Importance of Cleanliness/ Taharah

Islam places great emphasis on cleanliness, in both its physical and spiritual aspects. On the physical side, Islam requires the Muslim to clean his body, his clothes, his house, and the whole community, and he is rewarded by God for doing so. Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) said, for example:

"Removing any harm from the road is charity (that will be rewarded by Allah)." (Bukhari)

While people generally consider cleanliness a desirable attribute, Islam insists on it, making it an indispensible fundamental of the faith. A muslim is required to be pure morally and spiritually as well as physically. Through the Qur'an and Sunnah Islam requires the sincere believer to sanitize and purify his entire way of life. In the Qur'an Allah commends those who are accustomed to cleanliness:

"Allah loves those who turn to Him constantly and He loves those who keep themselves pure and clean." (2: 22)

In Islam the Arabic term for purity is Taharah a terminology used in most Islamic Books.

Importance of Ablution (Wudhu)

The Holy Prophet (peace be on him) said,

"WUDHU is the key to prayer as prayer is the key to Paradise. ISLAM lays extreme stress on cleanliness and "TAHARAT".

Narrated AbuMalik al-Ash'ari:

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Cleanliness is half of faith and Alhamdulillah (Praise be to Allah) fills the scale, and SubhanAllah (Glory be to Allah) and Alhamdulillah (Praise be to Allah) fill up what is between the heavens and the earth, and prayer is a light, and charity is proof (of one's faith) and endurance is a brightness and the Qur'an is a proof on your behalf or against

you. All men go out early in the morning and sell themselves (doing different deeds), thereby setting themselves free or destroying themselves. (Sahih Muslim Book 2, Number 0432)

This Booklet is a simple Guide Book which has different activities to teach about Ablution/

Wudhu. All activities are mainly summarization of different verses from Quran and Hadith of Prophet Muhammad s.a.w

Label and complete Steps of ablution/Wudhu :

1- Make ---------------------------- Recite ----------------------------

2- Washing ------------------------- -------------- times.

3- Rinsing----------- -------- times. 4- Rinsing ------------- ------------- times.

4- Washing -------------------- ---------------- times,

5- Washing --------------------- ---------------- times

6- Wiping ---------------------

7- Doing ------------ of the grooves and holes of both ears and also pass the wet thumbs

behind the ears

8- Washing -----------------------

.

---------------- times. And moving ------------------- between

toes.

9- Recite Dua Ashadu al la elaa ha illalahu wahdahu la shareekalaho wa ash hadu anna muhamadan abduhu wararulu

I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah. He is all by Himself and has no partner and I testify that Rasulullah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) is Allah’s Rasull (messenger)

General Points About Ablution (Wadhu)

I- Pick the right answer and complete the sentence.

o How much water should we use to perform ablution? -------------------------------

(With moderation – Let the tap run and use as much you want)

o When doing any work we should start from which side? -----------------------------

(Any side left or right - Right side preferred)

o If you use toilet before Ablution what is compulsory? ---------------------

(Using toilet paper only - Using toilet paper and cleaning parts with hand and water)

II- What nullifies the Ablution (Wudhu)? Color the block or Circle

Using rest room

Eating food

Deep Sleep

Touching

Private Parts

Talking on The Phone

Yawning

Any discharge from private

parts

Scratching

Passing wind

After one prayer

Touching baby’s private part for washing with hands without

gloves.

Loss of

Consciousness

III- When bathing is compulsory or required for Purity/ Cleanliness? Circle

After waking up

Having sexual

relation

After using

Toilet

Having a wet

dream

Kissing spouse

Having impurity

on cloths

On getting pure from

Menstruation

Blood discharge after child birth

How do you perform bathing according to the Sunnah of

Prophet Muhammad (saw)?

IV- Pick the Right word to complete Blanks.

Rest of the Body Right hand Bismillah Head

3 times Feet Ablution Private Parts

1- Make an intention- recite_____________

2- Wash your hands _________________

3- Pour water from your _____________ to your left hand and wash you private parts. Cleaning

all impurities.

4- Perform complete __________________ like we do for Salat.

5- Put some water on your ____________ to make the skin wet. Pour water on your head 3

times.

6- Then wash the _____________ starting from the right side.

7- After completing bath wash your ___________ making sure water has reached all parts.

8- If during bath you have touched your ____________ then make ablution again at the end.

Note: For bathing to get pure from Menstruation open and wash your hair thoroughly and use

fragrance on private part. (Fragrance could be shower gel having nice fragrance or any soap)

Tayammum/ Dry Ablution

This method of purification, which does not require water, is used instead of ablution (Wudho) and Ghusl in certain circumstances / exceptions.

Chapter4: An-Nisa, 43, Chapter 5 Al-Maidah, 6

V- In which conditions can you perform Tayammum? See the pictures and complete the sentences.

1- No ___________________ is available for Ablution and Ghusl.

2- _____________ in which using water can endanger life or can increase it.

3- ________________________

4- Extreme ________________ in which using of water can make you sick or can put

your life in danger.

Method of Doing Tayammum or Dry Ablution

Tayammum can be done with Dust or clean soil.

Steps of performing Tayummum

1- Make an intention- Bismillah

2- Strike your hands on dirt and blow it out.

3- Wipe each hand up to the wrist.

4- Wipe your face.

Note: One Tayyamum/ dry Ablution is enough for both Ablution (Wadhu) and Bathing (Ghusl)

Summary of the Activities done above

How to Perform Ablution (Wudhu) One should perform wudhu before the prayer, for the Prophet

"Prayer is not accepted without purification….” (Muslim #224)

said:

Allah

"O you who believe! When you intend to offer the Salaah, wash your faces and your hands up to the elbows, pass wet hands over your heads, and [wash] your feet up to the ankles." (59:7)

says:

One should perform wudhu in the following manner:

Humraan the freed slave of ‘Uthmaan bin Affaan («may god exalt their mention») said:

“I saw ‘Uthmaan («may god exalt their mention») perform wudhu. He poured water on his hands thrice, then he rinsed his mouth and nose, washed his face thrice, washed his right hand up to his elbow thrice, washed his right hand up to his elbow thrice, wiped over his head once, washed his right foot thrice, and then his left foot thrice. He then said, ‘I saw the Messenger of Allah

perform wudhu like this, and he said: ‘Whoever performs wudhu like my wudhu, and then prays two Rakaat not thinking about anything else, Allah will forgive him all his previous sins.’ (Bukhari #1832)

1. One should intend that he is performing wudhu to purify himself from a minor state of impurity. The proof that intention (niyyah) is obligatory as seen from the statement of the Prophet

“All deeds are considered by their intentions, and each person will be rewarded according to what he intends…” (Bukhâri #1 & Muslim #45)

:

2. One should say, “Bismillaah,” before making wudhu. The Prophet

“There is no Prayer for one who does not perform wudhu, and there is no wudhu for one who does not mention the name of Allâh.” (Abu Dawood #101 & ibn Maajah # 399)

said:

3. One should wash his hands thrice at the beginning of the wudhu.

4. One should rinse his mouth and clean his nose by sniffing water into it thrice. He should blow the water out of his nose using the left hand.

5. One should wash his face thrice. The face consists of the area starting from the forelock at the top of the forehead of a normal haired man to the bottom of the [chin or] beard, vertically, and from right earlobe to the left, horizontally.

6. One should wash his hands from the tips of fingers to the elbow (while washing it as well) beginning first with the right hand, then the left. If he is wearing a ring or a watch, he must remove it in order to allow the water to reach the skin underneath it.

7. One must wipe over his head once. This is done by wetting the hands and passing them over the head, beginning from the front, proceeding to the back, and then passing them back over the head to the front. Abdullah b. Zaid («may god exalt their mention») narrated:

“Allâh’s Messenger (peace be upon him) passed his hands over his head starting from the front, proceeding to the back. He started from his forehead and passed them over to the top of his neck, and then passed them back to the place where he started from.” (Bukhari #183 & Muslim#235)

8. One should wipe his ears by inserting wet index fingers in the cavity of the ears, and wipe their backs with the thumbs. Ibn Abbas described the wudhu of the Prophet

“He then wiped over his head and put his index fingers into his ears. He wiped the outside of his ears with his thumbs, and the insides of his ear with his index fingers.” (Abu Dawud #123)

saying:

9. One should wash his feet three times from the tips of the toes up to and including the ankles. Abu Hurairah («may god exalt their mention») said that the Messenger of Allah

“Woe to the heels from the Hellfire!” (Bukhari#60 & Muslim #142) saw a person who did not wash his heels, and he said to him:

10. One should wash the parts of wudhu in the correct sequence. He should not contradict the sequence mentioned in the verse, for Allah mentioned the obligatory acts of wudhu in a specific sequence.

11. One should not delay washing one part of the body so that the previously washed part becomes dry.

It is mentioned in a Hadeeth that the Prophet saw a man praying, but a portion of his foot -the size of a dirham- was not wet. Upon this, the Prophet

One must remove anything from the parts that must be washed in the wudhu which might prevent water from reaching the skin underneath it, such as paint, and similar things.

ordered him to repeat his wudhu and Prayer.” (Abu Dâwud #175)

One remains in a state of wudhu unless something invalidates it, such as urination, defecation, passing of gas, pre-seminal fluid, prostatic fluid, false menstruation (vaginal bleeding other than menses) eating camel meat, touching the private parts with one’s hand directly, and deep sleep.

Tayammum (Dry Ablution) If there is no water available to perform wudhu or ghusl, or there is a factor present which prevents the use of water, such as illness, or the inability to use water, it is lawful to perform Tayammum.

Tayammum takes the place of water in purifying oneself from states of impurity, and it is performed as follows:

1. One should strike the ground once with his hands while his fingers are spread apart,

2. One should then wipe each hand up to the wrist.

3. One should then wipe face.

The medical and spiritual benefits of performing ablution

(By Shaheen Dar and Raheem Abdul)

Ablution is the perfect example of the saying that cleanliness is next to Godliness. In addition to his normal cleaning routines like bathing, a Muslim performs ablution five times a day just before his prayers. The hygienic aspect of ablution is an obvious medical benefit. By washing yourself you stay fresh and healthy

Ablution is performed by washing your private parts, the face, nostrils, eyes, behind the ears, the neck, the hands and arms up to the elbows and finally the feet. Each part is washed three times and the name of Allah and the prayer of Shahadah which says that there is only one God and Prophet Muhammed is His messenger is recited. This mental recital helps the person to stay focused and gives clarity to the mind.

and there is less chance of contacting germs.

In addition, there is a direction and purpose to life and a person does not feel depressed and isolated. A person who combines his worldly life with his spiritual side is a lucky person indeed as his life has a balance in it. Prayer is a way of sharing problems with your Maker and it lightens the heart and promotes a more positive state of mind.

It is said that the pressure points that are simulated when you wash your face during ablution leads to the secretion of endorphins which relax the brain and help to relieve headaches and anger in a person. The act of ablution followed by prayer calms the mind as you cannot pray if you are full of anger and hate. Peace descends on the person as he mentally prepares himself for prayer. Ablution also helps to keeps lines and wrinkles away by keeping the face peaceful. In fact the calmness and peace on the face of a person who prays regularly is visible to all to see because of the contentment on his face. Such a person is said to have 'Nur' or light on his face.

From a spiritual aspect, the act of ablution helps to purify not just the body but also the mind. This is because you go to prayer having intentionally washed all the parts of your body that need to be purified so that the state of your physical body is now attuned with your mental state. In one of the Hadith (sayings of the Prophet) it is mentioned that Prophet Muhammed said that when ablution is being performed sins committed by those body parts will also be washed away so that the person becomes pure.

The clothes that are worn during prayer have to be clean

and fresh and so does the area where the prayer is to be performed. All these conditions combined with a clean mind and body help the person to reach a level of purity during prayer. It is symbolic that worldly impurities are washed away so that the spiritual level is easier to attain.

Medically, a person who practices the ablution will observe cleanliness more closely. Our hands and feet are carrying the most germs and viruses as they are mostly exposed. We touch a lot of things when working or walking. We will be safe from the effect of those germs and viruses if we cleansed them regularly. Simultaneously we also protected our children

and family from being infected.

Our mouth is full of bacteria and germs. Their existence will be reduced if we rinsed our mouth regularly.

Spiritually, prayer ablution is a self discipline exercise. Allah is testing our faith not once, but all the time. Allah is teaching us to be a more responsible person, well disciplined and consistent in our commitments towards him. On the Day of Judgment those who performed the ablution correctly and sincerely will have shines and sparkling white on their faces; hands and feet, and easily recognized as a good Muslim chosen for Heaven.

AlHudA International Institute

Noor Al-Islam-Light of Islam (Classes for New Muslims

May, 2010 alhudaus@gmail.com