilized, is evil.None need wonder at that sincethe goodworks of the righteous are the evil worksof the favourites of God The idle shouldnot neglectcleanliness himself and disapprove ofit in the Sufisclaiming that he is thereby emulating theCompanions. For to emulate the Companions trulyis not to devote oneself except to that which ismoreimportant than external cleanliness. Thus it wassaid to Dawud al-Tai'" "Whydo you not comb youbeard?" He replied, "Doyou think I have nothingelse to do?"For this reason I do not think that the13. Dawud ibn-Nusayr aI-Ta"i AH. 165 AD. 781-82. See ibn-Sa'd,

Vol. VI, p.255; ibn Qutaybah, p.257.

8 9/~-


10/45

The Kitab Asrar al-Taharah.learned man or the student, or the labourer shouldw.~te their time washing their clothes in order toaVOIdwearing the clothes which the laundry-manhas washed because they imagine that the latterhas not cleaned the clothes well enough. As a.ma~ter of fact the early Muslims used to perform.their prayers while wearing tanned fur-coats, andnone of them was known to differentiate betweenlaundered clothes and tanned fur-coats as far aspurity and impurity were concerned Rather theyavoided all impurities wherever and whenever theysaw them and paid no attention to remote andsubtle possibilities. They, however, scrutinized verycarefullythe subtleties ofhypocrisyand injustice, sothat Sufyan al-Thawri once told a companion whorais~d his eyes to see an elaborate and exquisitedoorwayb! which they had just passed, "Donot dothat! For If people would not look at this door itsowner would not have been so extravagant. Verilythose who look at his door help him to beextravagant. IIThus [the early Muslims]spent all theefforts oftheir minds inpointing out such subtletiesrather than in speculating on the remotepossibilitiesofimpurity.

Therefore it will be better for the learned manto find for himself an ordinary person to wash hisc~othescarefullyfor him, because, from the point ofVl~woflenience,.this is better. The ordinary personwill ben~fit by his work since he will then give hissoul which urges to evil something permissible tokepp it busy and consequentlykeep it from sinning.F?r the soul,unless it is kept busywith something,will lead to trouble. Furthermore, if the ordinary

10

The Mysteries orPurityman wishes to gain the favour of the learned manthrough this work, he will frnd it to be one of thebest means to gain his end. Again, the time of thelearned man is too precious to be one of the bestmeans to gain his end. Again, the time of theordinary man is spent in such work, and he willbenefit in everyrespect.

Let this illustration, therefore, serve men as areminder of other similar works.and activities, todetermine their different values and to establishtheir order ofpreference, For care in preserving thehours of life and expending them in pursuing thebest is more important than being particular andfastidious concerning the minute affairs of thisworld.

Having acquainted yourself with thisintroduction and found out that purity has fourstages, then know that in this book we shall notdiscuss anything except the fourth stage which isthe cleanliness ofthe body,because, in the first halfof the book we purposely do not address ourselvesexcept to external and outward things.We, therefore, say that the purification of thebody is divided into three parts: purification fromimpurities, purification from excrements, andpurification from bodily growths and discharges,which is accomplished by such operations asmanicuring, shaving, removing the hair off thepubes with a depilatory,circumcision,and the like.

11


11/45

PAR T IOn Purification from Impurities, the Examinationof which Involves a Study of that which isRemoved, the Vehicle ofRemoval, andthe Manner of Removal.

THATWHICHIS REMOVEDThat which is removed (al-muzal). [115] is

impurity. Substances (ayan) are of three kinds:inanimate objects, animate objects and parts ofanimate objects.

As to inanimate objects, all, except wine andintoxication beverages, are pure. A13to animateobjects, all, except the dog and the pig and theirproducts, are pure. When animate objects die, theyare all impure except five,namely human beings,fish, locusts, apple worms, and, ofthe same categoryas apple worms, is every foodwhich changes, aswellas every formof lifewhich has no flowingblood likeflies beetles, and the like. Water is not renderedimpure when such objectsfall into it.

As to the parts of inanimate objects, they are oftwo kinds. The first comprises those things whichmay be cut off and its rule is the same as that ofdead bodies. [Oneexception is] the hair which isnotrendered impure by shearing and death. Bones,however, are rendered impure bydeath. The second

12.

The Mysteries ofPurity

comprises all wet things which the body exudes oremits. Everything which is not subject to changeand has no fixed seat like tears and sweat are pure.But saliva and the mucus of the nose, and whateverthings which have a fixed seat and are su~ject.tochange, are all impure except the seed of hfe hkesemen and eggs. Pus, blood, feces, and urine areimpure in all animals. Nothing is exempted ofth~seimpurities except fivethings. The first, the remamsof ordure after abstersion with stones- whateverdoes not extend beyond the orifice is exempted,Second, the mud in the streets and the dust of[dried up] dung, despite the fact that their impurityis established, are exempt only to the extent towhich they cannot be avoided, i.e., which is not theresult ofnegligence or oversight. Third, what hangsto the bottom of the shoes of impurities, of whichthe streets are always full. This is exempt, after ithas been wiped off,because ofnecessity. Fourth, theblood of fleas-little or much-except when it goesbeyond the ordinary limits-whether it be on yourown shirt or in some one else's shirt, whichyoumaywear. Fifth, the blood of pimples and the pus theydischarge. Ibn-'Umar oncewiped off a pimple on hisface and it bled but he went ahead and performedhis prayer without first washing. Of the samecategory is what chronic boils discharge as well ~sthe blood which issues after phlebotomy, except Insuch cases where the issue of blood is caused by anabcess where it will be subject to the same rulewhich governs the blood of menstruction and notthat of pimples of which man is never always free.The toleration of these five impurities by the Lawshows that the principle ofpurity is lenience and all

13


12/45

The Kitab Asrar al-Taharahthat was innovated therein is the result ofobsessionswhichhave no foundation.

THE VEHICLE OF REMOVALThe vehicle of removal (al-muzal bihi) is either

solid or liquid The solid is the stone of abstersion",hich has beep purified through being [sun-] dried.It should be a hard, pure, and dry stone but not arelic ofanyveneration.

As to liquids, none of them removes impuritiesexcept water and not any kind ofwater at that, butonly the pure water which has not becomecontaminated through its contact with other bodies.Again water ceases to be pure when, throughcontact with impurities, it changes .in taste or colouror odour. If, on the other hand it does not change inany of these, and its quantity approaches twohundred and fifty manehs, which equals fivehundred 'Iraqi rotls, it will not become impure,because the Prophet said, 'When water issufficientto fill two pitchers it carries no iinpurities. "14According to al-Shafi'i if it were less, it wouldbecome impure. This relates to stagnant water only.Running water,' on the other hand.when polluted1rith impurities, the' ripples which have beencontaminated with these impurities become impure, .except those beneath and below,because the ripplesof water are separated one from the .other.Similarly, the impurities, ifthey should flowin thewatercourse, render impure the part in which theyfall as well as the part to the right and left of the14. Cf. al-Tirmidhi, Taharah; 50; abu Dawud, Taharah:33. '

14

The Mysteries ofPuritypart wherein they fall, ifthe amount of water doesnot exceed two pitchers. If the flow,of the water,were faster than the flow of the impurities, whatlies over the impurities is pure and what lies belowthem is impure, no matter how far it may move orhow much it may be, unless it gathers in a pond orcavity the size ofwhich is larger than two pitchers.If an amount ofimpure water, equal to two pitchers,should gather in one place, that water wouldbecomepure ifmixed [with a larger quantity ofpurewater]. This is the positionofal Shafi'L I had hoped,however, that his position would be like that of 'Malik who held that water, no matter how meagreits amount might become, would not be renderedimpure except through change ~n taste, colour, or,odour], because the need for it is great and to laydown the condition.of two pitchers would simplyprovoke suspicion and fear. It has therefore becomevery difficult to observe this rule and, upon my life,it is difficult; those who would try and examine itwouldfind that out for themselves.

Furthermore, I have no doubt that if such acondition had been stipulated, then Makkah and al-Madinah, because of the scarcity of running waterand still water in big quantities in either town,would have been the two most difficult places forachievingpurity. Yet fromthe time ofthe Apostle ofGodto the last days of his Companions not a singlecrisispertaining to purification nor a single questionconcerning the manner of safeguarding water fromimpurities had been reported. The vessles in whichtheir water was placed was handled by boys andslave-girls who were not careful against impurities.

15


13/45

The Kitab Asrar al-TaharahFurthermore, 'Umar performed his ablution withwater fromthe jar ofa Christian woman. This act of'Umar is just as clear and binding as a genuinetradition which fulfils all requirements (sarih) inestablishing that water becomes impure onlywhenit changes [in taste, or colour, or odour]. Otherwisethe impurity ofthe Christianwomanand that ofhervessels are quite evident and are very readilydiscerned. Therefore this position becomesuptenable. The fact that no question concerning itarose during. the days of the Apostle and hisCompanions is one proof for its being untenable;the actionof'Umar isanother; while a third proof isfound in the fact that the Apostle of God.was wontto incline [116] the water vessel to the cat and toleave a U vessels unprotected against it even after hehad seen it eat a mouse.IS Nowhere in their landwere \tanks set apart for cats to drink. Nor did thecats godownto the bottomofthe well forwater.

The fourth proof is that al-Shafi'i has definitelysaid that water with which a certain impurity hasbeen washedwaspure, as long a s it did not undergoany change [in taste, or colour, or odour], and wasimpure whenever it did undergo any such change.And what difference is there between watercontaminated with impurities through its .owncontact with them or through the contact ofimpurities with it? And what sense is there insaying that the force of the eontact :of waterprevents impurity although contact in itself doesnot hinder the intermixture of impurity? If the one15. Al-Tirmidhi,Taharah, 69;ibn-Majah,Taharah;32.

16

The Mysteries ofPurityis to be explained on the grounds of need andnecessity,need and necessity are alsopresent in theother. There is nodifferencebetween pouringwaterinto a vessel wherein there is an impure garmentand throwing the impure garment in a vesselwherein there is pure water-both being ordinarypractices in laundry and washing.

Afifth proof is found in the fact that it was thepractice to perform abstersion along the edges ofsmall bodies of running water. There is nodisagreement concerning the position.of al-Shafi'ithat if urine should fall into running water and thewater does not undergo any change [in taste, orcolour or odour], it will still remain permissible touse the water for ablution no matter how small thequantity. And what difference is there betweenrunning and still water. Uponmy life, which is thestronger argument: to base the decisionon the lackof change in the water or on the force of its flow?Furthermore, what are the limitations ofthis force?Does it extend to the water which flows'Withinthepipes of baths or not? If it does not extend to thewater which flowswithin the pipes of baths, whataccounts for the difference?Andif it doesextend tosuchwater that isthe differencebetween what fallsinto it and what falls into its course as it is pouredout from vessels over the body, when both arerunning waters? Furthermore, if it 'is to be ruledthat water which flows over a solidand stationaryimpurity is impure, although it does not undergoany change, and that it remains impure until aquantityequal to two pitchers collects in a smallpond, [it should be remembered] that urine is

17


14/45

The Kitab Asrar al-Taharahintermixed with running water more readily thanany solid and stationary object possibly could. Andwhat difference is there between the solid andliquid [impurities] w\len the water is the same andadmixture is more through-going than merecontact?

The sixth proof is found in the fact that if a rotlof urine was poured into a quantity of water equalto two pitchers and then the water was distributedinto different vessels. Water drawn from any ofthese vessels is pure; yet it is wellknown that urine,though a small quantity of it, contaminates all.Which is more convincing to explain; that the wateris pure because it underwent no change, or becauseof its large quantity, even after that quantity hasceased to be large, and despite the knowledge that apart of the impuritystill exists in the reminder ofthat water?

A seventh proof is seen in the fact that in by-gone days ascetics constantly performed theirablutions in .public baths and dipped their handsand vessels in tanks despite the small quantity ofwater these tanks contained and despite theirknowledge that both pure and impure hands havebeen dippped into these tanks.

These incidents together with urgent need andnecessity strengthen the belief that only the lack ofany change in the water was taken intoconsideration whenever its purity was questioned,relying thereby on the words of the Apostle when hesaid, 'Water was created pure and nothing rendersit impure except that which changes its taste or

18

The Mysteries ofPuritycolour or odour.'16 There is a basic truth in this,namely that it is the property of every liquid totransform whatever may fall into it into its own,provided that liquid be the dominant element of thetwo. Thus just as the dog when itfalls into a mine ofsalt, is itself transformed into salt, and through itstransformation into salt and its loss of caninity,becomes pure, so is the case with vinegar and milk,whenever they are placed in water which isdominant, they lose their properties and acquirethose of the water, unless the vinegar and the milkbe the dominant elements, in which case they willprevail. Their prevalence is known through thepresence of their taste, or colour!;,or odour. Thisthen is the criterion [whereby things aredetermined and judged]. To it the Law has pointedin the case of the water which is capable ofremoving impurities. It is, therefore, worthy ofbeing relied upon. Consequently, through it theguilt is lifted [off those who use water which thefastidious deem impure], and the meaning [of thetradition that water was created pure] is explainedthrough it since water prevails over impurities andrenders the objects pure, just as it was shown in thecase of the two pitchers, as well as in the case of theused water, and the running water, and in the caseof inclining the vessel for the cat.

Do not, however, think that that is anexemption, for it were so it would have been like theremains of ordure after abstersion and the blood offleas: it would be deemed pure until [through16. Cf ibn-Majah, Taharah:76.

19


15/45

The Kitab Asrar al-Taharahexcess] it makes the water impure. Even when thequantity is small, water is not rendered impure byarticles steeped or washed therein or by a catlickingtherefrom.

As to the saying of the Apostle' that water-carries no impurities, it is in itself ambiguous, forwhenever water undergoes change it carriesimpurities. If it be said that the Apostle meant withhis words that water carries no impurities so long asit undergoes no change, it will then be possible tosay that in most cases water' does not undergo anychange through its contact with ordinary impurities.Furthermore, the words of the tradition imply theacceptance that when the quantity of water is shortof two pitchers, the water carries impurities whenbrought into contact with them. Nevertheless, it isquite possible to ignore the implied meaning of thetradition for lesser -reasons than those we havealready mentioned in those seven proofs. The_apparent meaning' of the words of the Apostle thatwater carries no impurities is to negate the act ofcarrying-in other words it transform impurities toits own property, just as we say that a mine of saltwill not hold a dog or anyting else but willdecompose and transform them into salt. Menperform their abstersion in small waters andstreamlets and dip impure vessels therein, and thenwonder whether or not the water has undergoneany perceptible change. It has therefore becomeevident that whenever the quantity of watersexceeds two pitchers, ordinary impurities do notcause it to undergo any change.

20

The Mysteries ofPUrityIfyou should say that the Prophet had said that

water carries no impurities, no matter how muchthese impurities increase, then the argument wouldbe turned against you, because whenever theimpurities increase in quantity, water would carrythem in effect as well as in fact. For this reason, Iwould say that it is imperative for both schools'? tobe specific and limit their interpretation to theordinary impurities.

In short, in the case of ordinary impurities, I aminclined to be tolerant and lenient, following thereinthe example of the early Muslims and hopingthereby to do away with fears and suspicions. Inthat spirit have I given my legal opinions concerningdisputed problems ofpurity.

THE MM{NER OF REMOVAL.[117] If an impurity is an impurity in effect

(hukmiyah), i.e., it has no palpable body, it issufficient to rUn water over all its parts. But if it isan impurity in fact, i.e., physical ('ayniyah) it isnecessary to remove the physical. The persistence ofthe taste indicates the persistence of the physical.The same is true of the persistence of colour exceptin such cases where the impurity leaves anindeliable stain, in which event it is exempted,provided it has been thoroughly rubbed and washed.But the persistence of odour indicates thepersistence of the physical and in not exemptedexcept in such cases where the object has a strongodour which is difficult to remove; in which event17. The Malikite and the Sahfi'ite.

21


16/45

The Kitab Asrar al-Taharahsoaking it in water and wringing it. severalsuccessive times will do instead of rubbing andwashing as inthe case of the persistence of colour.Itwilldoawaywith fear and suspicion to knowthatthings have been created pure. Objects on whi~himpurities are not positively seen may be used inprayer, and one should not resort to deduction toprove the presence ofimpurities.

22

P A R T I IPurification from Excrements

The purification from excrements (ahdath)comprisesablutions (wudu), major ablution (ghusl),and purification with sand (tayammum), and arepreceded by abstersion (istinja). Weshall now statethe manner p f their performance in the prescribedorder together with their etiquette and rules,beginning with the reason for ablution and theetiquette ofanswering the callofnature.THEETIQUET.TEOFANSWERINGTHECALL

OFNATURE[The person] should go into the wilderness far

from the eyes of onlookec,.18HE should shelterhimself behind something whenever possible andshould not unconver his nakedness ('awrah) beforehe reaches the place of squatting. He should notface the sun or the moon with his nakedness, norshould he face the qiblah or turn his back unto itwhen his nakedness is uncovered exceptwhen he iswithin a house, and even then it is better to avoid[that positionl.t" It is permissible for him, when in18.19.

C{.Ibn-Majab, Taharah;22.Ibn-Majah, Taharah: 17, 18; al-Tirmidhi, Taharah:51.

23


17/45

The Kitab Asrar al-Taharah The Mysteries ofPuritythe wilderness, to shelter himself behind his camelor use for that purpose his skirt. He should avoidsquatting down [for th'b purpose of answering thecall of.naturel in any place where it is customary formen to meet for conversation. He should noturinate in still water,20 or under a fruite tree, or inany enclosure." When urinating he should keepaway from hard surface and windy places in 'order toavoid spatter and splash. When he squats down toanswer the call of nature, he should support himselfon the left leg. When entering a house to urinate heshould advance with the left leg first and when heleaves he should advance with the right.Furthermore, he should not urinate while standing.'A'ishah said, "He who tells that the Prophet waswont to urinate standing, believe him not.22 'Umaralso said, "The Apostle of God once saw me urinate

while standing and he told me, '0 'Umar! Do noturinate standing,' Henceforth, f never urinatedstanding. "23Yet in certain Instances, it is allowedsince Hudhayafah related that the Apostle onceurinated standing and that Hudayfah then broughthim water for ablution which he performed andwiped his shoes off.24

Again no one should urinate in the bath tub. Inthis connexion the Prophet said that most of men'sfears and suspicions whether or not things are pureresult from urinating in bath tubs.25Ibn-al-Mubaraksaid, "However, if the water in the bath tub berunning water, then there is no harm in urinatingtherein."

When a person proceeds to answer the call ofnature, he should not take with him anything whichcontains the name of God or of His Apostle.26 Heshould not enter the water-closet bareheaded, andO i l entering he should say, '1 seek refuge in Godagainst the accursed Satan, the filthy, the impure,the abominable, the pernicious"27 On leaving thewater-closet he should say, "praise be to God Whohath removed from me that which is harmful andhath left me that which is useful. "28He should saythis after he had left the water-closet. He shouldprepare the stones [for abstersion] before squatting,and should not perform the act of abstersion overthe place where he had defecated. He should takethe utmost pains in cleaning his penis from urineby shaking it to and from three times and bystroking its lower extremity with his hand. 29Nevertheless, he should not worry too much over

Abu-Dawud, Taharah: 15j ibn-Majah, Taharah:12.,0.21.22.23.24.

Ibn-Majah, Taharah: 25, al-Tirmidhi, Taharah:6.Abu-Dawud, Taharah:16.Al-Tirmidh~ Taharah;8.Ibid, Taharah:8.Tavalisi. 406: abu-Dawud Taharah: 12, if, al-Tirmidhi,Taharah: 9j ibn-Majah, Taharah:8.

25.26.27.

28.29.

24

Cfabu-Dawud Taharah: 14j ibn-Majah, Taharah.11.Cf Ibn-Majah, Taharah: 9j al-Tirmidhi, Taharah: 4; al-Bukhari, Wudu:9.cf.al-Tirmidhi, Taharah: 5; ibn-Majah, Taharah:10.Cf. Ibn-Majah, Taharah:19.

25


18/45

The Kitab Asrar al-Taharahthe state of his cleanliness lest he become victim toan obsessionwhich will wear him out. If he shouldfeel something wet there, let him suppose that it isnothing but some of the water [with which heperformed the act of abstersion]. If this does notallay his suspicion let him sprinkle some water onthe place so that he can then assure himself thatthe wetness is caused by water not by urine.Consequently, he will not allow Satan to prevailover him through fear and suspicion. The Propehthimself, we are told in a tradition, has done thesame thing, namely, sprinkled water over [hisorifice]30,The person who was wont to exert theleast effort,in affecting the cleanliness ofhis orificewas the most learned among them, for fear andobsessionsindicate lack oflearning and ignorance..

In a tradition Salman [al-Farisi] said, 'TheApostle ofGodtaught us [118] everything, even howto answer the call of nature: Hew commanded usnot to perform the act of abstersion with eitherbone or [dried] dung, and forbade us to face theqiblahwhen defecating or urinating."31

Acertain Bedouinhaving fought with one oftheCompanions told him, 'You do not even know howto defecate."The Companion'answered and said, "Yea, by your father's beards, I do, and I am a pastmaster at it. I go out far into the wilderness,prepare the stones [for abstersion], face thewormwood,turn mybackto the wind,squat like the30.31.

Ibid,;58.Ibn Majah, Taharah:16.

26

The Mysteries ofPuritydeer, and stoop raising my posterior as the ostrichraises its tail,"(The'wormwoodis an aromatic desertplant, squatting is crouch-resting on his toes, andstoopingis raising the posterior part).

It is sometimes allowed for the man to urinateclose to his companionprovided he be concealedandsheltered. The ApostleofGod has donethat despitehis extreme shyness, in order to show men that itwas psrmissible.PThe Manner of Absetersion

The person will then perform the abstersio~ forhis posterior orificewith three stones. If t.heorificeis cleansed therewith, the three stones WIllsuffice,otherwise, a fourth stone must be used, and if thisproves sufficient, ~ fifth must be used, because[although] only cleanliness is necessary, the use ofan oddnumber [ofstones] is desirable. The Prophetsaid, 'When thou employest stones for thyabstersion use an oddnumber."33In performing theabstersion' the person should hold the stone withhis left h~d, place it at the fore-part of his ori~cejust before the seat ofimpurity, and run it overWIthhorizontal and circular motion to the rear part. Heshould then take the second stone, place it at therear part and run it over to the forepart. Takingthen the third stone he should run it around theorifi~e. If he should not be able to run the stonearound the orifice, he might perform the act inparts.32.33.

Cf. al-Bukhari, Wudu' : 64.Al-Bukhari, Wudu':25, 26, Ibn Majah, Taharah 23, 44.

27


19/45

TheKitab Asrar al-Taharah IHe then should take a large stone with his right

and his penis with the left and with it(the left)move the penis thereby wiping it against the stonein there different places, or against three stones, oragainst three different palces on a wall, until he seeswetness on the place where he had wiped his penis,If that is accomplished after he wiped it twice, heshould do it a third time. This is obligatory if hewishes to limit himself to the use of stones. Ifthat isaccomplished after he had wiped his penis fourtimes against the stone, it would be desirable towipe it a fifth time for the sake of maintaining anodd number. '

He should then move to another place andperform the act of abstersion with water, pouring itover the seat of excrement and rubbing it with theleft until nothing which the palm of the hand couldfeel is left. He should not go to excess by trying toremove the parts which are still within the orificebecause such a thing would give rise to obsession.He should realise that whatever water cannot reachlies within, and these parts which lie within are notsubject to the rule that governs impurities unlessthey come out. Arid everything which is externaland which is subject to the rule that governsimpurities fulfils the difinition of purity when thewater reaches and removes it. There is, therefore,no sense in being victim to an obsession in this.repsect.

At the end of abstersion the person should say,"0 my God! Purify my heart from hypocrisy, andmake my body chaste." He then should wipe his

28

The Mysteries ofPurityhand against a wall or earth for removing any odourwhich might have persisted thereon. The use ofboth stones and water together is desirable, as itwas related that when God revealed unto theApostle the verse, "Therein are men who aspire topurity, 'and Oodlovetb the purified,"34 the Apostlesaid to the people of Quba,35'What is the purity forwhich God has herewith praised you?" They said,'We were wont to use both stones and water [forperforming the act of abstersionl."

The Manner ofAblutionWhen [the person] is through with abstersion,

he should proceed to perform his ablution, for neverhas the Apostle of God been seen emerging after hehad answered the call of nature' withoutimmediately 'performing the ablution. The personshould commence with the use of the toothpick.Thu~ the Apostle said, 'Your mouths are thepathways of the Qur'an. Render them, theref~reclean with toothpicks. "36His purpose, when usingthe toothpick, should be the purification of hismouth for the reading of the Qur'an, and theinvocation of God in prayer. The Prophet said, "Oneprayer after the use of the toothpick is better thanseventy and five prayers without the use of the34. Surah ix:l09.35. A village, two miles south of al-Madinah, where Muhammad

spent for days on his hijrah to al-Madinah. He prayed in itsmosque, alleged to have been built by his Companions whopreceded him to his new capital. See Yaqut, Buldan, Vol.IVpp.2-24.

36. Ibn-Majah, Tahara:7.

29


20/45

The Kitab Asrar al-Taharahtoothpick."37And again,"Hadit not been for my fearto overburden my people, I wouldhave commandedthem to use the toothpick before every parayer,38"And again [119] 'Why doyou come before me withyellowteeth? Use toothpicks."39He alsowas ~ont touse the toothpick several times every night. It wasalso related that ibn-Abbasonce said, "TheApostlehas so repeatedly commanded us to use thetoothpick that we expected him soon to receive arevelation on its use."40The Apostle also said, "Useye the toothpick: it is a purifier for the mouth andwell-pleasing unto God."41Ali said, "The toothpickdevelops and strengthens the memory and banishessluggishness." Furthermore, it was customary forthe Companions of the Prophet to go about withtheir toothpicks carried behind the ears.42

The manner of its use. For a toothpick menshould use the arak (salvadora perisce) wood orother rough branches which remove the yellowdeposits around the teeth. The toothpick should beused both horizontally and vertically, and if oneshould limit himself to one of the two motions, lethim use it horizontally.

37. c r . Ahmad ibn-Hanbal, Tahara: 169.38. Ahmad ibn-Hanbal, Tahrarh:167, 170.39. Ibid., Taharah; 165.40. Ibid., Taharah; 159, 160.41. Ibid., Taharah: 156, 157, 158.42. Cf. abu-Dawud, Taharah: 25; Ahmad ibn-Hanbal,

Taharah:167.

30

The Mysteries ofPurityItis desirabel to use the toothpick prior to every

prayer and prior to every ablution whether it isfollowedwith prayer or not. Equally desirable is itsuse when the taste of the mouth has becomebad asa result of sleep, or long abstinence from food, oreating a thing ofunpleasant smell.

After completing the cleansing of his mouthwith the toothpick the person should then proceedwith his ablution facing therein the qiblah, andsaying, "In the name of God the Merciful, theCompassionate." The Prophet said, "There is noablution to him who does not call upon the name ofGod,"43.e.,no complete ablution. The person shouldthen say, "[0 God!]I seek refuge in thee from thepower of the devil. I seek refuge in thee 0God lestthey should comeand surround me."He then shouldwash his hands three times before putting theminto the vessel and should say, "0God,I ask thee forluck and blessing, and seek refuge in thee againstill-luck and destruction." His purpose should be theremoval of excrements or making prayer lawful. Heshould bear that purpose in mind until he hadwashed his face. If, however, he happens to forgetthe purpose ofhis ablutionjust before he washes hisface, he will not be penalized for it. He then shouldtake up a handful ofwater with his right, and rinsehis mouth with it thrice and gargle, allowing thewater to reach his throat, except when he is fasting,at which time he should take it easy [lest heswallowany ofit].

43. Cf. ibn-Majah, Taharah, 41.

31


21/45

The Kitab Asrar alTaharahHaving done that he should say, "0 God, Help

me to recite Thy book and to glorify Thy name." .Thereupon he should take up another handful andinhale it thrice, forcing it with his breath up hisnose and flushing thereby its cartilages, and then. force the water out by exhaling. As he sniffs thewater he should say, "0 God!Grant me [to enjoy]the perfumes ofParadise and be gracious unto me.".As he exhales in order to force the water out of hisnose he should say, "0 God!I seek refuge in Theeagainst the stench 'of Hell and evil of the world."This is saidbecause inhaling constitutes drawing inand exhaling is removal and rejection.

He then should take another handful of waterfor his faceand should.washit fromthe beginning ofthe flat part of the forehead to the extremity of thefore-part of the chin lengthwise, and from ear to earlaterally. The two temples which are on either sideof the forehead are not includedin the facebut formapart ofthe head. The water is allowedto reach theedge of the bangs which women are wont to affect:Itis that part which lies at the side of the facewhenthe end ofa thread isplacedupon the top ofthe ear,and the other end is placed upon the corner of theforehead. The water, however, is allowed to reachthe fourparts offacewhere,the hair grows,namely,the eyebrows, the mustache, the sidewhiskers, andthe eyelashes which are, for the most part sparse.The side whiskers are that part of the beard whichgrows parellel to and alongside the ears. Watershould also be allowed to reach the base of sparsebut not thick beards, i.e. the frontal part of the face.The rule which governs the hair between the lower

32

The Mysteries ofPuritylip and the chin is the same as that which governsthe beard, whether thick or sparse. He should [washhis face in this prescribed manner] thrice and thenpour water over the longpart ofhis beard, and workhis fingers in and clean the eyeholes and [the innercorners of the eyes] where the dirt .which theydischarge collectsand [the outer corners] where thekohl gathers, for it was related that the Prophethimself did that.44 When the person washes his eyeshis wish should be that sin would depart therfrom.Similarly at the washing of every member of hisbody, he should wish- for the departure of sintherefrom. As he washes his face, he should say, "0God! Cleanse Thou my face with Thy light whenThou cleanseth the .faces of Thy saints; and [12C]blacken not my facewith Thy darkness when Thourendereth the faces/of Thy enemies black." Whenwashing his facerJi~'should also let water flow inthe interstices ofhis beard, for, it is desirable.

He should then wash his arms up to the elbowsthree times, [When washing his hands] he shouldmove the ring around his finger. He then shoulddrawhis wetten right hand over the fore-part of hishead, [raising his head gear with the left], andshould apply water to the upper part of the upperarm. For [the believers] will appear on the day ofresurrection with whiteness on their foreheads,wrists, and ankles, from the effect of ablution.45Similarly, a traditon declares that the Propeht said,'Whoever is able to clean the fore-part of his head44. Unidentified45. Al-Bukhari, Wudu:3.

33


22/45

The Kitab Asrar al-Taharahlet him do SO."46t has also been related that thewhiteness47 appears on those parts of the bodywhich are washed at the time ofablutionw,

The person shouldbeginwith the washing ofhisright hand and say, "0 God! [On the day ofjudgment] hand me the book of my actions in myright hand and judge me with lenience."When hewashes his left he should say, "I beseech Thee 0God, hand me not the book of my action in my leftor frombehindmy back."He then shouldproceed towipe his head thoroughly by soaking his hands inthe water, bringing the tips of their fingers, boththe right and the left, together, placing them ontheforepart of the head, running them over to theopposite side, and finally bringing them back againto the forepart. All this constitutes one wiping. Heshouldgothrough it thrice and say, "Coverme withThy mercy, 0 God,and shower upon me of Thyblessings. Give me to sit in the shadow of Thythrone on that day' when there will be no shadeexceptThine own."

He then should wipe his ears, both outside andinside, with fresh water. To do this, he should putthe tips of his forefingers into his ears and twistthem round,.passing his thumbs at the same timeover their back. He then should place the palms ofhis hands over the outer part of his ears, repeatingthe act thrice and saying, "Makeme 0 God one of46. Ibid.47. Ar. Hilyah, which means literally ornament.48. Muslims, Taharah:40.

34

The Mysteries ofPuritythose who hear and pattern their work inaccordanceto the best ofwhat they hear. 0 God,letme hear the crier ofParadise with the righteous."He should then wipe his neck with fresh water,because the Apostle said, 'Wiping the necksafeguards against being shackled on the day ofresurrection."49As he wipes his neck he should say,"0 God,release my neck from [the yoke of] fire andsave Thou me from the chains and shackles." Heshould then wash his right foot thrice and, with hisleft hand, pass his fingers between his toes from thebottomup, beginning with the little toe of the rightfootand endingwith the little toe ofthe left. [As hewashes his right foot] he should say, "0 God, steadymy foot on the narrow bridge on that daywhen feetslip down into the fires of Hell."And as he washeshis left foot he should say, "Iseek thy aid 0 Godlestmy foot should slip offthe bridge on that daywhenthe feet ofthe hypocrites slip."[Inwashinghis feet]he should let the water reach half way up his legs.When he is through, he should turn his head up toheaven and say, "I testify that there is no god butAllah, that He hath no associate, and thatMuhammad is His servant and apostle. Glorybe toThee 0 God,and the praise be Thine, for there isnogod but Thee. I have done evil and sinned againstmy own soul. I beg Thy forgiveness 0 God, and Ihearken back unto Thee. Forgive,therefore, my sinand be gracious unto me; Thou art the Forgiving,the Merciful. Give me to be penitent 0 God, andmake me pure. Grant me tobe one ofThy righteousservants and make me patient and grateful. Helpme always to remember Thy name, and to praiseThee day and night." It is said that whoever repeats49. Unidentified.

35


23/45

The Kitab Asrar al-Taharahthis [collect] after performing his ablutions willhave the seal of approval affixed to his performanceand will have a place prepared for him beneath thethrone, wherefrom he will continue to praise Godand glorify His Holy Name. His reward will bepreserved for him until the day of resurrection.

Several things are undesirable during' ablution.Of these is to wash [each member] more thanthrice. Whoever goes beyond the three transgresses.Another undesirable thing is to be extravagant inthe use of water. The Prophet performed hisablution, washing each member thrice, and said,'Whoever goes beyond three transgresses and doesevil."5oAnd again, "There will rise among this peoplesome who will be extravagant in their supplicationsand purity"51 It is also said, "Asure sign of weaknessin man's learning is his fondness for water duringthe act of purification." Ibrahim ibn-Adham said,"Obsessions grow out of [fastidiousness in]purification." .

Among the undesirable things also are speakingduring ablution and splashing the face with water.Others also objected to the use of towels afterablution saying that the water used in the act isweighed [on the day of resurrection]. This was saidby both sa'id ibn-al-Musayyab and al-Zuhri.w ButMu'adh related that the Apostle himself wiped hisface [after ablution] with the end of his garment. 53'A'ishah also related that he had a towel [which he50. Abu Dawud, Taharah:52.51. . Ibid,45.52. Probably abu-Salamah ibn-'Abd-al-Rahman. A.H. 94 A.D. 713,

'I'adhkirat-al-Huffaz, VoU, p.59.53. Al-Tirmidhi, Taharah:20.

36

The Mysteries ofPurityuse~ .after ablution] 54. The authenticity of thistradition has, however, been questioned. 55

It is also undesiraWe to perform the act ofablution from water contained in brass vessles; or touse for that purpose water which has been heatedin the sun. This latter thing is undesirable formedical reasons. The objection to the use of watercontained in brass vessles was related on theauthority of ibn-'Umar and abu-Hurayrah.ee [121] Acertain person said, "I brought out for Shu'bahs?wate~ in brass vessel but he refused to perform hisablution therefrom." In this objection to brassvessels he followed the example of ibn-'Umar andabu-Hurayrah.

When the person completes his ablution andproceeds to pray he must, no doubt, be aware of hisexternal purity, the purity which men behold ands~e. He should, however, be ashamed of communingwith God without first purifying his heart, whichGod beholds and sees. He should know withcertainty that the purity of the heart isaccomplished through repentance, putting asideblameworthy traits, and laying hold on those whichare praiseworthy. He who limits himself to externalpurity and cleanliness is like the person whodesiring to invite a king to his house, embarks on- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - . ~ - - - -54. Ibid, Taharah:40.55. Al-Tirmidhi himself, in narrating the tradition, casts doubt onits authenticity.

Cf, Ibn-Majah, Taharah:61, where the same thing ispermissible.Abu-Bistam Shu'bah ibn-al-Haj jl\ i al -'Ataki , A.H. 160-A.D.776-7; see ibn-Sa"d, Vol. 7, Pt 2 p.38; Tadhkirat-al-Huffaz.Vol. I.pp.181-85

56.

57.

37


24/45

The Kitab Asrar al-Taharahthe task of plastering and whitewashing its outergate, but neglects the interior, leaving it ~tuffedwith all manner of dirt and filth. Such a man IS bestfitted for contempt and perdition. But God knowethbest.

The Excellence ofAblution. The Apostle of God said, ''Whoever performs hisablution well and prostrates himself twice in prayerwithout allowing anything worldly to distract hismind will be absolved of all his sins, and will, b ~become as innocent as he was when he was orn.Or according to another version "without permittinghis mind to wander, will be forgiven all his pastsins."59

The Apostle also said: "Let me tell you where-with God atones sin and raises the ranks [of thefaithful]: Performing the ablution though indistress, frequenting the mosques, and I.0oki~gforward for the time of the next prayer. Verily thisis the threefold bond."60The Apostle performed theablution throwing water once on every member andsaid, "Prayer is unacceptable before God exc~ptafter such ablution. "61He performed the ablutionthrowing water twice and said, ''Whoever performsthe ablution throwing water twice on every memberwill twice receive his reward from God."62Finally,he performed the ablution throwing water thriceand said, ''This is my manner of ablution and that of58.59.60.61.62.

Cf. Ahmad ibn-Hanbal, Taharah: 183, 188.Cf. al-Darimi Taharah:43.Cf. Ahmad ibn-Hanbal, Taharah-193..Cf. Al-Bukhar, Wudu' :22.Cf. ibid, Wudu'; 23.

38

The Mysteries ofPuritythe propehts before me and that of Abraham, theFriend of the Merciful God."63 .

The Apostle also said, "He who will rememberGod when he performs his ablution will have hiswhole body purified by God. But he who will notremember God at his ablution will not have his bodypurified except in those places where the water wasapplied. "64 And again, "He who performs theablution while pure, will be credited with ten gooddeeds by God."65He also said, "An ablution uponablution is like a light upon light."66All this is to urge and induce men to repeat andrenew their ablution. The Apostle also said, ''When aMuslim, during the act of ablution, rinses hismouth, the sins leave it; when he blows his nose,they are gone therefrom; when he washes hishands, the sins, even those beneath his finger-nails,are removed; when he washes his head, he.r ids it ofits sins, even those in and behind his ears, when hewashes his feet, he cleanses them from sins, eventhose beneath his toe-nails. Then, and only then,will his going to the mosque and his prayer thereinbe meritorious." It has also been related that -hewho is pure has the same reward as he who isfasting.68The Apostle also said, 'Whoever performshis ablution well, and then lifts his head untoheaven and says, 'I testify that there is no god but63. Cf. ibid, Wudu': 24: Ahmad ibn-Hanbal, Taharah:902.6 4 .65.66.67.68.

Unidentified.Ibn-Majah, Taharah:73.Cf. Surah xxiv: 35. The tradition itself seems to be spurious.Ahmad ibn-Hanbal, Taharah:187.Unidentified. Cf. Ahmad ibn-Hanbal, Taharah:195.

39


25/45

The Kitab Asrar al-TaharahAllah alone, He hath no associate, and I testify thatMuhammad is His servant, the Apostle, the eightgates of Paradise will be flung open before him andhe will enter therein through whichever gate hemay desire."69 [122] Said 'Umar "Good' ablutiondrives awaySatan fromyou."Mujahid also said, "Hewho is able to goto bed purified, remembering Godand penitent, let him do so, for souls are broughtback to life in the same condition in which theywere when taken away."

The Manner of'the Major Ablution'The person should place the vessel whichcontains the water to his right, and repeating thebasmalah, he should wash his hands, thrice, thenperform the act of abstersion, as has been alreadydescribed, removing off his body whateverimpurities it has.. He then should perform theablution ofprayer in the manner already describedwith the exception of the washing of the feet whichhe should for the time being defer because to washthe feet and then step on the earth [which is notclean]wouldbe waste ofwater. He then shouldpourwater over his head, thrice over the right side andthrice over the left. He then should rub his body oneither side, the front and the back; let the waterflowinto the interstices ofhis beard making it reachthe base of the hair whether thick or sparse. Awoman, however, need not undo her braids unlessshe is certain that without undoing them the waterwill not penetrate into the interstices of her hair.The person shouldnot forget those parts ofthe bodywhich are bent or concealed, but should guardagainst touching his penis. Shoud he touch hispenis, he shouldperform the act ofablution allover

69. Ahmad ibn-Hanbal, Taharah:203.

40

The Mysteries ofPurityagain. If, however, he has already performed hieablution before the major ablution (ghusl) he neednot gothrough it again.

These then are the rules ofablution (wudu) andthe major ablution (ghusl). Wehave discussed thoseelements in them which are indispensable for thetraveller on the path of the hereafter to know andto do. If on special occasions and under unusualcircumstances he may need other points besidesthese, he should refer himself concerning them tothe booksofjurisprudence.Of all we have discussed concerning the majorablution two things are obligatory: good intentionand the washing of the whole body. In the case ofablution [six things] are obligatory: good intentin,washing the face, washing the arms up to theelbows,wipingthe head, washing the feet includingthe heels, and finally the observation of [the abovementioned] order [in the performance of the act ofablution]. [Washing the different members of thebody in] uninterrupted succession (muwalah), i.e.,to commence washing the second member beforethe first has dried, and the third before the secondhas and soon], is not obligatory.The major ablution(ghusl) is obligatory after four things: after the

emissionsemen, after the two placesofcircumcisionmeet together,70 after menstruation, and after child-birth. Other than these is simply. ordained bycustom after the usage of the Prophet (sunnah),such as the major ablution ofthe two feasts, al-Fitrand al-Adha, the major ablution of the Friday andthe different feasts, the major ablution of the70. Ar iltiqa' al-khitanayn, a euphemism, metonymica1ly denoting

the disappearing of the part of the penis that is above, orbeyond, the place of circumcision in the vulva of the woman.

41


26/45

The Kitab Asrar al-Taharahihram.l) that of the standing on 'Arafah andMuzdalifah, and at entering, Makkah. Alsoperformed after the usage of the Prophet are thethree major ablutions during the last three days ofthe pilgrimage (ayyam al-tashiq),"! the majorablution of the farewell circumambulation (tawaf-al-wada), according to some, the major ablution ofthe unbeliever when he embraces Islam and isunder no obligation to perform it by reason of sexualintercourse and the discharge of semen, the insanewhen he regains his sanity, and the person who haswashed a dead body. All these are desirable.

The Manner ofPurification with SandIf, after trying earnestly to find water, a personis unable to secure any, or is prevented by thepresence of some beast or obstacle from reachingthe water supply, or whenever the water is neededfor the quenching of his thirst or that of hiscompanion, or whenever it belongs to someone elsewho declines to sell any of it except for too high aprice, or when the person himself happens to besuffering from a wound or an ailment, andconsequently fears that the use of water may resultin the infection of the member or in his acute

sickness, he should wait until the time for thefulfilment of the ordinance arrives and then proceedto an elevated land the soil of which is pure, fine,and soft so that it is easily blown into dust. There,with his fingers held closely together, he should pathis palms over the sand, and lifting them to his face,71. The ihram is the sacred state in which the Muslim performs

the major pilgrimage (Hajj) and the minor pilgrimage('umrah).

72. These coincide with the eleventh, twelfth and thirteenth daysof Dhu-al-Hijjah. .

42

The Mysteries ofPurityhe should wipe every part of it once. As he does thathe should purpose' in his mind the making of prayerpermissible. In wiping his face, he is not required toforce the dust beneath the hair whether it be sparseor thick. He should, however, make an effort to wipehis whole face with the dust. This can beaccomplished with one single stroke, since thewidth of the face does not exceed that of the twopalms. In deciding whether or not he has coveredhis whole face, his own opinion is sufficient. He thenshould remove his ring and pat his palms over thesand a second time, during which he should holdhis fingers wide apart. Having done this, he shouldplace the back of the fingers of his right hand overthe front part of the fingers of his left in such a waythat the tips of the fingers of the one hand will notproject beyond the edge of the forefinger of theother. His hands in this position, he should then runhis left hand over the back of his right forearm up tothe elbow. He then should turn over his hand sothat the hollow of his left palm rests over the innerside of his right forearm by the ~lbow and. thenshould run it down towards the wrist and fimsh bystroking the outer side of his right thumb with ~heinner of his left. He then should do the same thingfor his left arm. After that he should wipe his twopalms against each other and pass the fmgers of theone hand between those of the other. The purposeof this regulation i~ to cover both arms completelyup to the elbows through a single patting of thepalms over the sand. If this proves impossible theperson can pat his palms over the sand one or moretimes. Having fulfilled this and performed theordained prayer he may proceed to perform anysupererogatory prayer he wishes. If he wishes tocombine the enactment of two rites he shouldperform the act of purification with sand

43


27/45

The Kitab Asrar al-Taharah(tayammum) over again prior to the enactment ofthe second rite. Thus every ordained rite should bepreceded by a single act of tayammum.

44

PAR T IIIOn Cleanliness and Cleansing from the ExternalBodily Growths and Discharges which areo f Two Kinds: Discharges (awsakh)and Growths (ajza)The first kind, namely, the discharges and the

wet excretions ofthe body.These number eight:1. That which adheres to the hair of the head

such as dirt and lice. Cleansing the head from thesethrough washing, combing and the use of ointmentfor the orderly arrangement of the hair is desirable.The Apostle was wont to anoint and comb his haironcea week. Furthermore, he used to command [hisfollowers]to do the same, saying, "Anointyour haironce a week."73He also said, [123] "Hewho has butone hair [onhis head], let him honour it;"74i.e. keepit clean from filth. A certain man with dishevelledhair and ruflled beard came one day before theApostle. On seeing him, the Apostle said, "Has thisman no ointment wherewith to hold his hair?"7573.74.75.

Cf, al-Tirmidhi, Libas: 22j Abu Dawud, Tarajjul:l.Cf. abu-Dawud, Tarajjul:3.AlNasa'i Zinah:58.

45


28/45

The Kitab Asrar al-TaharahThen turning to those present he added,"Oneofyouenters the place as though he were a demon."76 .

2. The discharge which collects in the hole ofthe ear [i.e. the ear-wax].Wipingwill remove whatis evident of it, while that which collects at thebottom of the canal should be carefully cleansedafter emerging from the bath; for too much of thatdischarge may be harmful to the hearing of theindividual.

3. What collectswithin the nose ofthe wet thickmucus and sticks to its [inner walls]. It is removedby inhaling and exhaling.

4. The yellow deposits which collect betweenthe teeth and the tip of the tongue. These areremovedby the use ofthe toothpick and the rinsingof the mouth, both of which we have alreadydiscussed.

5. The filth which adhere to the beard and thelice which swarms it whenever it is not tended.These 'canbe gotten rid ofbywashing and combing.Thus we have it in the well-known tradition thatthe Apostlenever parted with his comb,brush, andmirror whether he was at home or on travel.77 Thisin fact was the established custom [among] theArabians. According to a strange tradition, theProphet was wont to combhis beard twice a day.78

76.77.78.

Does not appear in the tradition.Cf. ibn-Sa'd, Vol. II, Pt.2. pp.170-71.Unidentified.

46

The Mysteries ofPurityHisbeard was thick79and the same was true of thatof abu-Bakr.w, 'Uthman, on the other hand, hadalong but thin beard;81while 'Ali had a broad andwide beard which spread out across his chest fromshoulder to shoulder.s- In yet a stranger tradition.'A'ishah said, "Severalpeople gathered outside thegate ofthe Apostle'shouse and he went out tomeetthem. Just before he went out, I sawhim gaze, intothe water-vessel and fix his hair and beard.Thereupon, I said to him: 'Doyou do such a thing 0thou the Apostle ofGod?'Towhich he replied: 'Yes,for verily Godloveth that His servant should adornhimself whenever he goes out to meet hisbrethren'."83 The ignorant might think that theApostle,likeother men, attended his hair and beardbecause of his. desire to appear handsome beforepeople. Such an error on the part of the ignorant islike comparing angels to blacksmiths.. On thecontrary, the Apostle was commanded by God tofulfil a commissionand among the duties therein hewas expected to exalt himself before man andinspire respect in their hearts so that they mightnot belittle and despise him, and to embellish hislooks in their sight so that they might not slighthim not consequently turn away from him, andthereby givethe hyprocrites reason to rejoice. Carefor personal appearance is obligatory upon every79. See ibn-Sa'd, Vol. I, pt.2, p.120.80. Cf, ibid, Vol.ID, PL 1, p.133.hI.82.8 3 .

Ibid, Vol.ID, PL2, p.40.Ibid, Vol.ID, Pt. 1,p.16.Unidentfied.

47


29/45

The Kitab Asrar al-Taharahlearned man who undertakes to call men to theworship of God. He should attend to his outwardappearance sothat he wouldleave nothing that willalienate men and turn them awayfrom him. In thisand in other similar things the intention of theindividual is the test. For such actions are qualifiedand coloured by the purpose for which they havebeen done.Adornment for this purpose is, therefore,desirable; while leaving the beards dishevelled andneglecting one's personal appearance in order toattract attention as an ascetic is - extremelydangerous. Rather to relinquish [such affectations]and undertake those things which are moreimportant is desirable. In short, these are inwardstates between the servant and his God.The critical[observer] will not fall to see that and no amount ofambiguity and confusion could prevail over him ormislead him. Yet how many an ignorant personaffects these things in order to attract the attentionofmen, thereby deceiving himself and other peopleas well, and claims that his purpose in that is goodand wholesome.Thus you often see several learnedmen wear expensive and luxuriant garments andclaimthat their solepurpose is to confoundhereticsand refute dissenters, and that their aim is to drawnigh unto God.But the [falsity of their claimwill bereveald on that daywhen the hearts are examined,when the tombs are laidopenand their contents arescattered, when the secret thoughts are madeknown. On that day will the pure gold be selectedand the glittering [brass] thrown away. We seekthy refuge 0 Lord against the shame [due thehypocrites onthe day ofjudgment].

48

The Mysteries ofPurity6. The filth which adheres to the knuckles, i.e.

the finger joints. These the Arabians did not washfrequently because they neglected the washing oftheir hands after meals. Consequently, filthcollected [124] in these wrinkles. The Apostle ofGod commanded them, therefore to wash theirknuckles.84

7. Cleaning the finger-tips which the Apostle ofGodcommanded the Arabians to do.85This includesnot onlythe removal of the filth that adheres to thefinger-tips but also that which gathers beneath thenails, especially since the nails were not alwaystrimmed, with the result that dirt collectedin greatquantities beneath them. Consequently, the Apostleordered that the manicuring of nails plucking thehair off the arm-pits, and shaviing the pubes shouldbe done [at least] once every forty days,86but hecommanded that the part beneath the nails becleaned regularly [and frequentlyl.s? In one of theincidents in the life of the Prophet we are told thathe once thought the revelation he was expectingwas unduly late; sowhen fmallyGabriel came downwith the revelation, the latter said, 'How couldwereveal to you [anything]' when ye wash not yourknuckles and clean not your finger-tips when yourteeth are yellowand ye clean them not. Command,

84. Cf. ibn-Majah, Taharah:8j al-Tinnidhi, Adab:14.85. Cf.al-Tinnidhi, Adab:14.86. Ibid, Adab:15.:87. Unidentified.

49


30/45

The Kitab Asrar al-Taharahtherefore, your people to do that,"88 The words ofGod' "And say not to them, 'Fie!'89 means not torep:oach them for whatever dirt they ~ay havebeneath their nails, or, as has also been said, not tobe annoyed with them as you are annoyed by thedirt which collects beneath your nails.

8. The dirt which collects to the body throughperspiration and dust, all of which are best remo~edby taking a bath. In this conne:aon [we m~y pointout that] there is no harm m frequenting thepublic baths, as the Companions. themselves we~tinto the baths of Damascus. One of them even said,'What a good place is the bathho~se! Therein th~,body is 'cleansed and its heat reminds us of Hell.,This saying has been ascribed to both a~u-~-Dardaand abu Ayyub-al-Ansari.90 Another said, What abad place is the bathhouse! Therein nakedness isrevealed and shame goes to the winds." The fi~st h.asaddressed himself to the benefits of the bath while88. Unidentified.89.90.

Surah xvii:24.The standard-bearer fo the Porphet. He harbouredMuh d in al-Madinah at the time of al-HzYrah. Later heanuna d' .accompanied Yazid I, then Ii crown-prince, on his expe. itionagainst Constantinople (A.H.49/AD. 669) where he died. ofdysentery and was buried outside the walls of the By~t~ecapital. His tomb became a shrine even to the ChristianGreeks who made pilgrimage to it in time of drought to pr~yfor rain. During the siege of Constantinople by the Tur~ m1453 the tomb was miraculously discovered by rays of lightwhich shone from it. Thus did the Midnesead gentlemanbecome a saint for three nations. See ibn-Sa'd, Vol.l11, Pt.2,pp.49-50; Philip K. Hitti, History of the Arabs (London, 1963).pp.201-202.

5 0

The Myster ies ofPuritythe second pointed out its evils. At any rate thereare certain obligations and rules which the visitor ofthe bath should observe. Two of these obligationspertain to his own nakedness and two relate to thenakedness of others.

The two obligations which pertain to his ownnakedness are first, that he should shield it fromthe sight of others and second, guard against thetouch of others. No one should undertake to clean itbut. himself. Furthermore, he should not allow thebath attendant who rubs the backs of bathers andmassages their body to touch either his thigh or thepart of the body which lies between the navel andthe pubes. Some permit the touching of any part ofthe body with the exception of the genitals but thebest rule is not to permit the touching of'the partsalready mentioned, since the rule which prohibitslooking at the private parts has been extended toinclude the prohibition of touching them as well.The same rule covers the other part of nakedness,namely, the thigh.

The two obligations which relate to thenakedness of others are first, to avoid looking at itwhenever it is exposed and the second to warnagainst uncovering it because to warn against evil isobligatory. The person is expected to warn againstuncovering the nakedness but he is not heldresponsible for the acceptance of his warning. Hecannot escape the obligation of 'warning :exceptwhen such warning exposes him to physical dangeror personal injury, or lead him to something whichin itself is unlawful. Then he is not expected to

51


31/45

The Kitab Asrar al-Taharahcondemn one unlawful act when such condemnationwill compel the offender to commit anotherunlawful act. To refrain from warning and excusehimself on the ground that his warning will be ofnouse.is quite unpardonable because no one will fail totake cognizanceof disapproval and be influenced byit and no one will fail to takebeed when he isderided for his sins. It will result in making thematter seem bad in his sight and will induce him toshun it. For this reason it is not permissible toneglect warning. Consequently, it has becomediscerete and wise not to frequent the public bathsnowadays, because they are always full of exposednakedness particularly the part of the bodyextending from the navel to the upper part of thepubes, which part is not considered nakedness bypeople any more.ralthough the Law has included ittherein, and has made it a sort of boundary tonakedness. It is therefore desirable to evacuate thebath-house ofpeople [in return for a certain feel]. Inthis connexionBishribn-al-Harith said, "I shall notbe hard on the man who pays his last dirham inorder to have the bath-house. evacuated of peoplewhen he takes his bat." Ibn-'Umar was once seen inthe bath-house .with his face turned toward thewall having also blindfolded his eyes with abandage. Some have said that there was no harm infrequenting the bath-houses provided the individualhas two veils, one for covering his nakedness andthe other for his head over which he should throw itin order toprotect his eyes.

As to the rules, they are ten. They are asfollows:

5 2

The Mysteries ofPurity[The first] is good intention. The individual

shoul~ not ~nter the bath-house for the sake ofs0n;te~ediate worldly gain or for the purpose oftoymgWIthsome earthly passion.Rather, he shouldseek therewith healthy cleanliness inf [I 'preparationor prayer. ~ the s.econdplace] he shouid pay thebath-owner his fee m advance before entering thebath because the service which [the client] wants isu~own to the owner and similarly is the fwhich the latter expects. Consequently t::payment of the fee in advance before goingin~othebath removes [125) the ambiguity from at least thone and sets the mind of the other at ease. . e

[In t~e third place], the individuaLshouldadvance his left foot first as he enters t~ bath dsho~d then. ~ay, "In the name of God the Merc~,the CompassIOnate. I seek refuge in God,~nstSatan, the accursed' the filthy, the impure" thecorr~pt, the corrupting." {Fourthly], he sltould ~Waitthe time when the bath is vacant and then go .::e to it, by paying, that it is vacated. For althl:~;~ere may not be in the bath any except religious

men Whoare careful not to expose their nakednessthe very fact of seeing their unprotected bcdiessmacks of lack of shame and is suggestive ofnak~dness. Furthermore, it is unavoidable inmo~g about not to expose the nakednessesp~cI~~ as the flaps of the veil turn and fold. Thenthe mdiVlduaIcannot help but see the nakedness ofot~ers. It was for this reason that ibn-'Umarhblmdfoldedhis eyes [whenever he entered a bath-ouss],

53


32/45

The KitabAsrar al-Taharah

[In the fIfth place], the individual should washhis hands as he enters the bath. [Sixthly], he shouldnot rush into the tank room until he had first beenthrough the first room [where men sit to perspire].[Seventhly], he should not use too much water butshould limit himself to no more than he needs asthe occasion demands. To go beyond that will offendthe bath-owner especially when the wasted water ishot which costs money and requires labour.

[Eighth], the heat of the bath-house shouldremind the individual pf the heat of Hell and,having spent one hour in the heat of the bath-house, he should try to get an idea of [the endlessstay of sinners in] Hell~It is the place most like Hell,both in the fire beneath the water and the darknessabove. We seek refuge in God against all suchthings.As a matter of fact, the wise will not fail toremember the hereafter every moment of his life,because it is his final destination and eternal abode.In everything he sees, whether it be water, or fire,or any other thing, he finds warning and. admonition. For every man notices the things mostfamiliar to himself. Thus if a dry-goods man, acarpenter, a mason, and a weaver entered afurnished house, you would find, on examination, ,that the dry-goods man looks at the draperies andscrutinises their value; the weaver directs hisattention to the clothes and examines theirtextures; the carpenter gazes at the ceiling .andponders over its construction; and the mason turnsto the walls and deliberates over the manner of

54

The Mysteries of Purity

t~ei~ building and the exactness of their .IinesSmnlarly, the traveller on the road of the hereaft .does not see anything without finding in it a I eras w 11 ' d . esson. e as a remm er of the hereafter, In fact hiseyes ~all on nothing without receiving from G~d awammg, If he sees something black he remembersthe ~arkness of the grave; if he sees a snake he isremmde~ of the serpents of Hell; if he sees any u Iface the unage of Munkar and Nakir as well as t::'of the ~orm~nting angels (al-zabaniya)91 appearbefore him; If he hears a terrific noise his mindturns to the blowing of the horn on the Last Day' ifhe sees .something beautiful he recalls the bli 'fP di d 'f h ISS0ara se an 1 e hears someone say 'yes' or 'no' inthe market-pl?ce or in a house he reverts in histhoughts to hIS,own fate on the day of jUdgment,wheth~r !te, WIll be accepted or rejected, Howbecoming It IS,then, that such things should prevailover the heart of the wise. Nothing dissuades himt~erefro~ except the most tmportant matters oflife. But If he should compare the lengt h f hi tin thi Iifa wi h 0 ISS ayIS ire WIt that of his abode in the hereafth: would despise the former if he were mindful a : ~WIse.

[The ninth] of these rules is that the individualshould not salut~ [the bystanders] on entering thebath-house, and m case he was saluted he shouldnot return the salutation. If he should feel inclinedto reply to the salutation he may do so by saying

91. Certain angels whose duty is to thrust the people of Hell into thefires thereof. Cf Surah Jxvi:6.

55


33/45

The Kitab Asrar al-Taharah"MayGod forgive you your sinS."92Hemay shakehands with [an acquaintance bystander] and, for thesake of commencing a conversation, say, "MayGodforgiveyou your sins";but this conversation shouldnot be prolonged. Furthermore, he should notrepeat the Qur'an in the bath-house except in hismind, yet there is no harm in repeating aloud theformula. "I seek refuge in God against Satan, theaccursed."Again the practice ofgoing into the bath-house between the hour of sunset and nightfall (al-isha'an) is undesirable, because at that time thedemons roam[the earth].

The bather may have someone else to rub hisback and massage his body for him, as it has beenrelated that Yusuf ibn-Asbat has, before he died,requested that a certain stranger be allowed towash his corpse after his death and said, ''The manhas rubbed my back and massaged my body for mewhen I wasoncebathing, I wish therefore to rewardhim with something whichwillplease him, and I amsure it will please him much to wash my corpse."The permissibility ofhaving another rub one's backand massage his body is attested bywhat one of theCompanions related concerning the Apostle of God;Said the Companion, "In one of his travels theApostle ofGodstopped at an inn. Stretching himselfout with his belly to the earth, a negro slave beganto massage his back for him. Therefore, I said,

92. The individual m ay reply to a salutation in the bath with the words'afah Allah but never with the usual formlaa of wa.'alay-kum al-slam wa rahma:Allah.

56

The Mysteries ofPurity'What is going on 0 Apostle of God?' To which hereplied, ''The she-camel threw meoffits back."

Finally,when the individual is through with hisbathing he should thank Godupon this blessing, forit has been said that hot water in winter time is amuch sought of luxury. Concerning baths andbathing ibn-Tlmar said, "Baths are an innovatedluxury."This describes baths in their relation to theLaw,but fromthe view-pointofmedicine they havebeen described as a protection against leprosy,especially after the use of a depilatory. It has alsobeen said that depilating the pubes once a monthcools the body, purifies the complexion, andincreases virility.

Again it has been said, "To urinate whilestanding in the bath in winter time is better for theman

Documents

Ghazali - Book 3 Mysteries of Purity